|
What follows is a
televised-hand-by-televised-hand account. Obviously,
since it's only a two-hour show, most hands are not
televised so you're going to see a lot of jumping of the
dealer button.
What's a "dealer
button"? What's "all-in"? What the heck is this weird
poker game they're playing? Well, I'll do my best to
give the rookies out there a run-down while maintaining
the flow of the hands for the veterans.
A new year in Las Vegas means new chances for people
to hit it big at the gambling tables. But what if
you're ALREADY a millionaire in, say, show business but
still want to live out a fantasy of high-stakes poker?
Why, you come on CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN, of
course! And that's what five celebrities have
done. This 25-person poker tournament is designed to
find the best celebrity poker player on basic cable.
And the winner of the tournament will walk away with
$100,000 of the $250,000 prize pool for their charity!
And Kevin Pollak has the pleasure of introducing a
potpourri of entertainers tonight. TV, music and movies
are all represented here:
| CELEBRITY |
BIO |
David Cross
playing for The National Gulf War Resource Center |
Cross started as
one-half of the hosts of Mr. Show with Bob &
David and is currently on FOX's latest smash
Arrested Development. Will he be busted
quick or will he put on a show that his charity
will like? |
Carrie Fisher
playing for The Midnight Mission |
Fisher's best known
as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" Trilogy but
she also wrote the book made into the movie
"Postcards From The Edge". Will she mail this
table in or would she just as soon kiss a Wookie? |
Tom Green
playing for The Amanda Foundation |
The former host of
his own MTV talk show, Green has been in *ahem*
films like "Road Trip", "Stealing Harvard" and
"Freddie Got Fingered". Will this be HIS show or
will he end up being "Razzied" again? |
Mimi Rogers
playing for The Dream Foundation |
Rogers made
frequent appearances on The X-Files as
Agent Diana Fowley and was also Dr. Maureen
Robinson in the film version of "Lost In Space".
Can she learn the truth that's out there amid the
cards or will she be in "DANGER, DANGER"? |
Scott Stapp
playing for With Arms Wide Open Foundation |
Stapp is the
baritone gravelly-voiced lead singer of the group
Creed, whose hit song is what Stapp's charity is
named for. Will he take his game "Higher" or will
he be left wondering "What's This Life For"? |
$10,000 worth of chips is what
each one starts with, and only when one person grabs all
$50,000 will the game end. That person then earns the
right to play in the Final Table for a lion's share of
that quarter-million dollar price pool.
We're talking No Limit Texas Hold 'Em
as the game of choice here. A dealer button
will be passed around the table after each hand to show
the dealer where to start handing out cards (to the
right of the button). The two players to the right of
the button post blinds, forced bets to insure
there's money in each hand. Each player is dealt two
cards face down, called hole cards. They'll then
either call the highest bet, raise the bet or fold their
hand. After the bets are in, three community cards,
called the flop, are dealt face-up on the table.
After bets (and/or folds), a fourth card is turned up,
called the turn or fourth street. Then
more bets (and/or folds), followed by the fifth and
final community card, the river or fifth
street, being turned up. After more bets/folds, the
best five-card poker hand (made of any combo of the five
community cards and the two hole cards) wins the pot.
The game is called no limit because, at any time,
any celebrity can go all-in and bet all their
chips. But, if they LOSE the hand they go all-in with,
they're eliminated from the tournament
Back in the Loser's Lounge, where all
bad poker players go when they go broke, Kevin Pollak
waits with poker expert Phil Gordon. They also will
call the action out at the table.
There's only one spot left at the Final
Table, so let's SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL!
Initial blinds are $100 (SB) and $200
(BB). The Dealer Button (D) starts on Nicole.
| Mimi |
Tom |
Scott (D)
|
David
(SB) |
Carrie
(BB) |
| 5?
5? |
?????
|
9? 8? |
A?
K? |
?????
|
| Raises to
$500 |
FOLD
|
Calls
$500 |
Raises to
$1,100 |
FOLD
|
| FOLD
|
|
Raises
$2,100 |
Calls
$1,000 |
|
|
Mimi had the "Speed Limit" hand (55). A low pair
like that beats out David's "Big Slick" (A-K), but
not by much, so Mimi may have been right to fold.
