Twenty One (game Show) - Gameplay

Gameplay

Two contestants, a champion and an opponent, were both placed in separate isolation booths wearing headphones, arranged so they could not see or hear each other or the audience, due to the way the studio lighting hit the booths' glass. With the champion's booth and headphones still on, the challenger's booth was opened and their headphones turned off. The host revealed the category for that round of questions and asked the challenger to pick a point value to play for, from one to eleven points, with more difficult questions for higher-value points. A correct answer added those points to the contestant's score, while an incorrect one deducted them (though scores could not go lower than zero).

After the question, the opponent's headphones were turned back on, and their booth closed. The champion's booth and headphones were then turned off; the champion was given the same category and choice of questions. The champion always played second. If the challenger had reached 21 before their opponent, the champion was given one last chance to tie the game. In this case, the challenger's booth would be left on so they could follow what the champion decided. However, the champion was not told their opponent's score until after selecting a point value for the question. The object of the game was to score a total of 21 points, or to come closer to that number than their opponent within a maximum of five questions. After two categories were played, both booths were opened and both contestants were given the option to stop the game, without knowing their opponent's score. If one of the contestants stopped the game, whoever was ahead was declared the winner.

The difference in scores determined a champion's winnings. The winner received $500 for each point separating the contestants' scores (e.g., a champion who won 21-17 would win $2,000); the $500 figure increased by $500 each time the contestants went to a 21-21 tie. After each win, the champion was told a little bit about his or her next opponent and given the option to walk away. The decision whether or not to play on was crucial; if the champion elected to continue playing and lost, the new champion's total winnings would be taken out of their final total.