World Series of Blackjack

What follows is a televised-hand-by-televised-hand account. Obviously, since it's only a one-hour show, most hands are not televised so you're going to see a lot of jumping of the dealer button.

WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK is back in action at the Mohegan Sun in New England. 30 hands of blackjack to decide a winner..

For rules on how blackjack is played, see the small tutorial in the first recap of the series. But know that this is a blackjack tournament, meaning every player starts with $10,000 in chips and must bet between $100 and $5000 on each hand. After 30 hands, the one with the most money wins $10,000 and a seat at the $100,000 Final Table. The runner-up gets a crack at the Wild Card Table, where all the runner-ups will play for the sixth and final seat at the Final Table. There is a "Dealer Button" which goes around the table, but it signifies who BETS and PLAYS first, not who the dealer starts dealing cards to first. This is significant, though, since betting is a HUGE part of tournament blackjack.

Previn Mankodi
Chicago investment banker; Masters degree in Economics; currently writing a book on blackjack strategy

Ann Van Dyke
Astrologer and medium from NYC; been playing blackjack for 15 years; won $163,000 in one night in a cash game

Jimmy Pine
Professional gambler; over $300,000 in tournament winnings; Rhode Island native

Host Matt Vasgersian and gaming expert Max Rubin giving us the play-by-play. Our dealer is Tiki. Let's get busy! Preyin 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".

HAND 1
Preyin BANK: $10,000	Ann BANK: $10,000	Jimmy BANK: $10,000	Nick BANK: $10,000	Stanford BANK: $10,000
Bet: $100	Bet: $500	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100
7-K = 17	2-3 = 5	7-3 = 10	4-10 = 14	5-4 = 9
DEALER: 7
STAND	HIT: 4 = 9 HIT: A = 10/20 STAND	DBLE: $200	HIT: 9 = 23 BUST	DBLE: $200
Jimmy and Stanford "doubled down", doubling their bets but only getting one face-down card each. Doubling on 9 and 10 is kind of risky compared to doubling on 11 but, assuming the dealer's face-down card is a 10-point card, it's not be a bad idea this early in the game. An Ace makes a "soft hand", since an Ace can be either 1 or 11 points.
DEALER: 7-10 = 7 MUST STAND
		DD Card: 7 Total: 17		DD Card: A Total: 20
PUSH	*WIN*	PUSH	LOSS	*WIN*
BANK: $10,000	BANK: $10,500	BANK: $10,000	BANK: $9900	BANK: $10,200

HAND 2
Ann BANK: $10,500	Jimmy BANK: $10,000		Nick BANK: $9900	Stanford BANK: $10,200	Preyin BANK: $10,000
Bet: $600	Bet: $100		Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100
7-10 = 17	A-A = 2/12 (split)		5-10 = 15	J-10 = 20 (split)	9-5 =14
DEALER: 9
STAND	SPLIT $100 apiece		HIT: Q = 25 BUST	STAND	HIT: 2 = 16 HIT: K = 26 BUST
	A-J = 21	A-7 = 18
When Aces are split, some casinos follow the same rules as in this tournament: only one card allowed per hand. Also, the Ace-Jack does NOT count as Blackjack; Blackjack can ONLY be made on the first two cards. Basic blackjack strategy is to ALWAYS split Aces and eights.
DEALER: 9-9 = 18 MUST STAND
Dealers cannot split, cannot double down, cannot do ANYTHING but hit and stand.
LOSS	*WIN*	PUSH	LOSS	*WIN*	LOSS
BANK: $9900	BANK: $10,100		BANK: $9800	BANK: $10,200	BANK: $9900

HAND 3
Jimmy BANK: $10,100	Nick BANK: $9800	Stanford BANK: $10,200	Preyin BANK: $9900	Ann BANK: $9900
Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $600
9-A = 10/20	2-9 = 11	Q-4 = 14	5-2 = 7	3-3 = 6 (split)
DEALER: 10
Traditionally, when a 10-point card is up, the dealer looks at the down card to make sure she doesn't have a Blackjack. If she does, she flips it over and the hand ends. If not, the hand continues as usual
STAND	DBLE: $200	HIT: 8 = 22 BUST	HIT: K = 17 STAND	HIT: 9 = 15 HIT: 8 = 23 BUST
Ann wanted to "surrender" her hand after she made 15, feeling there was no way she could win. Those who surrender lose half their bet. However, you can only surrender BEFORE you hit for the first time.
DEALER: 10-3 = 13 HIT: 6 = 19 MUST STAND
	DD Card: 4 Total: 15
*WIN*	LOSS	LOSS	LOSS	LOSS
BANK: $10,200	BANK: $9700	BANK: $10,100	BANK: $9800	BANK: $9300