Scott is a HEAVY underdog with his 9-8 offsuit, but
he plays aggressively. |
|
FLOP: 9?
3?
J? |
|
So much for "underdog".
Scott's 9s makes him a slight favorite. |
|
David, first after the dealer to
stay in, best first---> |
Bets
$1,500 |
|
|
|
Calls
$1,500 |
|
|
TURN: 6? |
|
|
Bets
$1,500 |
|
|
|
Calls
$1,500 |
|
|
RIVER: 8?
COMMUNITY: J?
9?
8? 6?
3? |
|
Here, Scott smiles brightly as he makes his two
pair. This is a big-time "tell", or way of acting
at the table that tells those trained enough to pick
it up what a person has. David, however, was
looking down at his chips and didn't pick up that
tell. When playing ANY poker game, it's important
to have a "poker face", or a consistent expression
on your face that does show anyone else that you
have a good hand. Scott...he HAS no "poker face",
apparently. |
|
|
Bets
$1,100 |
|
|
Here, Scott asks, "Can I raise?" This is ANOTHER
"tell"...and also the sign of an unlearned poker
player...which he is, really. |
|
|
Raises to
$2,200 |
Calls
$1,100 |
|
|
|
9?
9?
8?
8?
J? |
A?
K?
J?
9?
8? |
|
|
|
WIN $15,300 |
|
|
David needed an Ace or King on the river to beat
Scott. But despite not having ANY pair, he still
played at the pot, hoping to bluff him out of the
pot. Nothing doin', though. |
| Tom |
Scott
|
David (D)
|
Carrie
(SB) |
Mimi (BB)
|
|
Q? 3? |
?????
|
10?
9? |
K?
J? |
?????
|
| Raises to
$400 |
FOLD
|
Raises to
$900 |
Calls $800
|
FOLD
|
| Calls $500
|
|
|
As Mimi folds, she says, "Mucking". That's
essentially what she's doing, though "mucking" is a
term more commonly used when a player folds a GOOD
hand thinking s/he's beat. So unless Mimi had a
pair... |
|
FLOP: 8? Q?
8? |
|
Tom has flopped two pair...and shows that HE
doesn't have a "poker face", either (though he
curses and tries to throw the others off, I guess).
David has a "gut buster straight draw", needing a
Jack for a Queen-high straight. And Carrie...not so
much. |
|
Now Carrie is the first to act---> |
Bets $300
|
|
| Raises to
$800 |
|
Calls
$800 |
Calls
$500 |
|
|
TURN: 7? |
|
Now, despite having the best hand thus far, three
clubs on the board worries Tom. And rightfully so,
since both Carrie and David now have flush draws.
David now also has an "open ended straight draw",
needing a Jack OR a 6 to make a straight. |
|
|
|
Bets $300
|
|
| FOLD
|
|
Calls
$300 |
|
|
RIVER: K?
COMMUNITY: 8? 8?
K?
Q?
7? |
|
Oooo! Both David and Carrie made King-high
flushes! But the Jack in Carrie's hand makes her
the winner. |
|
|
Bets $500 |
|
|
|
Raises to
$1,500 |
Calls
$1,000 |
|
|
|
K?
Q?
9?
8?
7? |
K?
Q?
J?
8?
7? |
|
|
|
WIN $8,900 |
|
|
Carrie thought David had aces...obviously not
noticing she had the flush. David knew he had one
and that's why HE raised. Boy, were they BOTH
shocked when the cards were flipped and Carrie was
announced the winner. |
|
CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Scott Stapp |
$20,000 |
| Carrie Fisher |
$14,400 |
| Tom Green |
$8,200 |
| Mimi Rogers |
$6,400 |
| David Cross |
$1,000 |
At this point, certain he's on his way back to the
Loser's Lounge, David pleads his case: "America wants me
to stay in this game." He also tosses his yarmulke
away, saying it wasn't the "lucky" one he had in the
same drawer.
