History Series / Gambit

** The Gambit Board, where the winning couple picked numbers for prizes or cash, and was given a card after each pick. The couple could stop whenever they wished, as going over 21 would forfeit the prizes they had uncovered, but hitting 21 in any way won a growing cash jackpot plus a new car (on the original series) or $5,000 cash (on ''Las Vegas Gambit''). This format was used for the entire CBS run and the first five months or so of the ''Las Vegas Gambit'' version.

** Around May or June 1981, this was changed to the Gambit Galaxy [[note]]a renamed Big Numbers, the ''Series/HighRollers'' bonus round[[/note]]. The objective was to, through rolls of two dice, remove the numbers 1-9 from a gameboard; successfully doing so won the Gambit Galaxy (an accruing prize package), while a bad roll — a number that couldn't be removed from the board — ended the game with [[ConsolationPrize $100 given for each number that had been eliminated]]. Rolling doubles awarded an insurance marker; if the couple hit a bad roll, they could turn it in and keep playing.

** The pre-"Gambit Galaxy" bonus round often included hidden spaces on the board that gave the players a chance to win extra money in different ways, as long as they didn't bust.

** A score of 21 was an instant win, awarding $500 plus $500 for every show (every game on the NBC version) not won. This was also picked up in the endgame.

** ''Catch 21'' used three hands with one card dealt to each and the contestant directing the subsequent cards to any column they wanted. Getting a 21 awarded $1,000 for one column, $5,000 for two columns, and $25,000 (sometimes $50,000) for all three columns. Busting in any one column at any time ended the game. This was imported from the ''Casino'' attempt, where it had a potential top prize of $100,000.

** The 1979 pilot had "Gambit 6-Ball", where you played a giant skee-ball board, with 6 balls and tried to get two balls into up to 4 holes for various prizes. Roll into an Ace or Jack hole, you get a car. Light up all the letters in "GAMBIT", you get $10,000. There were also two empty spots which made you lose a ball.
** Around May or June 1981, this was changed to the Gambit Galaxy — the former ''Series/HighRollers'' bonus round. The objective was to, through rolls of two dice, remove the numbers 1-9 from a gameboard; successfully doing so won the Gambit Galaxy (an accruing prize package), while a bad roll — a number that couldn't be removed from the board — ended the game with [[ConsolationPrize $100 given for each number that had been eliminated]]. Rolling doubles awarded an insurance marker; if the couple hit a bad roll, they could turn it in and keep playing.

* LuckBasedMission: In the bonus round of ''Catch 21'', there was nothing to back you up if the cards failed you and you ran out of power chips.
** Could also apply the front game of ANY version of ''Gambit''. Since only the first card of each game was shown, winning a question meant having to choose between taking a card of random value or giving it to the opponent. Taking the card is only safe if the couple has a score of 11 or lower (12 or greater had a possibility of busting); giving the card away gave the opposing couple a chance at a good hand (which could immediately be frozen)

** ''Catch 21'' used three hands with one card dealt to each and the contestant directing the subsequent cards to any column they wanted. Getting a 21 awarded $1,000 for one column, $5,000 for two columns, and $25,000 (sometimes $50,000) for all three columns. Busting in any one column at any time ended the game.

** TheAnnouncer: [[Series/TheHollywoodSquares Kenny Williams]] on the CBS and NBC runs, and [[Series/{{Pyramid}} John]] [[Series/BrainSurge Cramer]] for the 1990 pilot; ''Catch 21'' didn't have one.

** LovelyAssistant: Elaine Stewart (Mrs. Merrill Heatter) on the CBS run, Beverly Malden and later [[Series/SaleOfTheCentury Lee Menning]] on the NBC run, Mikki Padilla on ''Catch 21''.

** TheAnnouncer: Kenny Williams on the CBS and NBC runs.
** GameShowHost: Wink Martindale on the CBS and NBC runs, Alfonso Ribeiro for the GSN era.

* CheatersNeverProsper: The finale of ''Las Vegas Gambit'' had a couple who tried to take advantage of Wink failing to hear their answer to the question "From what direction do the east winds blow?" They initially responded "west to east", after which Martindale asked them to repeat the answer; the couple, knowing they had given the wrong answer, tried to take advantage by changing their answer--however, the judge ''did'' hear the original response and signaled to Martindale, who immediately ordered them — not too kindly — to "say what you said", to which the couple did.

* PorkyPigPronunciation: Wink once had some difficulty telling a couple they had won a copy of the World Book Encyclopedia.

-->'''Wink:''' That's right. ''([[{{Beat}} pauses]], then tears up a card)'' I'm gonna tear that one up. I'm never gonna run across that one again. You know, I've been breaking up at some of these questions. The guys have been working overtime, haven't they?

