TOURNAMENT 2
EPISODE 3

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

What follows is a televised-hand-by-televised-hand account.  Obviously, since it's only a one-hour show, some hands may not be televised so you may see a little of jumping of the dealer button.

So what do you get when you take celebrities away from the limelight, put $100,000 in chips in front of them and force them to play 21 hands of blackjack for charity?  You get the second season of CELEBRITY BLACKJACK!

This year, a full 13-week season will be contested. There will be ten four-player single-table matches with the winners getting $25,000 and advancing to the semi-finals. The top two from each of the two five-person semis will go to the Final Table for a crack at the $100,000 first prize, all for their charities. (It might be different but, according to the info on the official site on GSN.com, it would make the most sense.

For a brief explanation about the game of blackjack and how this tournament will be contested, check the first episode recap. But know that this match is played until a set amount of hands are played (in this case, the amount is 21).  If a player runs out of the $100,000 worth of chips s/he starts with (or has less than the minimum bet), s/he's out of the game.  The bets for each of the first ten hands must be between $1000 and $25,000. The final 11 hands will have a minimum bet of $5000, but NO maximum; a player can go all-in if so desired. After the set amount of hands are played, whoever has the most money will advance to the semi-finals.

And ALSO know that, for this special tournament, six JOKERS have been added to the six decks they play with.  A Joker can be substituted for any card on the table still in play (meaning, once a hand is stood on, it's no longer in-play). There were four last season but, since there are only four players, they upped that number. Also this season is the addition of FIVE-CARD CHARLIE, the kid's rule that says that, if you get dealt five cards without busting, you automatically win.

Lets meet the four celebs competing tonight (and their charities):

Lance Bass
(Animal Avengers)
Singer from the "boy band" 'N Sync; also wishes to become second "space tourist"

Chris Harrison
(Scleroderma Foundation)
Host of all renditions of ABC's hit "dating reality" shows, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette

Kathy Najimy
(Project Cuddle & Being Alive)
Comic actress; voice of Peggy on King of the Hill; CPS Tournament 3 vet

Kevin Hart
(Mothers In Charge)
Comic; one of the stars of "Soul Plane" and "Scary Movie 3"

We have Matt Vasgersian doing the play-by-play and the "bad boy of Blackjack" Dave Stann back to deal the cards...so let's get goin'!  Lance will always be "first base", where the dealer starts dealing the cards.  But the order shown, left to right, will be the betting and playing order starting with the "button".

This should be an EASY question: how does "the book" (of basic blackjack strategy) say you should play a 12-point hand against a Dealer's 2? Answer later on.

So...what should you do with a 12 against a Dealer 2? You SHOULD know this since this game had JUST that scenario! "The book" says you should hit and hope against a 10-point card.

Heading into the halfway point, the stakes are raised to no-limit.  The minimum bet is $5000...but there is NO maximum!

It all comes down to this one hand.  The winner gets $25,000 for his or her charity and a spot in the Semi-Final Table.  The others get $10,000 for their respective charities.  For the final hand, the players all make blind bets, so nobody knows what the others have bet until its revealed!

So Animal Avenger reaps in $25,000 thanks to the boy band boy's fortune that Dave had the Blackjack. He's off to the Semi-Final Table where, HOPEFULLY, he'll spend just a little more time on strategy!