TOURNAMENT 3
EPISODE 2

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

Here we go again with the third rendtion of CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN, the serious cash-money tournament that plays like Beverly Hills home games!  There will, as always, be five games of five celebs each, with the winner of each game advancing to the Final Table and a big piece of the $250,000 Prize Pool for his/her charity. (No telling who put up the Prize Pool this time around).

We have a player from the FIRST tournament playing with four others tonight. They are:

CELEBRITY BIO

Angie Dickinson
playing for the Best Friends Animal Society		 Angie is a long-time actress, starring in hits like TV's Police Woman, the original "Ocean's 11" and the movie "Pay It Forward". Will the table pay it forward to Angie...or will she be placed under arrest for "impersonating a poker player"?

Jeff Gordon
playing for the Jeff Gordon Foundation (supports in-need families)		 All you "NASCAR Dads" know THIS guy. He drives the #24 on the Nextel Cup circuit, is a 4-time NASCAR Champ...and even had a guest role in "Looney Tunes: Back In Action". Will the "Rainbow Warrior" take the checkered flag tonight...or will he simply crash and burn?

Kathy Griffin
playing for Face-to-Face International		 After being Vicki Groener on Suddenly Susan, Kathy has been on almost every celebrity version of every reality and game show known, including winning Celebrity Mole: Hawaii. Will she rat out the table this time...or will she be out rather suddenly?

Penn Jillette
playing for James Randi Educational Foundation		 The speaking half of the comedy magic act Penn & Teller, he was also the voice of Comedy Central for many years. Will he be able to pull a victory from up his sleeve...or will the table make him disappear?

Ron Livingston
playing for ACCION International		 The man who played ADA Alan Lowe on The Practice and Capt. Lewis Nixon in Band of Brothers is back after bombing in the first tourney. Will he turn in a better verdict...or will he be out in 44 Minutes or less?

Each celebrity will start with $10,000 worth of chips and the game will continue until one celebrity has all $50K in his/her possession, thus making him/her eligible for the Final Table later in the year.  At the announcers' position beside the Losers' Lounge are host Dave Foley and poker expert Phil Gordon (no relation to Jeff).  They'll be calling the action emanating from the main room.

All right, enough of this.  As Tournament Director Robert Thompson says. let's SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL!

Initial blinds are $50 (SB) and $100 (BB).  The Dealer Button (D) starts on Ron.

Kathy Jeff Ron (D) Penn (SB) Angie (BB)
J♥ 6♠ Q♠ 2♦ K♦ 8♣ Q♥ 5♦ 9♦ 5♠
FOLD FOLD FOLD Raises to $500 FOLD
WIN $600
Kathy: "My name starts with a 'K' and I have two 'K's." (Bluffing about what hand you have is legal)
Penn (after winning): "I'm going all the way! All praise to Satan!"



Kathy Jeff Ron (D) Penn (SB) Angie (BB)
9♣ 4♣ J♣ 6♣ J♥ 8♦ A♦ Q♥ Q♦ 4♦
FOLD Calls $100 FOLD Raises to $600 Calls $500
FOLD
FLOP: 10♥ Q♣ A♣
This gives Penn two high pair, but Angie DOES have top pair.
Bets $500 Calls $500
Angie: "I call."
Penn: "You FOOL!"
TURN: 2♠
Bets $700 FOLD
WIN $3000
Penn strategy is apparant in this hand. He talks a lot, he acts weird (like putting in his bet with shaking hands) and he even mock-barf, giving tells all over the place. And, after Angie folds, Penn talks about it for the rest of the night.


