Celebrity Blackjack (2004)
Celebrity Blackjack was a television show on GSN where celebrities played tournament style blackjack for charity. The show was hosted by Matt Vasgersian. Dave Stann was the dealer. Season 1 aired weekly from July 5 through August 9, 2004. Season 2 premiered October 12, 2004 and ran weekly through January 11, 2005.
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Episode 1 - Jason Alexander v. Ricki Lake v. Jeff Probst v. Steve Howey
Release Date: 2004-10-12The first episode of Celebrity Blackjack II is marked by wild hands, unpredictable wagers, and everything from side-betting to cursing from the celebrities. Jason Alexander gets off to an early lead, but finds himself in close competition with Jeff Probst. Probst plays a rather conservative betting strategy early in the game, but doesn't get far with it. He later switches to far more aggressive betting and battles back and forth with Jason for the lead. Meanwhile, Ricki Lake and Steve Howey find themselves at the bottom and struggling to avoid elimination. In the end, Ricki Lake is eliminated on a maximum bet, but Steve Howey remains in. With the stakes high for the final hand, Steve Howey raises his total, while Jeff Probst and Jason Alexander stay neck-and-neck. The game comes down to an unpredictable final hand where with the bets the celebrities make, anything truly could happen.
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Episode 2 - Jamie-Lynn DiScala v. Tori Spelling v. Gabrielle Reece v. Dave Navarro
Release Date: 2004-10-19Episode 2 of Celebrity Blackjack features 4 more celebrities playing for $25,000 for thier charities. The game starts off strong. Dave & Gabby are our big betters in the beginning. Tori shows a clear strategy of betting minimum, hoping that the others bust and she can take a lead. Big bets and big losses continue throughout the game. Dave and Gabby get eliminited in Hand 17 when the cards dealt weren't in their favor. It comes down to a final hand with only two remaining.
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Episode 3 - Lance Bass v. Chris Harrison v. Kathy Najimy v. Kevin Hart
Release Date: 2004-10-26Fate seems to smile on the fortunes of two celebrities in this episode, dealing the other two a strange hand. Lance Bass and Chris Harrison lead throughout most of the episode, but things twist such that all celebrities have something of a shot in the final hand. Watch for celebrity / dealer antagonism as well as NSYNC related jokes. Betting is very mixed, and the players generally seem to be good strategists.
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Episode 4 - Cheryl Hines v. Coolio v. Meat Loaf v. Mathew St. Patrick
Release Date: 2004-11-02Another new episode of Celebrity Blackjack featuring a wild group of celebrities who are more than willing to count cards and pull other tricks to win. Nobody really pulls any such tricks, but there's certainly plenty of fast talk, and the game is good. The celebrities all generally play well throughout, making it anybody's game. The final hand has to determine this one.
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Episode 5 - Shannon Elizabeth v. Gary Valentine v. Camryn Manheim v. Dayna Devon
Release Date: 2004-11-09Terribly wild game featuring drunken celebrities, kissing and more. Two of the celebrities are old-hat to the game, but the competition is strong. The celebrities try everything from begging and pleading to basic strategy cards to make decisions. One finds that it helps, while others find themselves digging a deep hole. As the game gets wilder, host Matt can only cheer on the action as all control seems to go out the window.
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Episode 6 - Dennis Rodman v. Marissa Jaret Winokur v. Adam Carolla v. Giuliana DePandi
Release Date: 2004-11-16This is a big money game of Celebrity Blackjack in which the celebrities aren't afraid to bet as high as $100,000 or even go all-in. Although Dennis Rodman is supposed to be an intimidating presence, his blackjack strategy proves to be less than intimidating. By the end of the game, one player is out and another has no chance of winning. The game once again comes down to a final hand that could determine a comeback winner, or seal the win for a player leading throughout.
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Episode 7 - John Henson v. David Higgins v. Steve Harris v. John Melendez
Release Date: 2004-11-23The celebrities all employ various strategies to win. Some seem to work and then flop, but will it result in a surprise? One celebrity is out well before the final hand. The final hand is once again suspenseful, with three players still in the running and the results coming down to the final reveal.
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Episode 8 - Caroline Rhea v. Billy Baldwin v. Stephen Baldwin v. Daniel Baldwin
Release Date: 2004-11-30The Baldwin brothers take on the reigning champion in this exciting match of Celebrity Blackjack.
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Episode 9 - Sara Rue v. Warren G. v. Carnie Wilson v. Ralphie May
Release Date: 2004-12-07The celebrities in this episode start slow and kind, but then accelerate throughout the episode. One starts betting big and then is spooked and starts betting minimum. She manages to become a contender later, as two lose on large bets and end up essentially out for the final hand. Plenty of cursing and crazy drunken antics abound in this episode. The results once again come down to the final card with some good betting and twists of fate.
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Episode 10 - Carrie Fisher v. Kelli Williams v. Eric Roberts v. Chynna Phillips
Release Date: 2004-12-14A strange episode features odd betting patterns and generally odd behavior. With things as they are, neither host Matt nor dealer Dave are immmune to the effects of the wackiness. Although the bets are across the board, they tend to be on the rather low side for the most part, although nobody generally bets minimum either. This is another episode where the final results once again come down to the final card.
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Episode 11 - Semi-Finals Game
Release Date: 2004-12-28With the reigning champion and a celebrity who wasn't initially scheduled to appear, this episode is full of trash-talk. Betting strategies initially stay rather conservative, but it's not long before the celebrities start the mind games. This episode is marked by huge changes in chip totals, with all celebrities at least still in the game by the final hand. Two move on to the final match, but everyone is definitely in it to win it.
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Episode 12 - Semi-Finals Game 2
Release Date: 2005-01-04The second semi-finals game features a lot of big-betting and much odd behavior. Watch for hard-luck draws, a celebrity on his cell-phone and other mad antics. By the time the dust clears, only two celebrities are left standing for the final hand.
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Episode 13 - Championship Tournament
Release Date: 2005-01-11It's the final episode of the second season of Celebrity Blackjack and the betting is hot and heavy. As the players try to outdo each other, one bets straight out of the game, while the others keep a competitive battle going to the final hand. Things get personal as one disses another's charity. Play once again comes right down the end as the final hand bets make for a tense situation.