HAND 6
Preyin BANK: $9600	Ann BANK: $8900	Jimmy BANK: $10,250		Nick BANK: $9700	Stanford BANK: $10,300
Bet: $100	Bet: $200	Bet: $100		Bet: $100	Bet: $100
K-6 = 16	9-K = 19	8-8 = 16 (split)		3-8 = 11	8-Q =18
DEALER: 10
SURRENDER LOSE $50	STAND	SPLIT $100 apiece		DBLE: $200	STAND
		8-Q=18 STAND	8-K=18 STAND
DEALER: 10-7 = 17 MUST STAND
				DD Card: 8 Total: 19
LOSS	*WIN*	*WIN*		*WIN*	*WIN*
BANK: $9550	BANK: $9100	BANK: $10,450		BANK: $9900	BANK: $10,400

HAND 7
Ann BANK: $9100	Jimmy BANK: $10,450	Nick BANK: $9900	Stanford BANK: $10,400	Preyin BANK: $9550
Bet: $200	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100
6-9 = 15	2-J = 12	7-6 = 13	2-7 = 9	4-K =14
DEALER: 5
STAND	STAND	STAND	DBLE: $200	STAND
More "basic blackjack strategy": when the dealer has a low card (2 through 6), it's best to stand on anything 13 and over and double down on 9 through 11 or any "soft hand". That's because, assuming the 10-pointer as the down card, the dealer stands a decent chance of busting. (BTW, depending on the up card, you either hit or stand on 12).
DEALER: 5-9 = 14 HIT: Q = 24 *BUST*
			DD Card: A Total: 20
*WIN*	*WIN*	*WIN*	*WIN*	*WIN*
BANK: $9300	BANK: $10,550	BANK: $10,000	BANK: $10,600	BANK: $9650

HAND 11
Preyin BANK: $9800	Ann BANK: $9200	Jimmy BANK: $10,900	Nick BANK: $9950	Stanford BANK: $10,500
Bet: $100	Bet: $300	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100
A-Q = 11/21	8-10 = 18	9-A = 10/20	4-7 = 11	3-9 =12
DEALER: 8
Previn doesn't HAVE to call it a Blackjack in tournament play; he COULD call the Ace as a one-point card and double down. However, the safe bet is to take the 3-to-2.
BLACKJACK!	STAND	STAND	DBLE: $200	HIT: 6 = 18 STAND
DEALER: 8-3 = 11 HIT: 5 = 16 HIT: A = 17 MUST STAND
			DD Card: 3 Total: 14
*WIN 3-to-2*	*WIN*	*WIN*	LOSS	*WIN*
BANK: $9950	BANK: $9500	BANK: $11,000	BANK: $9750	BANK: $10,600

HAND 12
Ann BANK: $9500	Jimmy BANK: $11,000	Nick BANK: $9750	Stanford BANK: $10,600	Preyin BANK: $9950
Bet: $300	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100
6-J = 15	Q-2 = 12	J-K = 20 (split)	5-K = 15	A-J =11/21
DEALER: 5
STAND	STAND	STAND	STAND	BLACKJACK!
DEALER: 5-6 = 11 HIT: A = 12 HIT: 7 = 19 MUST STAND
LOSS	LOSS	*WIN*	LOSS	*WIN 3-to-2*
BANK: $9200	BANK: $10,900	BANK: $9850	BANK: $10,500	BANK: $10,100

HAND 13
Jimmy BANK: $10,900	Nick BANK: $9850	Stanford BANK: $10,500	Preyin BANK: $10,100	Ann BANK: $9200
Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $100
10-J = 20 (split)	A-Q = 11/21	7-6 = 13	10-A = 11/21	Q-5 =16
This makes THREE Blackjacks in a ROW for Previn. The odds on that happening are about 9000-to-1, even though they ARE playing with six decks.
DEALER: 3
STAND	BLACKJACK!	STAND	BLACKJACK!	STAND
DEALER: 3-A = 4/14 HIT: K = 14 HIT: 10 = 24 BUST
*WIN*	*WIN 3-to-2*	*WIN*	*WIN 3-to-2*	*WIN*
BANK: $11,000	BANK: $9950	BANK: $10,600	BANK: $10,250	BANK: $9300