Blinds are now $200 (SB) and $400 (BB). Blinds
increase as the tournament goes on.
| Scott
|
David
|
Carrie
(D) |
Mimi (SB)
|
Tom (BB)
|
|
A? 8? |
A? 2?
|
?????
|
?????
|
?????
|
| Raises to
$1,000 |
ALL-IN
$1,000 |
FOLD
|
FOLD
|
FOLD
|
|
Scott "tapped" David, betting the exact amount
that would put David all-in. Scott's a 62% favorite
to knock David out of the tournament. |
FLOP: 10? 10? 3?
TURN: J? |
|
David now has a "nut flush draw", needing one
more spade to make an Ace-high flush! He can also
win with a deuce to give him two pair. An Ace would
give them BOTH two pair, but Scott would win with a
higher "kicker" (tie-breaking card) than David.
|
|
RIVER: 3? |
| 10? 10?
3? 3?
A? |
A? J? 10?
3? 2? |
|
|
WIN $2,600 |
|
|
Scott, unlearned as he is, wonders how he lost.
It takes some explaining to make him see the
straight. David has "doubled up", or effectively
doubled his chip total by winning a hand he went
all-in with. He's still a LONG way from the lead,
though. |
Some hands later...
| Carrie
|
Mimi |
Tom (D)
|
Scott
(SB) |
David
(BB) |
| ?????
|
K? K? |
?????
|
Q?
9? |
?????
|
| FOLD
|
Raises to
$1,100 |
FOLD
|
Calls
$1,100 |
FOLD
|
|
FLOP: 8?
8?
Q? |
|
Both Mimi and Tom have flopped two pair: Mimi's
"Cowboys" is matched with the 8s on the Board, while
Scott matched his Queen with the Queen on the
Board. Mimi's still heavily in the lead, though.
|
|
|
Bets
$4,000 |
|
|
ALL-IN
$5,100 |
|
Calls
$1,100 |
|
|
Again, Scott asks if he can raise the bet...but
he immediately realizes that Mimi has nothing to
raise WITH so...he calls...and he needs a 9. An 8
or a Queen would give Mimi a higher full house than
Scott's would be. |
TURN: 7?
RIVER: 10? |
|
K? Q? 10? 8? 7? |
|
Q?
Q? 8?
8?
10? |
|
|
WIN $12,800 |
|
|
Mimi didn't really NEED the flush. She had Scott
beaten with a higher two pair. |
| David
|
Carrie
|
Mimi (D)
|
Tom (SB)
|
Scott
(BB) |
| 10? 7?
|
A? 6? |
?????
|
?????
|
A?
K? |
| Raises to
$800 |
Calls $800
|
FOLD
|
FOLD
|
Raises to
$5,000 |
ALL-IN
$5,200 |
Calls
$5,200 |
|
Calls $200
|
|
David joked around, first pretending he had an
earpiece and was getting advice from Phil Gordon
(Phil said that Peter should fold), then asking
Scott what he had as his hole cards. Scott is a 47%
favorite. Now a "side pot" is created that only
Carrie and Scott can bet into and play for. David
can only win the main pot of $15,800. |
|
FLOP: 6?
4? 4? |
|
Carrie flopped two pair. 6s and 4s. Scott only
has the 4s with an Ace kicker...which is still
better than David. |
|
|
Bets
$3,000 (Side) |
| PASS
(All-in) |
Calls
$3,000 (Side) |
|
|
Carrie was torn between calling her two pair or
folding to save money. She counted her chips to see
just how low she'd be. Then, after some pushing by
Scott and the audience, she called. |
|
TURN: 10? |
|
Ut oh...now DAVID has two pair (10s and 4s) and
is in the lead to take the main pot. |
|
|
Bets $400
(Side) |
| PASS
(All-in) |
Calls
$400 (Side) |
|
|
|
RIVER: 9?
COMMUNITY: 4? 4?
10?
9?
6? |
|
|
|
|
CHECK
|
| PASS
(All-in) |
CHECK |
|
|
|
| 10?
10?
4? 4?
9? |
6?
6?
4? 4?
A? |
|
4? 4? A?
K?
10? |
|
WIN $15,800 (Main)
|
WIN $6,800 (Side)
|
|
Scott had to be explained what "checking" means.
You don't HAVE to bet unless someone bet in front of
you. You can "check" and give that decision to the
next person, who can LIKEWISE check or bet. Carrie
won the side pot with her two pair, but David won
the main pot because he beat Carrie's hand.