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Penn Jillette $11,350
Ron Livingston $10,350
Jeff Gordon $10,300
Kathy Griffin $9850
Angie Dickinson $8150



Jeff Ron Penn (D) Angie (SB) Kathy (BB)
A♠ 6♣ 4♦ 2♥ J♦ 8♣ J♥ 2♣ 10♣ 6♥
Calls $100 FOLD Calls $100 Calls $50 CHECK
You don't see too many hands on CPS with four people in it...but, as Phil would note later, none of these celebrities seem to have the guts to raise before the Flop.
FLOP: 3♦ 4♣ 6♦
Bets $100 Calls $100
Raises to $400 FOLD Calls $300 FOLD
TURN: Q♥
CHECK
Bets $600 FOLD
WIN $1900



Ron Penn Angie (D) Kathy (SB) Jeff (BB)
4♦ 4♠ K♣ 8♦ 5♣ 2♥ Q♦ 3♦ K♦ 3♣
Raises to $300 Raises to $900 FOLD FOLD FOLD
Calls $600
FLOP: A♣ J♠ K♠
CHECK Bets $1000
FOLD
WIN $2950

Blinds are now up to $100 (SB) and $200 (BB).
Penn Angie Kathy (D) Jeff (SB) Ron (BB)
8♣ 8♦ A♦ Q♥ A♥ Q♦ 9♥ 2♦ J♣ 4♥
Raises to $700 Calls $700 Calls $700 FOLD FOLD
FLOP: 10♦ 3♠ 9♦
Bets $1500 FOLD Raises to $3000
Raises to $4500 Calls $1500
After Penn's initial bet, Kathy says, "I don't play very often, but...I'll have to raise you, (bleep)hole!" Penn isn't phased and re-raises. And why not? He's well ahead with the "snowmen".
TURN: K♥
CHECK ALL-IN
$4300
FOLD
WIN $16,000
Not wishing to risk more money on a mediocre pair, Penn folds, saying, "I suggest you come over here and slap me on the face." Kathy then gets up, walks over to a ready Penn...and KISSES his cheek for giving her the pot.


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Kathy Griffin $16,000
Jeff Gordon $10,900
Ron Livingston $9200
Penn Jillette $7000
Angie Dickinson $6900



Angie Kathy Jeff (D) Ron (SB) Penn (BB)
K♣ 6♣ J♣ 3♥ 10♠ 5♠ J♠ 9♦ Q♥ 7♦
Calls $200 FOLD FOLD FOLD CHECK
FLOP: 4♣ Q♣ 8♦
Angie is on a flush draw.
Bets $300
Calls $300
TURN: 10♣
And she GETS the flush. But Penn is cautious this time and...
CHECK
Bets $1000 FOLD
WIN $2100



Ron Penn Angie (D) Kathy (SB) Jeff (BB)
Q♠ 7♠ J♥ 6♠ 8♠ 7♥ 6♦ 6♥ 10♦ 8♥
FOLD FOLD Calls $200 Calls $100 CHECK
Jeff ALMOST folds...but he reminds himself that he CAN just check since nobody raised his Big Blind.
FLOP: 3♣ 10♣ Q♥
CHECK CHECK
CHECK
TURN: J♦
CHECK CHECK
CHECK
Welcome to, as David puts it, the "Check Republic".
RIVER: 9♥
COMMUNITY: Q♥ J♦ 10♣ 9♥ 3♣
Both Jeff and Angie have the same Queen-high straight. Unless one folds, it'll be a split pot.
CHECK Bets $1000
Calls $1000 FOLD
Q♥J♦10♣9♥8♠ Q♥J♦10♦9♥8♥
WIN $1300 WIN $1300



Angie Kathy Jeff (D) Ron (SB) Penn (BB)
A♥ 10♣ J♠ 8♠ K♦ 2♦ 10♠ 4♣ A♦ 10♥
Raises to $500 FOLD FOLD FOLD Raises to $1500
Calls $1000
FLOP: Q♦ 10♦ 9♣
Bets $1000
Calls $1000
TURN: Q♣
ALL-IN
$4400
FOLD
WIN $9500


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Kathy Griffin $15000
Jeff Gordon $11600
Penn Jillette $9900
Ron Livingston $8600
Angie Dickinson $4900

Blinds are up again, this time to $200 (SB) and $400 (BB).

