Card Shark FAQ

[AARPTeri]

What is Card Sharks?

Card Sharks is a version of the famous game show from the ‘70s and ‘80s where you can answer survey questions and then take control of the cards, guessing if the next card up is higher or lower than the last one!

How do I play Card Sharks?

Card Sharks takes place in two modes: survey questions and the card table.

https://games.aarp.org/games/card-sharks?intcmp=AM-OC-GAMTK

The game begins with a survey question. In each instance, 100 people will have been asked a question. You will either be given the option to choose a number out of 100 using a slider, or react to your opponent’s choice with “higher” or “lower.” Guess correctly – or make your opponent correct incorrectly – and you get control of the cards!

That’s when the game moves to the card table, where both players are presented with seven facedown cards. The person who controls the cards has their first card flipped up, and then needs to guess if the next card is higher or lower. They keep guessing until they guess wrong, after which their opponent gets a chance to flip their cards, or they freeze a card (more on that later). From there, the game moves back to a survey question.

Whoever clears their seven cards first wins!

What happens if I guess a card is higher and it ends up being lower, or vice versa?

While guessing “higher” or “lower,” your risk increases after each correct guess. For each round, if you guess right, you have the opportunity to flip another card. But if you get one wrong, you lose all your progress for that round, and will need to restart from the beginning the next time you have control of the cards.

Is there a way to save my progress mid-round?

Yes! If you’re worried about losing your progress and allowing your opponent to take the lead, you can choose to “freeze” your card. That ends your turn and sends the game back to a survey question, but it guarantees that you won’t lose the progress you have made up to that point.

When should I freeze my cards?

It’s up to you and the way you play, but there are some straightforward strategies. If the card is very obviously on the low or high end, you can feel safe going in the other direction. For instance, it’s safe to guess higher if you’re looking at a 2, 3, or 4. However, things get more complicated in the middle. If you have a card between 6 and 9 – but especially 7 and 8 – it’s important to take stock of the overall situation. Keep in mind that if you guess wrong, you’ll lose all the cards you’ve guessed correctly in this run. So if you’ve guessed several cards correctly, it’s probably better to freeze a 7 or 8, end the turn, and come back next round when you have less to lose. However, if your opponent has successfully turned over most of their cards, it might be wise to take the risk!

Is Ace high or low?

High!

Do I have any other tools I can use while guessing cards?

Yes – the main thing to keep in mind is that, when you win the survey question and take control of the cards, you can start by receiving a new base card. This is a great strategy if you had recently frozen a 7 or 8 – you can start the next round by receiving a new, hopefully better, card.

Is there a maximum number of survey questions that can be asked before the game ends?

Yes. When that happens, Sudden Death mode is activated.

What is Sudden Death mode?

Ideally, you will be able to complete your row of cards before it’s time for Sudden Death, but if both you and your opponent are unable to do it, you’ll need to prepare for a no-holds barred final round!

After the final survey question, the winner of that question can choose to “play” or “pass.” One player will end up with a single goal: to clear their row without making a mistake. If they do, they win. But if they don’t, their opponent wins the whole game.

If you win the survey question and can choose to “play” or “pass,” it’s important to think strategically. How many cards do you have left to clear? How many does your opponent have? What card is face-up for you and your opponent, and would that make their first choice easier or harder?

Either way, it’s an intense finish to a very fun and competitive game. Good luck!

Can I change the music or sound volume?

Yes! Click on the hamburger menu at the top left of the screen at any time. There, you can toggle the sound and music.

Is there a cheat sheet I can use to remind myself of the rules?

Yes! Either bookmark this page or, in the game, click the hamburger menu and then “Help.”

[babcideb]

I see that other players have a character picture for themselves on Card Sharks. How do I create one?