Top Card
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Top Card was the second game show to premiere on TNN (now called Spike TV), replacing another TNN game show Fandango. The show lasted from April 1989 to March 1993. The show was based on the card game Blackjack (ala Gambit).
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[edit] Gameplay
Three contestants tested their knowledge of country music to build a blackjack hand and win prizes.
[edit] Main Game
Three rounds were played, with nine categories per round. The outer eight were entertainment categories, while the one in the center was a Wild Card category which could be about anything. The player in control chose a category, a question was asked, and the first player to buzz-in had the opportunity to answer. A correct answer won the card behind the category. After the card was revealed, the contestant could either keep that card, or reject it and take the top card from a deck in front of the hostess. If the contestant kept the original card, that category was removed from further play (except for the Wild Card - if a card here was kept, a new card was placed behind it). If the contestant took the top card, the original card and category stayed in play. After making his or her choice, the contestant chose another category and play continued in this manner.
The card values were as follows:
Tens and Face Cards = ten points
Number Cards = the number on the card as points
Aces = one point (and unlike blackjack, only one point, not one or eleven)
At anytime during the game after choosing to take either card, a player could freeze on his/her current score, forcing the other player(s) to play out the round. If at anytime, a remaining player beat a frozen player's score, that contestant also received the option to freeze. The first player to freeze then had one last chance to play after the other player(s) had frozen.
Like in blackjack, the object of the game was to reach 21 or get closer to 21 than the opponents without going over. Anything over 21 was considered a bust, and any player who busted was eliminated from the round. A round could be won in one of three ways:
- Reaching 21
- Being the only player in a round not to bust
- Having more points than any other opponent after all were "frozen" or when time expired
[edit] Round One
Three contestants played this round, with the winner advancing to the Championship Round. The other players play the next round.
[edit] Round Two
The two losers from round one played this round. In season one, a Wild Card question was asked to determine control; for the rest of the run, a category in the upper left was asked. Afterwards, play proceeded in the same manner as the first round, with the winner advancing to the Championship Round to face the winner from round one.
[edit] Championship Round
The winners of the first two rounds played the Championship Round, again with the same rules. The winner of this final round won the game, became champion and advanced to the Top Card Plus bonus round.
[edit] Second Season Notes
- In the second season, the number of subjects was reduced to eight and the Wild Card category is replaced by a Top Card question, which could only be played if it was the only remaining category.
- After a category was played, it was removed regardless of whether the contestant selected its corresponding card or the top card.
[edit] Top Card Plus
In Top Card Plus, the winner played for prizes including a grand prize.
[edit] First Season
To start, the hostess drew five cards from the Top Card deck to determine a starting bankroll, which was $100 times the total number of the cards drawn (Ex: 3h, 10c, 4h, 5d, Kd x 100 = $3,200). Prizes were placed on the game board (where the categories were located in the main game); each one had a price, along with a hidden card. The winning player chose which prize to buy with his or her bankroll, and the corresponding card was revealed. As in the main game, the contestant could keep that card and add it to his or her score, or take the top card in front of the hostess. After each choice, the player could elect to stop and take the prizes won up to that point, or continue playing in an attempt to reach 21. The "Wild Card" was in play for "Top Card Plus". If chosen, the champion's remaining bankroll would be cleaned out, regardless of value.
Each selection of a prize carried a risk of losing everything. This happened if the player exceeded 21 at anytime (therefore going 'bust'). In addition, one of the prizes concealed a Joker as its card; finding it also caused a player to lose all accumulated prizes.
If the contestant reached exactly 21 before stopping or being disqualified as described above, he or she kept all selected prizes; in addition, the player won a grand prize which was chosen in a blind draw from a special deck of cards. The grand prizes in the first season included a fur coat, a trip, a piano, or one of three cars.
[edit] Second Season
In the second season, Top Card Plus was played strictly for a car as the grand prize. To start, the winning player chose which car to play for. The categories from the main game remained on the Top Card board, with a prize and a card corresponding with each one. The winning player had four chances to win the car he or she selected. As in the game, the winning player chose a category, after which its prize was revealed. An incorrect answer forfeited that prize and card; a correct answer won the prize and allowed the player to see the hidden card. As long as it was not the Joker, the contestant could keep this card or trade it for the top card in front of the hostess. Again, after each question, the player could elect to stop and keep the prizes won up to that point, or risk his or her prizes and continue playing. If the contestant busted or found the joker, he or she lost everything; if the player hit 21 in four tries or less, he or she won the selected prizes and the chosen car.
Note: In either version, if the contestant found the joker on the first pick, the game did not end; instead, the player could still win a prize. However, the player was now required to take both the hidden card and the top card. The next cards from the deck were then revealed in succession. The champion may stop and take $10/point if he/she wishes. If 21 is hit, then the champion would win the prize. A bust would result in a loss.
In both seasons, contestants stayed on until they won the bonus round or until defeated.
[edit] Hosts and Hostesses
The host for the first two seasons was Jim Caldwell (late of Tic Tac Dough), and his hostess was Blake Pickett. They were both replaced for the remainder of the run by Dan Miller (who went on to host Top Card's successor 10 Seconds, and later rodeo coverage on TNN), and Paige Brown.