With some slight tweaks, the essence of the ''Casino'' format finally made it to Creator/{{GSN}} from 2008-11 as ''Catch 21''. The show was hosted by [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir Alfonso Ribeiro]] and marked the return of not only ''Gambit'' but Heatter, who had not gotten a game on the air since ''The Last Word'' ended 18 years earlier.

** The Gambit Board, where the winning couple picked numbers for prizes or cash, and was given a card after each pick. The couple could stop whenever they wished, as going over 21 would forfeit the prizes they had uncovered, but hitting 21 in any way won a growing cash jackpot plus a new car (original series) or $5,000 cash (''Las Vegas Gambit''). This format was used for the entire CBS run and the first five months or so of the ''Las Vegas Gambit'' version.
** The 1979 pilot had "Gambit 6-Ball", where you played a giant skee-ball board, with 6 balls and tried to get two balls into up to 4 holes for various prizes. Roll into an Ace or Jsck hole, you get a car. Light up all the letters in "GAMBIT", you get $10,000. There were also two empty spots which made you lose a ball.

** ''Catch 21'' used three hands with one card dealt to each and the contestant directing the subsequent cards to any column they wanted. Getting a 21 awarded $1,000 for one column, $5,000 for two columns, and $25,000 (sometimes $50,000) for all three columns...but busting at any time ended the game.

** Also applied to ''Catch 21'', minus the progressive jackpot. However, from Season 2 onward there was a bonus prize awarded to the first player (if any) to make a 21 in the main game.

* LargeHam: Alfonso Ribeiro.

Martindale returned as host of the successor series, ''Las Vegas Gambit'', on Creator/{{NBC}} in 1980-81. A decade later, Bob Eubanks was the host of a ''Gambit'' pilot for Creator/{{ABC}} in 1990, with solo contestants and a different question format; ABC rejected it in favor of a ''Series/MatchGame'' revival. GSN attempted a revival in 2002 with three solo players and Ron Pearson as host under the name ''[[http://www.usgameshows.net/x.php?show=Casino Casino]]'', but turned it down for ''Series/{{Cram}}'' and ''Series/FriendOrFoe?''

** Beginning in Summer 1975, the show instated a special rule where any couple who hit a two-card 21 at any time won a $10,000 bonus.

** In one of the episodes with the BK power chips, the question "If your husband is wearing undershorts marked ''Home of the Whopper'', which fast food restaurant did they most likely come from?" appeared in Round 1. Never mind that Burger King's never sold undershorts, and it's not quite sure how they got a BiggusDickus joke [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar by the censors]] anyway...

With some slight tweaks, the essence of the ''Casino'' format finally made it to Creator/{{GSN}} from 2008-11 as ''Catch 21''. The show was hosted by [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir Alfonso Ribeiro]], one of the few black game show hosts, and marked the return of not only ''Gambit'' but Heatter, who had not gotten a game on the air since ''The Last Word'' ended 18 years earlier.

* GoldenSnitch: A score of 21 was an instant win, awarding $500 plus $500 for every show (every game on the NBC version) not won. This was also picked up in the endgame.

* CheatersNeverProsper: The finale of ''Las Vegas Gambit'' had a couple who tried to take advantage of Wink failing to hear their answer to the question "From what direction do the east winds blow?" They initially responded "west to east", after which Martindale asked them to repeat the answer; the couple, knowing they had given the wrong answer, tried to take advantage by changing their answer...but the judge ''did'' hear the original response and signaled to Martindale, who immediately ordered them — not too kindly — to "say what you said", to which the couple did.

** In one of the episodes with the BK power chips, the question "If your husband is wearing undershorts marked ''Home of the Whopper'', which fast food restaurant did they most likely come from?" appeared in Round 1. Never mind that Burger King's never sold undershorts, and it's not quite sure how they got a BiggusDickus joke by the censors anyway...
* TitleDrop: You didn't hit 21 on ''Catch 21'', you "catch 21 exactly".

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DzlItem521.jpg
[[caption-width:160:Doesn't that jack of hearts remind you of [[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces Dick Dastardly]]?]]

!!This show provides examples of:

MerrillHeatter-Bob Quigley GameShow which premiered on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1972, on the same day as ''Series/TheJokersWild'' and ''Series/ThePriceIsRight''. Two couples played blackjack while answering knowledge questions asked by host Wink Martindale. Very few episodes are known to have survived.