David: "I'm pretend-rich again!!" |
After another hand or two...
|
CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| David
Cross |
$15,200
|
| Mimi
Rogers |
$13,200
|
|
Carrie Fisher |
$11,200
|
|
Scott Stapp |
$8,600
|
| Tom
Green |
$1,800
|
| Mimi |
Tom |
Scott (D)
|
David
(SB) |
Carrie
(BB) |
|
8?
2? |
A?
10? |
Q? J?
|
7? 7? |
?????
|
| FOLD
|
Calls $600
|
Raises to
$2,000 |
Calls to
$1,800 |
FOLD
|
|
ALL-IN
$1,800 |
|
|
David has a pair of "red-headed mullets" (put a 7
on the head of a guy facing left and you'll see what
I mean). Tom can only win money that matches his
all-in, so the main pot will be $6,000 (three $1,800
bets plus Carrie's $400 Big Blind) and the $400
extra from Scott and David's bets go into a side pot
only they can play for. |
|
FLOP: 2? 5? 9? |
|
Scott flopped a flush draw, but David is still
head...barely. Tom is fairly behind, not able yet
to beat either of the other hands. |
|
|
CHECK |
|
|
PASS
(All-in) |
CHECK
|
|
|
Once again, Scott asks what he can do. The
dealer explains that he can check and see the next
card or bet into his current hand. Scott checks.
|
|
TURN: 8? |
|
David now has a gut-buster straight draw, needing
a 6. He's still leading both hands, though, with
his pair. |
|
|
Bets
$1,500 (Side) |
|
|
PASS
(All-in) |
Calls
$1,500 (Side) |
|
RIVER: 6?
COMMUNITY: 9? 8?
6? 5? 2? |
|
YEOWZA! David made the straight (not that he
needed it_...and Tom is dead. |
|
|
|
Bets
$1,500 (Side) |
|
|
PASS
(All-in) |
Calls
$1,500 (Side) |
|
|
A?
10?
9? 8?
6? |
Q? J?
9? 8?
6? |
9? 8? 7?
6? 5? |
|
|
OUT |
|
WIN $6,000 (Main)
WIN $6,400 (Side) |
|
|
Since David beat both Scott AND Tom's hands, he
wins BOTH pots. Tom is sent packing even though he
beat Scott's hand; he needed to beat BOTH to get the
main pot. |
So, finally, a
dejected Tom crawls back to the Losers' Lounge, asking
the celebs at the table, "Poker in the front, liquor in
the back, right?" (If you don't get it, never mind.) Tom
meets Kevin, who informs him that at least The Amanda
Foundation, an animal shelter, gets $5,000 for his
participation. Tom admits he didn't how to play poker
well, but he also says that he was goaded by the
audience since they booed whenever he folded...and that
this contributed to him losing. He's ashamed...and
needs a tequila. So as waitress Brandi gets him a drink
(rum and Coke, actually) and sits down next to him, we
return to the table (and I wonder why Kevin didn't ask
him if he'd like some sausage):
Blinds are up to $300 (SB) and $600 (BB) now.
| David
|
Carrie
(D) |
Mimi (SB)
|
Scott
(BB) |
| ????? |
?????
|
8? 6? |
Q? J? |
| FOLD |
FOLD
|
Calls
$600 |
CHECK |
|
You SHOULD know you REALLY
don't know how to play the game when you go all-in
out of turn. Scott declared he was all-in before
Mimi even looked at her cards. This, of course,
made it an illegal bet. So Scott was in his right
to check...though that WAS a bit of a tell about HIS
hand. |
|
FLOP: A? 7?
9? |
|
Open-ended straight draw for Mimi; a 10 or 5 will
get her the straight. |
|
|
Bets
$600 |
ALL-IN
$600 |
|
Mimi did "tap" Scott...but it wasn't
intentional. The minimum bet during any hand is the
Big Blind. Mimi bet the minimum of $600...which
just so HAPPENED to be all that Scott had left.
Scott is still a 53% favorite, though. |
|
TURN: K? |
|
Scott's now up to a 77% fave. A 10 would give
Scott "Broadway", or an Ace-high straight...so Mimi
needs to pair either her eight or six...or get a 5
for a straight. |
|
RIVER: 6? |
|
Ouch! Poor Scott... |
|
|
6?
