Gambit (game show)
Encyclopedia
Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions
, that originally ran on CBS
from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC
from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating from the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
. The 1972–1976 version changed taping locations at CBS Television City
, taping episodes in Studios 31, 33, 41 and 43 at various times.
Both versions were hosted by Wink Martindale
and announced by Kenny Williams
. Elaine Stewart
was the card dealer for the CBS version, while Beverly Malden filled this role for the first half of Las Vegas Gambit, and was later replaced by Lee Menning
.
The program was retooled as Catch 21
, which began airing on GSN in 2008.
: come as close to 21 as possible without going over (or "busting"). As in blackjack, the cards 2 through 10 were worth their face value; face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) counted as 10 and an Ace could count as either 1 or 11.
Martindale asked a series of questions, usually multiple-choice or true-false, to two married couples. The first couple who buzzed in and correctly answered the question won control of the next card from the top of a deck of over-sized (but otherwise regulation) playing cards. The first card was shown before the first question, but cards thereafter were presented face down.
Once a couple gained control of a card, they had the option of adding it to their own hand or passing it to their opponents. After a couple received any card (whether by choice or by having a card passed to them from their opponents), they could elect to freeze if they were in the lead (neither team was permitted to freeze when the two were tied), preventing them from receiving any additional cards. This rule prevented their opponents from passing cards to them in order to strategically force them to bust.
A couple could win the game in one of four ways:
Each game was worth $100. The first team to win two games won the match and advanced to the bonus round.
The bonus game ended in one of three ways:
Throughout the CBS version, returning champions continued until winning a grand total of $25,000, relinquishing any winnings over that amount.
From 1972—1975, the show featured an annual promotion where the first couple to get a two-card 21 (an Ace and a face card/10) in the bonus round won either $200 a week for a year (totaling $10,400) or a flat $10,000, depending on the year.
The bonus round on the CBS version often featured a subgame called "Beat The Dealer", triggered by a selected card on the Gambit Board. The couple could win an additional prize by beating Martindale (acting as the dealer, although the cards were still dealt by Stewart) in a round of traditional blackjack, with the Dealer required to hit to 16 and stop on 17 or more. This subgame was resurrected as "Beat the House" on the NBC version for a $1,000 bonus.
In addition, other special awards were occasionally scattered among the numbers. The CBS version featured markers containing $500 and one of the four playing card suits, which would earn the couple an additional $500 for every one of that suit they held (i.e. turning over a $500 diamond and holding a card with a diamond suit would earn $1,000 total). The NBC version featured markers saying "$100 Times" or "$200 Times", which would multiply the value of the next card by the figure uncovered, up to $1,100 or $2,200 for an ace.
. In this round, called the Gambit Galaxy, the couple was presented with a pair of dice and was required to eliminate the numbers 1 through 9 from a board in front of them. To do this, the couple eliminated numbers that added up to the total they rolled (for instance, if the couple rolled a 10 they could eliminate 4 and 6; 3 and 7; 1, 2, 3, and 4; or any other combination that added to 10). The couple won $100 for each number eliminated, and if all nine were eliminated, the couple won $5,000 and an accumulating "Gambit Galaxy" prize package, which generally totaled at least $10,000. In the event a double was rolled (the same number on both dice), an insurance marker was awarded; it could then be used in the event the couple made a bad roll.
. It also easily beat Alex Trebek
's American debut program, The Wizard of Odds
, which NBC began in July 1973. On April 1, 1974 (the same day Now You See It with Jack Narz premiered), CBS moved the show ahead a half-hour to 10:30/9:30, where it faced NBC's struggling quiz Jeopardy!
. NBC moved Jeopardy! to the afternoons on July 1 and placed one of the many Bill Cullen-Bob Stewart collaborations, Winning Streak
, in the slot. That show's weakness made late 1974 the high point of Gambits original daytime run, at least in the Nielsen ratings.
However, Wheel of Fortune
would debut on January 6, 1975. Not only did Wheel impact Gambits audience, but NBC's expansion of Another World
in the afternoons forced CBS to return The Price is Right
to the morning after a two-year run at 3:00/2:00 Central. In order to make room for Price, the network decided to return Gambit to its original slot on August 18, where it remained for the rest of its run. At that slot, Gambit had to go against its sister Heatter-Quigley show High Rollers. The network canceled the four-year-old game two weeks before Christmas 1976, replacing it with Goodson-Todman's Double Dare
.
Mort Garson
composed the theme for this version.
). Stan Worth composed the theme for this version.