OK, no-limit wannabes, it's time once again to play HOW WOULD YOU PLAY IT? We will only look at Angie's hand and see how she SHOULD play the hand.
Angie Kathy Jeff (D) Ron (SB) Penn (BB)
K♥ 10♣ ????? ????? ????? ?????
King-10 is a decent hand; "you" (that is, Angie) should raise the Big Blind to force others out.
Calls $400 FOLD FOLD Calls $200 CHECK
Angie DOESN'T raise, giving Ron a cheap Flop and Penn a FREE look at it.
FLOP: K♦ 8♦ 6♥
"You" now have a pair of Kings, a VERY decent hand.
Bets $1000 FOLD
If "you" really think your Kings can beat Ron, raise. If "you" are sure you can't beat him, fold. Only if "you" are REALLY unsure would "you" just call.
Calls $1000
TURN: 3♣
CHECK
Ron just showed how weak his hand is. "You" should" bet...and bet big.
CHECK
RIVER: Q♣
COMMUNITY: K♦ Q♣ 8♦ 6♥ 3♣
Bets $1500
Ron doesn't know "you" have a King; "you" should raise him!
FOLD
WIN $4700
Angie, apparantly, played it all wrong. It turns out that Ron had K♣ 10♦ and it would have been a split pot. However, Angie COULD have won the whole thing had she not been nervous enough to move in on Ron.



Ron Penn Angie (D) Kathy (SB) Jeff (BB)
K♣ 4♥ 8♦ 4♣ A♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♦ J♠ 7♠
FOLD FOLD Calls $400 FOLD Raises to $800
Calls $400
FLOP: 8♥ 5♣ 9♠
Bets $1500
Calls $1500
TURN: A♥
Jeff (at Angie laughing at Penn putting glasses over his Hole Cam): "What's so funny?"
Penn: "Nothing. I wouldn't (bleep) with you, Jeff."
Angie: "I would!"
Bets $1000
ALL-IN
$1000
Jeff "taps" Angie, forcing her to go all-in. Jeff, however, needs to make a straight or get running cards to make two pair or three of a kind to win.
RIVER: 3♠
CHECK
A♣A♥9♠8♥7♣ A♥J♠9♠8♥7♠
WIN $6800


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Kathy Griffin $13,500
Ron Livingston $12,800
Penn Jillette $8500
Jeff Gordon $7900
Angie Dickinson $7300

Blinds are now $300 (SB) and $600 (BB).
Penn Angie Kathy (D) Jeff (SB) Ron (BB)
Q♥ 6♦ 10♥ 4♦ 10♦ 5♠ A♦ 5♦ K♣ J♥
FOLD FOLD FOLD Calls $300 Raises to $1600
Calls $1000
FLOP: J♦ A♥ 2♦
Bets $1500 FOLD
WIN $4700



Jeff Ron Penn (D) Angie (SB) Kathy (BB)
4♣ 2♦ K♠ J♣ 6♥ 4♠ J♠ 7♠ K♣
FOLD Calls $600 FOLD Calls $300 CHECK
FLOP: K♦ Q♠ 10♠
Bets $600 Calls $600
Calls $600
TURN: 8♠
Bets $3000 FOLD
Calls $3000
RIVER: Q♣
COMMUNITY: Q♠ Q♣ K♦ 10♠ 8♠
ALL-IN
$1900
Calls $1900
K♠K♦Q♠Q♣J♣ Q♠Q♣K♦J♠10♠
WIN $13,400
And, with that double-up, Angie pulls into the chip lead!



Angie Kathy Jeff (D) Ron (SB) Penn (BB)
9♠ 9♣ A♥ J♣ 8♦ 2♣ A♦ 8♣ 10♣ 7♦
Calls $600 Calls $600 FOLD Calls $300 CHECK
FLOP: 3♦ 2♥ 4♠
Kathy and Ron have one-shot straight draws, needing a 5.
CHECK CHECK
Bets $600 Calls $600 FOLD FOLD
TURN: 4♦
Now Angie has two pair. Jeff would have had it as well had he stayed in.
CHECK Bets $1000
Calls $1000
RIVER: 3♣
COMMUNITY: 4♠ 4♦ 3♦ 3♣ 2♥
CHECK CHECK
9♠9♣4♠4♦ 3♣ 4♠4♦3♦3♣A♥
WIN $5600


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Angie Dickinson $14,600
Kathy Griffin $13,600
Jeff Gordon $9800
Penn Jillette $6600
Ron Livingston $5400

Blinds are up now to $400 (SB) and $800 (BB).