6? A?
K?
9? |
A?
K?
Q? J?
9? |
|
|
WIN $2,400 |
OUT |
Scott is a little upset as he joins Tom and Scott in
the Lounge. Scott asks Phil about the odds of losing a
hand on the last card. Phil says the odds aren't
good...but that Scott probably lost 3 of the last 5
hands on the last card and has been just plain beaten
for most of the rest of the night. But Kevin explains
that Scott made it exciting and that With Arms Wide Open
Foundation gets $5,000. Scott's happy for that...and
admits to being scared of Mimi since he feels she's that
damn good at the poker table. While he joins Tom in a
drink, we return to the table for three-way action:
| Carrie
|
Mimi
(D) |
David
(BB) |
|
This is the very next hand after Scott's
outing. Scott was supposed to be the Small Blind,
so he's skipped and David posts the Big Blind as
if Scott were there. (Truthfully, I don't get it
too clearly, either.) |
|
A? Q? |
9?
9? |
?????
|
| Calls
$600 |
Raises
to $1,200 |
FOLD
|
| Calls
$600 |
|
Carrie: "This is my poker
face lift." "I don't want to fold."
Mimi: "All right, you little whore...and I mean
that in the kindest way."
Carrie: (as she calls) "I may be peri-menopausal,
but I'm not a whore, OK?" |
|
FLOP: 4?
2? 10? |
| CHECK
|
Bets
$1,000 |
|
| Calls
$1,000 |
|
|
TURN: J? |
|
Carrie's a King away from "Broadway". |
| CHECK
|
Bets
$1,500 |
|
| Calls
$1,500 |
|
|
Twice, when Carrie was
asked to act, she asked, "Can I call?" Apparently,
Scott isn't the ONLY one not up on rules. You can
only call when someone has bet before you. After
Mimi bets, she THEN asks if she can check...which,
of course, she can't. |
RIVER: 2?
COMMUNITY: 2?
2? J?
10?
4? |
| CHECK
|
CHECK
|
|
|
2? 2?
A? Q?
J? |
9?
9? 2? 2?
J? |
|
|
WIN $8,000 |
|
|
CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| David
Cross |
$20,800
|
| Mimi
Rogers |
$25,000
|
|
Carrie Fisher |
$4,200
|
Paul Gordon: "I
think (Carrie) needs a little help from Obi-Wan Kenobi."
The blinds are now up to $400 (SB) and $800 (BB).
| David
(D) |
Carrie
(SB) |
Mimi
(BB) |
| 7?
6? |
Q? 2?
|
A? K? |
| Calls
$800 |
Calls
$400 |
Raises
to $2,800 |
| Calls
$2,000 |
Calls
$2,000 |
|
|
FLOP: 2? 8? 6? |
|
Carrie flopped "bottom pair", her deuce with the
deuce on the Board. David flopped "middle pair",
while Mimi...flopped NO pair. |
|
CHECK
|
Bets
$800 |
| Calls
$800 |
ALL-IN
$1,400 |
Calls
$600 |
| Calls
$600 |
|
|
|
Once again, a side pot is created, just for
David and Mimi, should tey decide to bet anything.
|
|
TURN: K? |
|
|
CHECK
|
| CHECK
|
|
RIVER: J?
COMMUNITY: K? J? 8?
6? 2? |
|
|
CHECK
|
| CHECK
|
|
|
|
No money was added to the side pot...so it's
like it never existed. All three are playing for
the main pot. |
|
6? 6?
K? J? 8? |
K? Q? J? 8? 6? |
K?
K? A? J? 8? |
|
OUT |
WIN $12,600 |
As Kevin embraces Carrie back at the Lounge, she
jokes, "I'm devastated! I'm gonna end up back on
drugs!" Kevin says, "That's hysterical and
ridiculous." At least 5 grand goes to The Midnight
Mission. She complains about David and Mimi, saying,
They're arrogant...and...they're Jewish...but so am
I...they're BETTER than we are." She then tells Scott
than he'll be able to brag about winning after the
others are "long dead" because he's so young. But let's
head back to the table where it's heads-up
between two TV actors who have been EXCEEDINGLY lucky at
cards...while Carrie, being happily married, claims to
be more lucky at love:
|
CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| Mimi
Rogers |
$33,000
|
| David
Cross |
$17,000
|
| David
(SB) |
Mimi
(D) (BB) |
| Q?
