Celebrity Blackjack
Encyclopedia
Celebrity Blackjack was a television
show on GSN
where celebrities played tournament style blackjack
for charity. The show was hosted by Matt Vasgersian
(and Alex Borstein
in the first season). 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.
The deck included jokers
. A player who was dealt a joker could switch the joker for any visible unplayed card on the table.
Caroline Rhea was the season 1 champion and won $100,000 USD for her charities.
1 Billy Baldwin substituted for his wife, Chynna Phillips
, who won her preliminary table.
The final table consisted of Jason Alexander
, Kelli Williams
, Jeff Probst
and Lance Bass
. Jason Alexander wins it all for the title and $300,000 for his charity.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show on GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
where celebrities played tournament style blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
for charity. The show was hosted by Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
(and Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein
Alexandrea "Alex" Borstein is an American actress, singer, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.A native of Highland Park, Illinois,...
in the first season). 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.
Season 1
Five celebrities started each tournament with $100,000 in tournament chips and played 21 hands of blackjack. Minimum bets were $1000 and maximum bets were $25,000 for the first ten hands. For hand 11-20, the minimum bet was $5,000 and there was no maximum bet. The bets for the 21st and final hand were secret, with each player writing the bet out prior to the hand being played.The deck included jokers
Joker (playing card)
Joker is a special type of playing card found in most modern decks, or else a type of tile in some Mahjong game sets.-Name:It is believed that the term "Joker" comes from a mispronunciation of Jucker, the German/Alsatian name for the game Euchre. The card was originally introduced in about 1860 for...
. A player who was dealt a joker could switch the joker for any visible unplayed card on the table.
Final table results
| Position | Player | Charity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroline Rhea Caroline Rhea Caroline Gilchrist Rhea is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actress who was the original host of the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC until she was replaced by Alison Sweeney after the end of the third season... |
Much Love Animal Rescue and Project ALS |
| 2 | Billy Baldwin Billy Baldwin Billy Baldwin may refer to:*Billy Baldwin *William Baldwin, American actor*Bill Baldwin, science fiction author*Bill Baldwin , English footballer/soccer player-See also:*William Baldwin... 1 |
Tribal Heart |
| 3 | Dean Cain Dean Cain Dean Cain is an American actor. He is most widely known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in the popular American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:... |
The Malibu Foundation for Youth and Families |
| 4 | Ben Stein Ben Stein Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford... |
Friends of Animals Friends of Animals Friends of Animals is an animal rights group based in Darien, Connecticut in the United States. It was founded by Alice Herrington in 1957 in Manhattan, New York, with an aim of reducing the number of stray cats and dogs by offering low cost spay and neutering, and went on to expand its activities... |
| 5 | Shannon Elizabeth Shannon Elizabeth Shannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons... |
Animal Avengers |
Caroline Rhea was the season 1 champion and won $100,000 USD for her charities.
1 Billy Baldwin substituted for his wife, Chynna Phillips
Chynna Phillips
Chynna Phillips is an American singer and actress, known for being a member of Wilson Phillips. She is also known for being the daughter of The Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips and the half-sister of Mackenzie Phillips, Bijou Phillips, Jeffrey Phillips , Tamerlane...
, who won her preliminary table.
Season 2
The play for the second season of Celebrity Blackjack were the same, with the following exceptions:- There were four celebrities per table instead of five.
- The tournament featured preliminary and semi-final rounds.
- The five card charlie was in effect. A player automatically won if they had five cards and did not bust.
The final table consisted of Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
, Kelli Williams
Kelli Williams
Kelli Renee Williams is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lindsay Dole on the Legal drama The Practice and as psychologist and deception expert Dr. Gillian Foster on Lie to Me....
, Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...
and Lance Bass
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
. Jason Alexander wins it all for the title and $300,000 for his charity.