Top Card

Gameplay

Three contestants, one usually a returning champion, competed in a question-and-answer game. Originally, the questions were varied as to their subjects, but by the third season they were strictly music based.

Main game

Three rounds were played, with nine cards hidden behind categories on a three-by-three grid. The outer eight spots on the grid displayed specific categories while the one in the center was a Wild Card category which could be about anything.

Each question was a toss-up question, and buzzing in with a correct answer awarded the contestant a playing card that was behind the category. The player could then choose to take the card and its corresponding value or reject it and take the top card from an oversized deck of cards. Cards numbered two through ten were worth the face value in points, with kings, queens, and jacks each worth ten. Unlike in actual blackjack, an ace could only be played for one point and not a choice between one or eleven.

In the first season, if a player chose to take the top card instead of the card in play, the card and category it was behind remained in play. Afterward, the card was taken off the board regardless.

If at any point during the round a player felt he/she had a high enough score to stop and not risk busting, he/she could elect to "freeze" and stop playing while the other player(s) continued the round. If one of the other two players passed the frozen player's score, that player was given the option to freeze and the first player returned to the game to try and top the other player's score.

Play in the first round continued until either of the following things happened:

The winner of the first round advanced to the third and final round while the other two players played in the second round for the right to advance to play the first round winner. Initially, a Wild Card question was asked to determine control, but beginning in season two the upper left category on the grid was played first. All the rules from before were also in play, with the winner being either the first to hit 21, avoid busting, or have the highest score when either all of the categories were played or time was called.

The third round was called the "Championship Round" and played the same way as the second round, with the winner of this round declared the day's champion.

Changes after season one

The number of subjects was reduced to eight and the Wild Card category was replaced by a Top Card question, which could only be played if it was the only remaining category. All questions were about music, with the majority of them country music-based. Also, the cards Ace through 10 were shuffled and placed behind each category, and only appeared once. No duplicate cards were found on the board.

Top Card Plus

The champion played the bonus round, called "Top Card Plus", for a chance to win a grand prize.

Season 1

In the first season of Top Card, six prizes were available for the champion to choose from. One of these was usually a vacation trip, with two others being merchandise prizes such as a piano or fur coat and the other three being cars. Before the round started, Jim Caldwell gave the contestant the choice of six cards with each having the name of a prize printed on it. The champion picked one and revealed the prize to the audience.

Eight of the nine squares on the board now featured smaller prizes, with each having a certain value displayed and a hidden card behind them. The Wild Card space hid a mystery prize and did not have a value on it, but if the contestant chose it at any point the remaining bankroll was exhausted. A joker was also placed on the board, which the champion was trying to avoid uncovering.

Five cards were drawn from the top of the oversized deck to start the round. The values of those cards were multiplied by $100 to give the contestant a starting bankroll, with the maximum possible being $5,000.

The champion began picking prizes, and each one selected earned him/her the prize. The champion could also choose to keep the card behind the prize or take the top card instead. After each selection, the champion could choose to stop and take whatever prizes he/she had earned to that point or keep playing. If a chosen prize's card would result in the player busting, the top card was automatically given to the champion.

If the champion reached 21, he/she won the grand prize and all other prizes and retired undefeated. Finding the joker or busting ended the round and cost the champion everything. Regardless of the end result, if the car was not won the champion continued to play until either the grand prize was won or he/she was defeated.

Seasons 2–4

In the second through fourth seasons, the champion was shown several cars and picked one to play for.

The object was to reach 21 in four turns or less. This time, in order to claim a card, the champion had to correctly answer a question from one of the eight main game categories. Correctly answering a question won a prize that was revealed after the category selection and the champion was given a choice of either keeping the card or trading it for the top card as before. Answering a question incorrectly gave the contestant nothing.

Once again, the champion won the car and whatever prizes he/she had won by reaching 21. If the champion could not reach 21 in four turns, the round ended. If the player did not bust or find the joker, he/she kept whatever prizes won and returned on the next show.

Consolation game

If the joker was revealed on the first pick, the champion could still win something. The champion chose another prize/category and play continued, with the player now having to take both the hidden card and the top card. The value of those two cards was multiplied by $10 and the champion could take that money or continue playing. If the champion kept playing, the next card off the top of the deck was dealt and provided that it did not bust the champion, the choice was given again. If the champion reached 21 the selected prize was theirs.