4? |
A?
5? |
| Calls $400 |
Raises to $1,600
|
| Calls $800 |
|
| FLOP:
6? 5?
8? |
|
Mimi's flopped a pair of 5s, but David has an
inside straight draw, needing a 7. |
| |
Bets $1,600 |
|
Calls $1,600 |
|
|
Carrie: "He's (David's) so
tense...he just filled his pants." |
| TURN: 9?
|
| |
CHECK |
| Bets $1,600 |
FOLD |
|
WIN $8,000 |
|
| NOW
you could say Mimi "mucked". |
| Mimi
(SB) |
David
(D) (BB) |
| A? 7? |
A? 8? |
| Raises to $2,500
|
Raises to $6,000
|
| FOLD |
|
| |
WIN $8,500 |
|
Mimi was a fair underdog...but I'm sure, even if
David had something like 2-7 offsuit and raised
that much, Mimi would've STILL folded. |
|
CURRENT CHIP COUNT |
| David
Cross |
$31,000
|
| Mimi
Rogers |
$19,000
|
| David
(SB) |
Mimi
(D) (BB) |
| Q? J? |
K? 2? |
| Raises to $3,000
|
Calls $2,200 |
| FLOP:
8? 9? 2? |
|
Mimi's flopped bottom pair. David has another
inside straight draw, needing a 10 this time.
Mimi's a 52% fave right now. |
| |
Bets $2,000 |
|
Calls $2,000 |
|
| TURN: 4?
|
| |
CHECK |
| Bets $2,000 |
FOLD |
|
WIN $12,000 |
|
|
Another muck by Mimi. She seems intimidated.
But, then again, if someone bluffed me while I
was holding deuces, I'd probably muck it,
too. David then says, "I had it," continuing the
bluff to make Mimi MORE intimidated. |
A few hands later...
| David
(SB) |
Mimi
(D) (BB) |
| A?
8? |
J? 8? |
| Raises to $3,000
|
Calls $2,200 |
| FLOP:
7? A? Q? |
| |
Bets $1,500 |
| Raises to $3,500
|
FOLD |
|
WIN $9,500 |
|
| Ron
didn't buy into the bluff. Mimi had only about a
4% chance. |
Blinds are WAY up now: $1,000 (SB) and $2,000 (BB).
So a LOT of hands have passed...
Tournament Director Rob Thompson: "Shuffle up and
deal!"
David: "Shuffle the @#$% up!!"
| David
(SB) |
Mimi
(D) (BB) |
|
Q? 3? |
4?
2? |
| Calls
$1,000 |
ALL-IN
$3,000 |
| Calls
$2,000 |
|
Mimi could have had WORSE hands to go all-in
with...but not many.
Mimi: "I'm all-in...like I have a choice."
|
|
FLOP: 9? 2?
8? |
|
Mimi ain't dead yet! She's flopped a pair.
It's a LOW pair, though, and still quite beatable.
|
|
TURN: 3? |
|
And it's been beat! Mimi
needs a 2 or a 4 to stay alive. |
|
RIVER: 7?
|
| 3? 3?
Q? 9? 8?
|
2?
2? 9? 8? 7?
|
|
WIN $6,000 |
OUT |
|
Not the PRETTIEST hand to win with...but a
win's a win! |
So Mimi's charity, The Dream Foundation, gets
$5,000...but David Cross, who was down to his last
grand, gets the final not-available-in-any-store silver
chip from Kevin that signifies his entry into the Final
Table. David claims he only "gave 108%...leaving 2% for
the Final Table." He then holds up the chip to the
camera and says (like he's in a commercial), "People
REALLY do win when they come to the Palms Casino
Resort!"
So the Final Table is set! Willie Garson, Richard
Schiff, Nicole Sullivan, Paul Rudd and David Cross will
face off for the Prize Pool in the 2-hour Championship!
Stay tuned, people! |