HAND 18
Jimmy BANK: $11,100	Nick BANK: $10,050	Stanford BANK: $10,250	Preyin BANK: $10,050	Ann BANK: $9100
Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $500	Bet: $100	Bet: $600
Tiki just shuffled the six decks and put them in her "shoe", the contraption which holds the cards and makes it easy for her to deal them smoothly. The decks are usually shuffled after about 75% of the cards are dealt.
7-4 = 11	4-3 = 7	3-9 = 12	K-6 = 16	J-9 = 19
DEALER: 4
DBLE: $200	HIT: 8 = 15 STAND	STAND	STAND	STAND
DEALER: 4-A = 5/15 HIT: K = 15 HIT: 8 = 23 *BUST*
DD Card: 10 Total: 21
*WIN*	*WIN*	*WIN*	*WIN*	*WIN*
BANK: $11,300	BANK: $10,150	BANK: $10,750	BANK: $10,150	BANK: $9700

HAND 21
Preyin BANK: $10,250	Ann BANK: $9700	Jimmy BANK: $11,200	Nick BANK: $10,050		Stanford BANK: $10,350
Bet: $100	Bet: $600	Bet: $100	Bet: $100		Bet: $1000
Stanford's is the first four-digit bet of the night.
K-2 = 12	4-K = 14	8-Q = 18	A-A = 2/12 (split)		A-3 = 4/14
DEALER: 5
STAND	STAND	STAND	SPLIT $100 apiece		DBLE: $2000
			A-J=21	A-Q=21
DEALER: 5-3 = 8 HIT: 2 = 10 HIT: 3 = 13 MUST STAND
Blackjack by a player beats any 21 by the dealer. But since Nick has two 21s instead of Blackjacks, it's a push...and the table couldn't be happier.
					DD Card: 10 Total: 14
LOSS	LOSS	LOSS	PUSH		LOSS
BANK: $10,150	BANK: $9100	BANK: $11,100	BANK: $10,050		BANK: $8350

HAND 22
Ann BANK: $9100	Jimmy BANK: $11,100	Nick BANK: $10,050	Stanford BANK: $8350	Preyin BANK: $10,150
Bet: $1200	Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $1000	Bet: $1000
3-8 = 11	2-4 = 6	2-K = 12	2-8 = 10	K-J = 20 (split)
DEALER: 9
DBLE: $2400	HIT: 3 = 9 HIT: 6 = 17 STAND	HIT: 9 = 21 AUTO STAND	DBLE: $2000	STAND
Everyone stands on 21...duh! So the dealer doesn't even ask Nick and moves on. Previn COULD have split his cards; they don't have to be the same rank, just the same value. But one doesn't split 10-point cards except under VERY specific circumstances.
DEALER: 9-A = 20 MUST STAND
It's a "soft" 20, but Tiki must stand on ALL hands over 16.
DD Card: 3 Total: 14			DD Card: 8 Total: 18
LOSS	LOSS	*WIN*	LOSS	PUSH
BANK: $6700	BANK: $11,000	BANK: $10,150	BANK: $6350	BANK: $10,150
Max Rubin: "(Ann) might want to invest in a new Ouija Board tonight." (They've been making light of the fact she's a medium all night.)

HAND 23
Jimmy BANK: $11,000	Nick BANK: $10,150	Stanford BANK: $6350	Preyin BANK: $10,150	Ann BANK: $6700
Bet: $100	Bet: $100	Bet: $1350	Bet: $1100	Bet: $1500
Neither Jimmy nor Nick has bet more than the minimum all night.
6-10 = 16	2-9 = 11	J-6 = 16	A-10 = 11/21	3-5 = 8
DEALER: 7
HIT: 5 = 21 AUTO STAND	DBLE: $200	HIT: A = 17 STAND	BLACKJACK!	HIT: 2 = 10 HIT: 5 = 15 HIT: 8 = 23 BUST
DEALER: 7-6 = 13 HIT: 5 = 18 MUST STAND
	DD Card: 6 Total: 17
*WIN*	LOSS	LOSS	*WIN 3-to-2*	LOSS
BANK: $11,100	BANK: $9950	BANK: $5000	BANK: $11,800	BANK: $5200

HAND 24
Nick BANK: $9950	Stanford BANK: $5000	Preyin BANK: $11,800	Ann BANK: $5200	Jimmy BANK: $11,100
Bet: $100	Bet: $5000	Bet: $700	Bet: $3000	Bet: $100
Stanford is "all-in"; he'll be out in fifth place if he loses this hand.
2-Q = 12	7-K = 17	9-10 = 19	4-2 = 6	A-J = 11/21
DEALER: 4
STAND	STAND	STAND	HIT: 10 = 16 STAND	BLACKJACK!
DEALER: 4-J = 14 HIT: A = 15 HIT: 2 = 17 MUST STAND
LOSS	PUSH	*WIN*	LOSS	*WIN 3-to2*
BANK: $9850	BANK: $5000	BANK: $12,500	BANK: $2200	BANK: $11,250