** Around May or June 1981, this was changed to the Gambit Galaxy — the former ''Series/HighRollers'' bonus round. The objective was to, through rolls of two dice, remove the numbers 1-9 from a gameboard; successfully doing so won the Gambit Galaxy (an accruing prize package), while a bad roll — a number that couldn't be removed from the board — ended the game with [[ConsolationPrize $100 given for each number that had been eliminated]].

MerrillHeatter-Bob Quigley GameShow which premiered on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1972, on the same day as ''Series/TheJokersWild'' and ''ThePriceIsRight''. Two couples played blackjack while answering knowledge questions asked by host Wink Martindale. Very few episodes are known to have survived.

Martindale returned as host of the successor series, ''Las Vegas Gambit'', on Creator/{{NBC}} in 1980-81. A decade later, Bob Eubanks was the host of a ''Gambit'' pilot for Creator/{{ABC}} in 1990, with solo contestants and a different question format; ABC rejected it in favor of a ''MatchGame'' revival. GSN attempted a revival in 2002 with three solo players and Ron Pearson as host under the name ''[[http://www.usgameshows.net/x.php?show=Casino Casino]]'', but turned it down for ''Cram'' and ''Series/FriendOrFoe?''

** Around May or June 1981, this was changed to the Gambit Galaxy — the former ''HighRollers'' bonus round. The objective was to, through rolls of two dice, remove the numbers 1-9 from a gameboard; successfully doing so won the Gambit Galaxy (an accruing prize package), while a bad roll — a number that couldn't be removed from the board — ended the game with [[ConsolationPrize $100 given for each number that had been eliminated]].

** LovelyAssistant: Elaine Stewart (Mrs. Merrill Heatter) on the CBS run, Beverly Malden and later [[SaleOfTheCentury Lee Menning]] on the NBC run, Mikki Padilla on ''Catch 21''.

This MerrillHeatter GameShow premiered on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1972, on the same day as ''Series/TheJokersWild'' and ''ThePriceIsRight''. Two couples played blackjack while answering knowledge questions asked by host Wink Martindale. Very few episodes are known to have survived.

** The Gambit Board, where the winning couple picked numbers for prizes or cash, and was given a card after each pick. The couple could stop whenever they wished, as going over 21 would forfeit the prizes they had uncovered, but hitting 21 in any way won a growing cash jackpot plus a new car (original series) or $5,000 cash (''Las Vegas Gambit''). This format was used for the entire CBS run and for the first few months of the ''Las Vegas Gambit'' version.
** Midway through the NBC run, this was changed to the Gambit Galaxy — the former ''HighRollers'' bonus round. The objective was to, through rolls of two dice, remove the numbers 1-9 from a gameboard; successfully doing so won the Gambit Galaxy (an accruing prize package), while a bad roll — a number that couldn't be removed from the board — ended the game with [[ConsolationPrize $100 given for each number that had been eliminated]].

** LovelyAssistant: Elaine Stewart (Mrs. MerrillHeatter) on the CBS run, Beverly Malden and later [[SaleOfTheCentury Lee Menning]] on the NBC run, Mikki Padilla on ''Catch 21''.

* CheatersNeverProsper: The finale of ''Las Vegas Gambit'' had a couple who tried to take advantage of Wink failing to hear their answer to the question "From what direction do the east winds blow?" They initially responded "west to east", after which Martindale asked them to repeat the answer; the couple, knowing they had given the wrong answer, tried to take advantage by changing their answer...but the judge ''did'' hear the original response and signaled to Martindale, who immediately ordered them — not too kindly — to "say what you said", to which the couple does.

** And in one of the episodes with the BK power chips, the question 'If your husband is wearing undershorts marked ''Home of the Whopper'', which fast food restaurant did they most likely come from?' appeared in the first round.

* VivaLasVegas: ''Las Vegas Gambit'' taped at the Tropicana Hotel.

** The Gambit Board, where the winning couple picked numbers for prizes or cash, and was given a card. The couple could stop whenever they wished, as going over 21 would forfeit the prizes they had uncovered, but hitting 21 in any way won a growing cash prize and a new car. This format was used for the entire CBS run and for the first few months of the ''Las Vegas Gambit'' version.

** In the pre-"Gambit Galaxy" bonus game, four spots on the board awarded $500 each time any card with the suit pictured was drawn (retroactively including any cards already drawn).

* LuckBasedMission: In the final round of ''Catch 21'', there was nothing to back you up if the cards fail you.

With some slight tweaks, the essence of the ''Casino'' format finally made it to Creator/{{GSN}} from 2008-11 as ''Catch 21''. The show was hosted by [[TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir Alfonso Ribeiro]], one of the few black game show hosts, and marked the return of not only ''Gambit'' but Heatter, who had not gotten a game on the air since ''The Last Word'' ended 18 years earlier.