The show's finale on November 27, 1981 ended with a picture-in-picture display of Martindale stating that this was the last show. also announcing a daytime talk show hosted by Regis Philbin
would replace Las Vegas Gambit.
as host and Mikki Padilla
as dealer.
's Good Morning America
on August 20, 2008 as part of its Play it Again! Game Show Reunion Week. One round was played, with Robin Roberts
as the dealer. Although Martindale's podium had the "ANY 21 WINS" on it, no amount was ever shown below the wording (the prize was a small gift basket).
, a version produced for the Nine Network
briefly aired in 1974. The host was Peter Hitchener
and the dealer was Ros Wood. It was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation
.
for ITV
, notable for its opening title sequence featuring various casino equipment including playing cards, casino chips, a roulette wheel and a fruit machine. It started in 1975 as a programme shown in the Anglia region only, but became a networked show in 1978 and ran until 1985. The original host was Fred Dinenage
, later succeeded by comedian Tom O'Connor, and Michelle Lambourne was the card dealer. The programme returned briefly in the early 1990s, but only in the Anglia region and was hosted by Gary Thompson.
In the ITV version, each game was worth £20. The Gambit Jackpot started at £200 and increased by £50 until won or until it hit £500. Also, no cars were originally offered in the endgame (from 1981 onwards, they did offer a car as one of the star prizes). The cards used on this version had the same design as the U.S. version.
. Repeats aired for a time in syndication
during late 1977, most notably on WPIX
in New York and KHJ
in Los Angeles. While it is possible that the series remains intact (CBS had scaled back its erasure of older tapes
by the time Gambit premiered), the lack of episodes mean they are generally presumed to be lost.
Only seven episodes of Las Vegas are known to exist, despite NBC scaling back its wiping practices by 1980. Among the episodes that exist are the first and last aired episodes.
Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions was an American television production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley....
, that originally ran on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating from the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The 1972–1976 version changed taping locations at CBS Television City
CBS Television City
CBS Television City is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Fairfax Avenue...
, taping episodes in Studios 31, 33, 41 and 43 at various times.
Both versions were hosted by Wink Martindale
Wink Martindale
Winston Conrad Martindale , known professionally as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.-Radio:...
and announced by Kenny Williams
Kenny Williams (announcer)
Kenny Williams was an American television announcer from the late 1940s to 1980s. He was best known as the announcer of many game shows produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley . He also appeared on screen as "Kenny the Cop" on Video Village and Shenanigans...
. Elaine Stewart
Elaine Stewart
Elaine Stewart was an American actress and model.-Life:Stewart was born in Montclair, New Jersey as Elsy Steinberg. She was one of five children born into a German Jewish family. In 1961, nearing the end of her television career, she married actor Bill Carter...
was the card dealer for the CBS version, while Beverly Malden filled this role for the first half of Las Vegas Gambit, and was later replaced by Lee Menning
Lee Menning
Lee Menning is an American actress who appeared as a card dealer on NBC game show Las Vegas Gambit, and then as the co-host of NBC's Sale of the Century from 1983 to 1984....
.
The program was retooled as Catch 21
Catch 21
Catch 21 is an American game show centered around blackjack, created by Merrill Heatter and taped at the Hollywood Center Studios...
, which began airing on GSN in 2008.
Gameplay
The object of the game was that of blackjackBlackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
: come as close to 21 as possible without going over (or "busting"). As in blackjack, the cards 2 through 10 were worth their face value; face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) counted as 10 and an Ace could count as either 1 or 11.
Martindale asked a series of questions, usually multiple-choice or true-false, to two married couples. The first couple who buzzed in and correctly answered the question won control of the next card from the top of a deck of over-sized (but otherwise regulation) playing cards. The first card was shown before the first question, but cards thereafter were presented face down.
Once a couple gained control of a card, they had the option of adding it to their own hand or passing it to their opponents. After a couple received any card (whether by choice or by having a card passed to them from their opponents), they could elect to freeze if they were in the lead (neither team was permitted to freeze when the two were tied), preventing them from receiving any additional cards. This rule prevented their opponents from passing cards to them in order to strategically force them to bust.
A couple could win the game in one of four ways:
- Reaching 21, which not only won the game but the Gambit Jackpot, which started at $500 and increased by that amount at the start of each day (or at the start of each match on Las Vegas). After being won, the jackpot reset to $500.
- Winning by default after the opponents exceed 21 ("busted"), even if the winners had no cards.
- Freezing, after which the opponents miss a question before getting a higher score and without going over 21.