Ron Penn Angie (D) Kathy (SB) Jeff (BB)
9♦ 2♥ Q♣ 10♠ A♦ 10♥ Q♦ 8♦ J♣ J♦
FOLD Raises to $2300 FOLD FOLD Raises to $3800
ALL-IN
$6600		 Calls $2800
All night long, Penn has been yelling, "Jeff Gordon all-in!" Now, Jeff forced PENN to go all-in! Jeff's a 2-to-1 fave.
FLOP: 10♣ 4♠ 2♣
TURN: 7♣
Penn has 11 outs; he can get a club for a flush, the last 10 for "trips" or a Queen to make a better two pair..
RIVER: 6♦
10♠10♣Q♣7♣6♦ J♣J♦10♣7♣6♦
OUT - 5th Place WIN $13,600

"The worst player lost," says Penn as he sulks to the Lounge, "just like it should be." As David welcomes him, Penn says he did better than he THOUGHT he would do...but, since he only learned how to play Hold 'Em a week ago, everyone else DESERVED to kick his ass. At least he held on longer than ANY 5th-place person on CPS before...AND his charity, James Randi Educational Foundation, gets $5000 for his persistance. Actually, Penn says that, had he won more, he'd get some "kickback"...but, since it's just five grand, he'll just KEEP it. Penn and David get closer together, David sends it back to the action...and he and Penn mock "making out" as we return to the table.

Angie Kathy (D) Jeff (SB) Ron (BB)
A♦ 2♣ K♠ 2♥ 8♥ 6♣ Q♣ 5♥
Calls $800 FOLD FOLD CHECK
FLOP: 6♦ Q♦ 3♦
ALL-IN
$4600
FOLD
WIN $6600
Even with a nut flush draw, Angie was scared out by an aggressive bet.



Kathy Jeff (D) Ron (SB) Angie (BB)
6♦ ?? 9♥ 3♣ Q♠ 9♠ 7♠ 2♠
FOLD FOLD Calls $400 CHECK
Ron allowed Angie to see a free Flop with one of the worst hands in poker. Bad move.
FLOP: 7♦ 8♥ A♥
See? Now Angie has a pair and Ron hasn't.
CHECK CHECK
TURN: 7♥
Jackpot! Angie has the "slot machine"!
Bets $1000 Calls $1000
RIVER: 5♠
COMMUNITY: 7♦  7♥ A♥ 8♥ 5♠
CHECK Bets $2000
FOLD
WIN $5600

Blinds are now $500 (SB) and $1000 (BB).
Angie Kathy (D) Jeff (SB) Ron (BB)
J♦ 2♠ 8♣ 5♦ 4♠ 4♦ Q♠ 5♠
FOLD FOLD Calls $500 CHECK
FLOP: 6♦ J♣ 2♦
CHECK Bets $1000
Calls $1000
TURN: A♥
CHECK CHECK
RIVER: 8♥
COMMUNITY: A♥ J♣ 8♥ 6♦ 2♦
Bets $4000 FOLD
WIN $8000


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Jeff Gordon $28,500
Ron Livingston $9800
Angie Dickinson $8800
Kathy Griffin $2900

Blinds are now $1000 (SB) and $2000 (BB).

Angie Kathy (D) Jeff (SB) Ron (BB)
Q♣ 3♠ 9♦ 6♠ 10♣ 2♦ K♥ Q♠
Calls $2000 FOLD FOLD Raises to $4000
Calls $2000
FLOP: Q♦ 5♥ J♠
Bets $2000
Calls $2000
TURN: 10♠
ALL-IN
$3800
FOLD
WIN $16,800



Hand 25

Kathy Jeff (D) Ron (SB) Angie (BB)
Q♠ 6♠ K♦ 4♥ 10♦ 7♥ K♥ 6♠
ALL-IN
$2900		 FOLD FOLD ALL-IN
$2800
Kathy takes back $100 of her all-in to match Angie's all-in. Angie's a 3-to-2 fave.
FLOP: 5♠ J♦ 10♣
TURN: 4♠
RIVER: 5♦
5♠ 5♦ Q♠ J♦ 10♣ 5♠ 5♦ K♥ J♦ 10♣
WIN $6600
Angie doubles up...and Kathy is down to her last $100 chip!