HAND 25
Stanford BANK: $5000	Preyin BANK: $12,500	Ann BANK: $2200	Jimmy BANK: $11,250	Nick BANK: $9850
Bet: $5000	Bet: $700	Bet: $2100	Bet: $100	Bet: $1600
Nick FINALLY bets more than $100!
10-5 = 15	7-5 = 12	2-Q = 12	6-3 = 9	7-8 = 15
DEALER: 10
SURRENDER LOSE $2500	HIT: 3 = 15 HIT: 9 = 24 BUST	HIT: 2 = 14 HIT: 9 = 23 BUST	HIT: 9 = 18 STAND	SURRENDER LOSE $800
Ann has lost 8 out of 10 bets over $500 that she's made tonight.
DEALER: 10-4 = 14 HIT: 3 = 17 MUST STAND
LOSS	LOSS	*WIN*	*WIN*	LOSS
BANK: $2500	BANK: $11,800	BANK: $100	BANK: $11,350	BANK: $8250

The final few hands of a blackjack tournament is where the most strategy is used. You have to figure out just how much to bet and when to bet it so that you'll in position to take the lead and the win with the final hand. It is also when the largest wagers are made. It's sort of like any horse race. For the most part, you jockey for the right position...but, down the stretch, you go for the whip and hope the horse doesn't collapse under you. Of course,...Ann and Stanford's horses are one step from the glue factory, anyway...even though BOTH doubled their money in the un-televised hand 26.

HAND 27
Ann BANK: $200	Jimmy BANK: $11,850	Nick BANK: $7400	Stanford BANK: $5000	Preyin BANK: $12,200
Bet: $200	Bet: $100	Bet: $5000	Bet: $5000	Bet: $200
Q-5 = 15	7-Q = 17	8-3 = 11	10-10 = 20 (split)	10-7 = 17
DEALER: J DEALER: J-A = 21 BLACKJACK!
When a dealer has Blackjack, the hand ends and EVERYBODY loses!
LOSS	LOSS	LOSS	LOSS	LOSS
*OUT!*	BANK: $11,750	BANK: $2400	*OUT!*	BANK: $12,000

HAND 28
Jimmy BANK: $11,750	Nick BANK: $2400	Preyin BANK: $12,000
Bet: $700	Bet: $2400	Bet: $700
Q-A = 15	5-7 = 12	9-6 = 12
DEALER: 5
BLACKJACK!	STAND	HIT: 3 = 15 STAND
DEALER: 5-5 = 10 HIT: A = 21 MUST STAND
*WIN 3-to2*	LOSS	LOSS
BANK: $12,800	*OUT!*	BANK: $11,300
How's THAT for justice? Normally, it's the casino manager (like Nick) who bans the PROS (like Jimmy and Previn) from their games.

HAND 29
Preyin BANK: $11,300	Jimmy BANK: $12,800
Bet: $1600	Bet: $1500
Q-9 = 19	K-2 = 12
DEALER: J
STAND	HIT: 3 = 13 HIT: K = 23 BUST
DEALER: J-K = 20 MUST STAND
LOSS	LOSS
BANK: $9700	BANK: $11,300

It all comes down to one last hand. Whichever plaer left - Previn or Jimmy - is ahead at the end of this hand wins the $10,000 and a spot at the Final Table. The other gets the Runner-up spot, which means $5000 and a seat at the Wild Card table for a SHOT at the Final Table.

*FINAL HAND!*
Jimmy BANK: $11,300	Preyin BANK: $9700
Bet: $100	Bet: $5000
The monster bet by Previn essentially puts the game in Previn's hand. If he wins the hand, he wins the game. If he busts or loses, Jimmy is going to the Final Table.
Q-2 = 12	4-3 = 7
DEALER: 6
HIT: 6 = 18 STAND	HIT: 6 = 13 STAND
With a 6 showing, the dealer only has a 42% chance of busting.
DEALER: 6-5 = 11 HIT: J = 21 MUST STAND
LOSS	LOSS
BANK: $11,400 WINNER!	BANK: $4700 RUNNER-UP!

So the money flows as follows: Ann & Stanford, tied for 4th place, each get $750. Nick, who busted out in third place, gets $2500. Previn, the runner-up, gets $5000 and the Wild Card seat...and Jimmy Pine gets the 10 grand and the seat at the $100,000 Final Table!