Hutchinson man wins $5,000 playing "21 Cards" televised game show at Mystic Lake

PRIOR LAKE, Minn. – Lloyd Hemmah couldn't have been happier to see the Joker. The second one, anyway.

The Hutchinson resident was playing the game show "21 Cards" at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel when he chose what turned out to be a Joker to sap his previous winnings and end the game. But all show contestants chose an insurance card prior to game play, with the value becoming the final prize amount should a player choose one of the two Jokers during game play. If the insurance card itself turned out to be one of the two Jokers, its value was $5,000.

Hemmah was fortunate enough to have the second Joker as his insurance card, making him $5,000 richer.

"I went from a real low low to a real high high almost instantaneously," Hemmah said. "That actually made an even bigger highlight of the show – the audience really went nuts along with me."

Hemmah took home the huge cash prize during show taping in August, and his episode will air on The CW Twin Cities at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 10. Show contestants chose from 21 numbered cards to reveal a joker, which ended the game, or a cash value, which allowed contestants to continue playing and increase their winnings, or cash out at their current total.

The only strategy Hemmah used came from a fellow audience member sitting next to him. The woman was memorizing the cards the Joker had previously been behind and intended to call those first if she was a contestant. Hemmah chose No. 17 as his insurance card.

"The Joker had been behind 16 and 18, so I just picked the middle one," Hemmah said.

It turned out to be a good call, and Hemmah intends to use his winnings to pay off some bills.

"21 Cards" airs Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 12:30 a.m. on The CW Twin Cities.