Play Your Cards Right

Play Your Cards Right was a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same.

Differences from Card Sharks

Note: These differences draw from the 1994 revival.

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Play Your Cards Right had its share of similarities and differences to its American counterpart. Instead of two single players competing, two married couples would compete. The winner of the first round would get a prize known as the "Brucie Bonus," named after Forsyth. In the Cash Cards, the couple were given £200 with which to begin, and answering a question correctly would earn the couple another £50. Only at start, after three cards, and on the final card could the couple change the card. After the first row of three cards, the couple are given 200 more pounds. The final card was optional, and taking the chance meant a double-or-nothing wager. If the couple had at least £4000, this wager would be for the money they'd already amassed, as well as a new car.

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It is said that Bruce Forsyth has a lot of energy as a host. Among his other quips, he would, at the beginning of some shows, say, "What a lovely audience! You're so much better than last week." The joke was that the audience had already seen the recording of the programme that was to be transmitted the week before the one that was just starting.

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The modified rules from the 2002 revival

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All 13 cards from the suit of hearts from the '2' to the 'Ace' were put out face down. Four couples would then come on, and the two couples with the two highest cards would go through to the main game (the couple who picked the highest card was red team).

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Winning a game meant £1,000 cash for the team who won, but, if one of the teams guessed the exact number of people who said yes on a question of 100 people surveyed, this won them a case of champagne.

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In the Cash Cards, this time, the couple were given £1,000 to start with and their minimum bet had to be £100, but they could bet the whole lot if they wanted to. If the coupled turned the first three cards over correctly, another £500 would be added to the total. On the final card,

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there was a strict rule, where the couple had to bet at least half of the amount they had at that particular time.

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Further rules were, if a couple betted on the whole lot the wrong way during the first three cards, the game wouldn't be over. That card would be put on the row above and the additional £500 would be added on. If there was a pair of cards in the Cash Cards, the couple didn't lose any money. They just moved on to the next card.

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