TOURNAMENT 2
EPISODE 7
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):

John Henson
(Gilda's House)
was host of E's Talk Soup for four years; made OWN show called The John Henson Project

David Higgins
(Cri-Help)
One-third of comedy trio "Higgins Boys & Gruber"; plays Craig Feldspar on FOX's Malcolm In the Middle

Steve Harris
(Kids First)
Currently the voice of Detective Ethan Bennett on the Kids' WB series The Batman; was Eugene Young on The Practice

John Melendez
(Operation Smile)
Formerly "Stuttering John" on The Howard Stern Show; now announcer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; CPS vet

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!  John Henson 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".

Would you split 9s against a Dealer 7? Would you hit or stand instead? We'll tell you what "da book" says later.

"The book" says that, if you have a pair of 9s against a Dealer 7, you should stand. Only split 9s when it's not a Dealer 7, 10-pointer or Ace.

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 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, in a come-from-behind victory, Gilda's House gets $25,000 thanks to John Henson! He's off to "project" a win in the Final Table!