| PAY CARDS! A Nicholson/Muir Production (in assoc. with Champlain Productions from '81-'82) air dates: syndicated 9/9/68-9/69, syndicated 9/81-9/82 as Super Pay Cards! host: Art James announcers ('68-'69): Fred Collins, Glenn Rhyle hostess/announcer (SPC!): Mary Lou Basaraba HOW TO PLAY: ('68-'69): Three contestants competed in this game based on poker. One of the players would be a celebrity who played for a member of the studio audience. Each player, on their first turn, chose from a board of 20 numbers, each of which hid a playing card. If no pair was showing amongst the three, (s)he may keep those cards or turn them back. Either way, gameplay passed to the next player. If there was a pair showing among that player's first three cards, those cards must be kept. Once a player kept three cards, that player called out one card per turn and could keep it or turn it back. After two players have each completed a 5-card hand, the remaining player must keep every card (s)he chooses. After all three players each have a five-card hand, each player was awarded based on the following payoff scale: $10/pair, $30 for three of a kind, $50 for a full house (three of a kind and a pair), or $100 for four of a kind. The player with the highest hand at the end of each round earned a $50 bonus. In the second round, four cards were revealed to start the round. On each of their first two turns, a player turned over two more cards and selected two from the six cards showing. On each player's third turn, one card was turned over and the player picked one of the five cards dispayed. In the third round, at least one wild card was hidden on the board and allowed for five of a kind, which would result in a payoff of $150. The player with the most money after three rounds would be given the opportunity to win a bonus prize. The player studied a board of 12 cards for 12 seconds. After the cards were turned over, the player spun a wheel which determined which card the player had to find in order to win the prize. If the celebrity emerged triumphant, a studio audience member played for the prize. "It's the television card game that everyone can play! Super Pay Cards!": Two contestants competed to build the best 5-card poker hand possible. 16 cards would be hidden on the board. Each player, on their first turn turned over 3 cards and could either keep them or turn them back. As before, the three cards must be kept if a pair was amongst them. After a player kept three cards, the player revealed one card per turn and could either keep it or turn it back. After one player has kept 5 cards, the other player must complete their hand by keeping every card picked. At the end of each round, each player is paid according to their hand. After each round, both players earned money based on the hand: $20/pair, $50 for 3 of a kind, $100 for full house (3 of a kind + pair), $200 for 4 of a kind, and a $50 bonus for higher hand for the round. The second round would be played in one of four ways: Four of a Kind: Four sets of four of a kind would be hidden on the board. 2, 3, 4, 5: One set of five of a kind, which allowed for a possible $300 payoff, would be hidden amongst the 16 cards along with one set of 4 of a kind, one set of 3 of a kind, and two pairs. Strategy: Three cards would be revealed. On the first two turns, each player would turn over 2 cards to be revealed and choose 2 cards from the 5 that were showing. Each player's third turn would uncover one card which gave the player 4 cards from which to choose one. 7-card stud: Each player would be given a pair of cards, kept secret from each other's opponent, at the start and selected 5 more cards from the board as before. Once a player kept 5 cards, his or her cards would be exposed. The third round would have at least one wild card hidden on the board, which allowed for 5 of a kind and, therefore, a $300 payoff. The player with the most money after three rounds would be given the opportunity to add $5,000 to his/her tally. The player would be shown a board of four cards to look over for 4 seconds. After those cards were turned over, the player chose, in a blind draw, one card out of hostess/announcer Mary Lou Basaraba's hand of four. If the player could recall where that card was hidden on the board, (s)he moved on to level 2. If not, (s)he was given another set of 4 cards to play with. The player was given three chances to move up to level 2. Level 2 would have the player study eight cards for eight seconds. After choosing a card from an 8-card blind draw, locating that same card here would allow the player to advance to the final level. If the first play of level 1 met with success, she was given two chances to win $500. If successful on the first level's second play, (s)he played level 2 once. The third level involved the player studying 12 cards for 12 seconds. If the player could match the card chosen from a blind draw of 12 cards with the card selected from the board, (s)he became $5,000 richer! Otherwise, (s)he would win $500. The player must win each of the first two levels each on one play in order to play level 3. OTHER TIDBITS: The theme from SPC! was actually a revamped version of the theme from a 1975 game show called Spin-Off, also created by Nick Nicholson and Roger Muir.. Art James started his career as an announcer on NBC's Concentration, on which he also served as a substitute host. He also hosted Say When!, The Who What or Where Game, Blank Check, The Magnificent Marble Machine, and his swan song, Catch Phrase. He also served as a substitute announcer on shows like Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild, Family Feud, and Classic Concentration. He died in 2004 at age 74. Back to my game show joint or my homepage. |