TOURNAMENT 2
EPISODE 13 - CHAMPIONSHIP
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.

It's been a rough couple of months for these celebrities. Through ten 4-player qualifying tables and two 5-player semi-finals, four celebs have risen to the pinnacle of gambling and will now compete against each other in 21 final hands of blackjack. When all is said and done, either a Seinfeld character, the first-ever American reality game host, a boy band member or a premium cable news reporter will be crown the brand new Grand Champion of CELEBRITY BLACKJACK!

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 be the Grand Champion and take an additional $200,000 for his or her charity. 2nd Place gets $50,000 more...and the last two...well, they still have at least $50,000 to give from the priliminaries and the semis.

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 our finalists (and their charities):

Jason "The Face" Alexander
(Oakwood School Capital Campaign)

Kelli "Wild Card" Williams
(CARE & The Young Stroytellers)

Jeff "The Survivor" Probst (playing for Shannon Elizabeth)
(Animal Avengers)

"Lucky" Lance Bass
(Animal Avengers)

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 this Championship STARTED!  Jason 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".

How should you play a soft 16 (A-5) against a Dealer 3? Should you hit, stand or double down? "Da book"'s answer in a few hands.

"Da book" says that, if you have an A-6 to a Dealer's 3, you should double-down.

As always, heading into the halfway point, the stakes are raised to no-limit.  The minimum bet is $5000...but there is NO maximum! In the un-televised Hand 11, Lance lost big while everybody else won when they both busted.

It is, quite literally, ANYBODY'S Championship to take...and it all comes down to this one hand.  The winner gets $200,000 for his/her charity and second place gets another $50,000! For the final hand, the players all make blind bets, so nobody knows what the others have bet until it's revealed.

So Oakwood School Capital Campaign will a grand total of $300,000! Shannon Elizabeth's Animal Avengers gets another $50G for Jeff's work. Here is the rundown of the forty celebs, their placings, their charities and their winnings. (I made placings based on chip collected in the prelims for the bottom 30, chips collected in the semis for 5th through 10th. If they busted out, the celeb's placing is based on WHEN in the table s/he busted out.)

We'll see Matt for World Series of Blackjack 2, I'm sure. And I'LL see you for that as well!