* IAmNotSpock: Alfonso avoided any opportunity to do the "Carlton Dance", even mentioning that GSN gave him a deal that he wouldn't have to do it.

** LovelyAssistant: Mikki Padilla on ''Catch 21''.

With some slight tweaks, the essence of the ''Casino'' format finally made it to {{GSN}} in 2007 under the title ''Catch 21'', hosted by [[TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir Alfonso Ribeiro]], one of the few black game show hosts.

!!GameShow Tropes in use:

** Midway through the NBC run, this was changed to the Gambit Galaxy – in actuality, the former ''HighRollers'' bonus round. The objective was to, through rolls of two dice, remove the numbers 1-9 from a gameboard; successfully doing so won the Gambit Galaxy (an accruing prize package), while a bad roll – rolling a number that could not be removed from the board – ended the game with [[ConsolationPrize $100 given for each number that had been eliminated]].
** ''Catch 21'' uses three hands with one card dealt to each and the contestant directing the subsequent cards to any column they wish. Getting a 21 awards $1,000 for one column, $5,000 for two columns, and $25,000 (sometimes $50,000) for all three columns...but busting at any time ends the game.
* BonusSpace: In the pre-"Gambit Galaxy" bonus game, four spots on the board awarded $500 each time any card with the suit pictured was drawn (retroactively including any cards already drawn).
* GoldenSnitch: A score of 21 is an instant win, awarding $500 plus $500 for every show (every game on the NBC version) not won. This is also picked up in the endgame.
** Also applies to ''Catch 21'', minus the progressive jackpot. However, since season 2, there is a bonus prize awarded to the first player (if any) to make a 21 in the main game.
** Round 3 of ''Catch 21''. The first two rounds are played with ScoringPoints, at 100 per question and 500 for winning the hand. The third round wipes the scores of the last two players, and the winner of that hand (no ScoringPoints here) wins the game. A player could get totally [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] in the first two rounds, but as long as their other opponent got curb-stomped worse (100 points vs. no points at all, for example), the guy who barely survived to the third round can win with a single correct answer at just the right time.
*** You don't even need a correct answer as long as you can pull a 21 off your opponent's freeze. You read that right: once one player freezes, the other player is dealt cards, no more questions asked, until they win or bust.
*** That only applies to ''Catch 21'', though. In ''Gambit'', you have to continue answering questions to keep getting cards; one wrong answer loses the round.
** In the summer of 1975, ''Gambit'' instated a special rule. Any couple who hits a two-card 21 at any time won a $10,000 bonus.

** TheAnnouncer: Kenny Williams announced on the original.
** GameShowHost: Wink Martindale on the original, Alfonso Ribeiro for the current version.

* CheatersNeverProsper: The last-aired episode of ''Las Vegas Gambit'' -- a rerun of a show aired during the late summer of 1981 -- had a couple who tried to take advantage of Wink Martindale failing to hear their answer to the question, "From what direction do the east winds blow?" They initially respond, "West to east," after which Martindale asks them to repeat the answer; the couple, knowing they had given the wrong answer, tries to take advantage by changing their answer. But the judge ''did'' hear the original response and signals to Martindale, who immediately orders them -- not too kindly -- to "say what you said," to which the couple does.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: One contestant was caught between a rock and a hard place in the second round of Catch 21. The third player froze with 20 points, making 21 the target score to become the winner. The middle player had 19 and the first player had a 16. The middle player drew a 5 and could only either bust himself, eliminating himself from the round and hopes the first player busts as well, or give the 5 to the first player so his 16 becomes a 21. The 2nd player busts himself and the 1st player winds up getting a 5 anyway, giving him a 21 and eliminating the 2nd player from the game. Poor guy had no chance.
* IAmNotSpock: Alfonso avoids any opportunity to do the "Carlton Dance", even mentioning that GSN gave him a deal that he wouldn't have to do it.

* LongRunner: ''Catch 21'' has run four seasons, which is a rarity for GSN — most of their games tend to stop at two seasons.
* LuckBasedMission: In the final round of ''Catch 21'', there is nothing to back you up if the cards fail you.
* PorkyPigPronunciation: Wink Martindale had some difficulty telling a couple they had won a copy of the World Book Encyclopedia.
* ProductPlacement: The power chips on ''Catch 21'' are sometimes sponsored by Burger King. Often, the contestants say (and were likely instructed to say) that they will "have it their way" when using them.
* TitleDrop: You don't hit 21 on ''Catch 21'', you "catch 21 exactly".

[[caption-width:160:Doesn't that jack of hearts remind you of [[WackyRaces Dick Dastardly]]?]]