- Having the opponents freeze, then getting a higher score without going over 21.
Each game was worth $100. The first team to win two games won the match and advanced to the bonus round.
Gambit Board
For the entire original series and the first half of Las Vegas Gambit, the winning couple played the Gambit Bonus Board. They faced a large game board with 21 numbered cards (18 numbered video screens on Las Vegas Gambit), each concealing a prize. After selecting a number, the couple received a prize and a card added to their hand from the top of the deck.The bonus game ended in one of three ways:
- The couple elected to stop before reaching 21 (especially if they feared the next card would push them over 21 or in some instances, if they won a desirable prize they wanted to keep), keeping all the prizes they chose to that point. In early episodes of the NBC version, a couple could elect to stop only when their hand totaled 17 or more.
- Going over 21, at which point they lost everything they found on the board.
- Reaching 21 exactly, wherein they won a new car ($5,000 on Las Vegas Gambit, though no bonus was given in early episodes) as well as the money in the Gambit Jackpot and the prizes selected.
Throughout the CBS version, returning champions continued until winning a grand total of $25,000, relinquishing any winnings over that amount.
From 1972—1975, the show featured an annual promotion where the first couple to get a two-card 21 (an Ace and a face card/10) in the bonus round won either $200 a week for a year (totaling $10,400) or a flat $10,000, depending on the year.
The bonus round on the CBS version often featured a subgame called "Beat The Dealer", triggered by a selected card on the Gambit Board. The couple could win an additional prize by beating Martindale (acting as the dealer, although the cards were still dealt by Stewart) in a round of traditional blackjack, with the Dealer required to hit to 16 and stop on 17 or more. This subgame was resurrected as "Beat the House" on the NBC version for a $1,000 bonus.
In addition, other special awards were occasionally scattered among the numbers. The CBS version featured markers containing $500 and one of the four playing card suits, which would earn the couple an additional $500 for every one of that suit they held (i.e. turning over a $500 diamond and holding a card with a diamond suit would earn $1,000 total). The NBC version featured markers saying "$100 Times" or "$200 Times", which would multiply the value of the next card by the figure uncovered, up to $1,100 or $2,200 for an ace.
Gambit Galaxy
For the second half of the NBC version, the Gambit Board was replaced by a renamed Big Numbers bonus round from the Heatter-Quigley show High RollersHigh Rollers
High Rollers is an American television game show based on the dice game Shut the Box. The show aired on NBC from July 1, 1974 to June 11, 1976 and again from April 24, 1978 to June 20, 1980. Two different syndicated versions were also produced, a weekly series in the 1975–1976 season which ran...
. In this round, called the Gambit Galaxy, the couple was presented with a pair of dice and was required to eliminate the numbers 1 through 9 from a board in front of them. To do this, the couple eliminated numbers that added up to the total they rolled (for instance, if the couple rolled a 10 they could eliminate 4 and 6; 3 and 7; 1, 2, 3, and 4; or any other combination that added to 10). The couple won $100 for each number eliminated, and if all nine were eliminated, the couple won $5,000 and an accumulating "Gambit Galaxy" prize package, which generally totaled at least $10,000. In the event a double was rolled (the same number on both dice), an insurance marker was awarded; it could then be used in the event the couple made a bad roll.
CBS, 1972–1976
CBS put Gambit in originally at 11 a.m/10 Central, where it defeated NBC's Sale of the CenturySale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
. It also easily beat Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek
George Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian American game show host who has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted game shows such as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has appeared in numerous television series, usually as himself...
's American debut program, The Wizard of Odds
The Wizard of Odds
The Wizard of Odds is an American game show hosted by Alex Trebek that aired on NBC from July 16, 1973 to June 28, 1974 in which people from the studio audience vied in a number of rounds, primarily games revolving around statistical questions...
, which NBC began in July 1973. On April 1, 1974 (the same day Now You See It with Jack Narz premiered), CBS moved the show ahead a half-hour to 10:30/9:30, where it faced NBC's struggling quiz Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
. NBC moved Jeopardy! to the afternoons on July 1 and placed one of the many Bill Cullen-Bob Stewart collaborations, Winning Streak
Winning Streak (US game show)
Winning Streak is an American television game show hosted by Bill Cullen and announced by Don Pardo. It aired daily on NBC from July 1, 1974 to January 3, 1975 and was produced at the NBC Studios in New York's Rockefeller Plaza.-Gameplay:...
, in the slot. That show's weakness made late 1974 the high point of Gambits original daytime run, at least in the Nielsen ratings.
However, Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
would debut on January 6, 1975. Not only did Wheel impact Gambits audience, but NBC's expansion of Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
in the afternoons forced CBS to return The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
to the morning after a two-year run at 3:00/2:00 Central. In order to make room for Price, the network decided to return Gambit to its original slot on August 18, where it remained for the rest of its run. At that slot, Gambit had to go against its sister Heatter-Quigley show High Rollers. The network canceled the four-year-old game two weeks before Christmas 1976, replacing it with Goodson-Todman's Double Dare
Double Dare (1976 game show)
Double Dare is an American television game show, produced by Mark Goodson—Bill Todman Productions, that ran from 1976 to 1977 on CBS. Alex Trebek was the host, with Johnny Olson and later Gene Wood announcing...
.
Mort Garson
Mort Garson
Mort Garson who was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was an electronic musician best known for his albums that predominantly feature Moog synthesizers.-Early life:...
composed the theme for this version.
NBC, 1980–1981 (Las Vegas Gambit)
Gambit returned on October 27, 1980 as one of two replacements for the short-lived David Letterman Show (the other was Goodson-Todman's BlockbustersBlockbusters (US game show)
Blockbusters is an American game show which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson Productions, the first series debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980 and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant...
). Stan Worth composed the theme for this version.
The show's finale on November 27, 1981 ended with a picture-in-picture display of Martindale stating that this was the last show. also announcing a daytime talk show hosted by Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
would replace Las Vegas Gambit.
GSN, 2008– (Catch 21)
Gambit creator Merrill Heatter developed a similar show, Catch 21, which premiered on GSN July 21, 2008 with Alfonso RibeiroAlfonso Ribeiro
Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro is an American actor, director, dancer, game show host, and comedian. While he received attention for his performance in the title role of the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid and his appearance as a dancer in a Pepsi commercial featuring Michael Jackson, Ribeiro is best...
as host and Mikki Padilla
Mikki Padilla
Mikki Padilla is a Spanish American actress, model and writer. She is best known for being the co-host/card dealer on GSN's Catch 21....
as dealer.
ABC, 2008 (Good Morning America segment)
Martindale returned to play Gambit for ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on August 20, 2008 as part of its Play it Again! Game Show Reunion Week. One round was played, with Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts (newscaster)
Robin René Roberts is an American television broadcaster. Roberts is the co-anchor of ABC's morning show Good Morning America-Early life:...
as the dealer. Although Martindale's podium had the "ANY 21 WINS" on it, no amount was ever shown below the wording (the prize was a small gift basket).
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, a version produced for the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
briefly aired in 1974. The host was Peter Hitchener
Peter Hitchener
Peter Donald Beauchamp Hitchener is an Australian television presenter. He has been chief news presenter for Melbourne's edition of Nine News since 1998, and prior to that was weekend news presenter.-Career:...
and the dealer was Ros Wood. It was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation
Reg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
.
United Kingdom
A British version of the show was produced by Anglia TelevisionAnglia Television
Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, notable for its opening title sequence featuring various casino equipment including playing cards, casino chips, a roulette wheel and a fruit machine. It started in 1975 as a programme shown in the Anglia region only, but became a networked show in 1978 and ran until 1985. The original host was Fred Dinenage
Fred Dinenage
Frederick Edgar Dinenage, MBE is an English television host and newsreader, based in the south of England.Dinenage has appeared as presenter of many British television programmes , such as Gambit , Tell The Truth, How and its successor How...
, later succeeded by comedian Tom O'Connor, and Michelle Lambourne was the card dealer. The programme returned briefly in the early 1990s, but only in the Anglia region and was hosted by Gary Thompson.
In the ITV version, each game was worth £20. The Gambit Jackpot started at £200 and increased by £50 until won or until it hit £500. Also, no cars were originally offered in the endgame (from 1981 onwards, they did offer a car as one of the star prizes). The cards used on this version had the same design as the U.S. version.
Episode status
The status of the CBS version is unknown outside of a 1974 episode traded among collectors and five 1973 episodes held by the UCLA Film and Television ArchiveUCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
. Repeats aired for a time in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
during late 1977, most notably on WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York and KHJ
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Los Angeles. While it is possible that the series remains intact (CBS had scaled back its erasure of older tapes
Wiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
by the time Gambit premiered), the lack of episodes mean they are generally presumed to be lost.
Only seven episodes of Las Vegas are known to exist, despite NBC scaling back its wiping practices by 1980. Among the episodes that exist are the first and last aired episodes.