Jeff Ron (D) Angie (SB) Kathy (BB)
K♥ 4♥ A♥ Q♣ 6♦ 2♣ 10♥ 7♣
Calls $2000 Raises to $7000 FOLD ALL-IN
$100
FOLD
Since Kathy was all-in with her last $100, everything OVER that bet by everyone (including Angie's Small Blind) was placed in a side pot that everyone BUT Kathy could bet into and win. With Jeff and Angie's folds, Ron automatically wins the side pot, but $400 ($100 from each player) is still up for grabs between Ron and Kathy. But Ron's a 3-to-2 favorite right now.
FLOP: 3♥ Q♦ 2♠
TURN: 4♦
Kathy's drawing dead and out of the tournament.
RIVER: 8♦
Q♣ Q♦ A♥ 8♦ 4♦ Q♦ 10♥ 8♦ 7♣ 4♦
WIN $400 (Main)
WIN $9700 (Side)		 OUT - 4th Place

Kathy takes one step into the Losers' lounge and says, "This is a hellhole!" She's MORE angry that she didn't have a decent hand for the last hour or so. Of course, now that they're away from the table, they can talk about the others...like agreeing with Penn that Jeff "smells". Well, Face-To-Face International, an organization who gives plastic surgery to battered wives DOES get $5000 (just enough for a face-lift or two in Beverly Hills). And, NOW, Penn yells, "JEFF GORDON GOES ALL THE WAY!"


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Jeff Gordon $25,500
Ron Livingston $18,900
Angie Dickinson $5600



Angie (D) Jeff (SB) Ron (BB)
8♠ 3♦ 10♥ 8♥ J♠ 3♠
FOLD Calls $1000 CHECK
FLOP: K♠ 8♣ 6♠
Bets $4000 Calls $4000
TURN: 6♥
Bets $5000 ALL-IN
$12,900
Calls $7900
Ron was "on the come", betting big on his hand's potential. He needs a Jack to make a better two pair or any of 8 spades left for a flush, a total of 11 "outs" out of 40 cards left in the deck.
RIVER: 5♣
8♥ 8♣ 6♠ 6♥ K♠ 6♠ 6♥ K♠ J♠ 8♣
WIN $37,800 OUT - 3rd Place


Ron crawls back to the Lounge and has only one word to say about his bad call: "Ouch!" David welcomes him to the "Legion of Losers" and informs him that ACCION International does get $5000 for his second participation.

So, now, it's HEADS-UP between the legendary actress and the nigh-on-legendary race driver. Let's see who gets that silver chip! Let's SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL!


CURRENT CHIP COUNT
Jeff Gordon $44,400
Angie Dickinson $5600



Jeff (D) (SB) Angie (BB)
7♣ 4♦ J♠ 5♠
Raises to $5000 ALL-IN
$5600
FOLD
WIN $9600
Phil, literally, calls Jeff an "idiot" for not calling the last $600! Let's see if it costs him.



Jeff (D) (SB) Angie (BB)
10♠ 10♣ J♣ 6♣
Raises to $6000 Calls $4000
FLOP: Q♣ J♥ 5♠
ALL-IN
$3600
Calls $3600
Oh, sure...he calls $3600 but not $600!
TURN: 6♥
Angie is a 95% favorite to double-up. All she needs to dodge is...
RIVER: 10♥
...a 10! What a suck-out!
10♠ 10♣ 10♥ Q♣ J♥ J♣ J♥ 6♣ 6♥ Q♣
TOURNAMENT WINNER! OUT - 2nd Place

And, so, while Angie's Best Friends Animal Society gets $5000, Jeff Gordon drives away with a toast of milk and the still-not-available-in-stores silver chip that signifies a Final Table participant.  His own charity has a chance to take the $100,000 Grand Prize...but this was just a qualifier...the REAL race occurs in a few weeks!