TOURNAMENT 2
EPISODE 5

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.

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):

Shannon Elizabeth
(Animal Avengers)
Nadia from "American Pie" and "American Pie 2"; CBJ Finalist last season

Gary Valentine
(Foundation Fighting Blindness)
Danny Heffernan on CBS' hit comedy The King of Queens

Camryn Manheim
(Venice Family Clinic)
was Ellenor Frutt on ABC's The Practice; lost her CBJ preliminary last season (to SHannon Elizabeth, ironically)

Dayna Devon
(EIFS National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance)
Co-anchor on syndicated entertainment magazine Extra

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 it on!  Shannon 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".

Pop quiz, blackjack hot shots: You have a 16 and the Dealer has a 6...what do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?! Do you hit, stand or double down? Answer later on.

How should you play a 16 against a Dealer 6? Why, that's the most basic of basic strategies: "the book" says to stand on a 16 with ANY Dealer card 6 or lower.

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! But - let's face it -no one with a real shot now of catching up to Shannon. Gary and Camryn can, too, but only if Shannon loses in the...

So Animal Avengers gains $25,000 thanks to Shannon Elizabeth's SECOND great preliminary game. She's going to the Semi-Final Table to see about making this tournament a "rap"!