Hosts | |
Matt Vasgersian (Seasons 1, 2 & 4) John Fugelsang (Season 3) | |
Color Analysts | |
Max Rubin (Seasons 1, 2 & 4) Ben Mezrich (Season 3) | |
Co-Host | |
Melana Scantlin (Season 1) Megan Riordan (Season 2) | |
Dealers | |
Tiki Arsenault (Season 1) Deanna Bacon (Seasons 2-3) Jessica Knight (Season 4) | |
Broadcast | |
GSN: 2004–2007 | |
Packager | |
Planet Grande Productions |
World Series of Blackjack was a 1-hour closed tournament series where players were either invited to play or could attempt to win a spot via a satellite tournament.
Gameplay[]
The rules were as follows:
- Each player began with $10,000 in chips in Season 1 and $100,000 in chips in Season 2-4.
- The initial minimum bet was $100 & the max bet was $5,000 (both in Season 1), and minimum bet was $1,000 & the maximum bet was $50,000 (both in Seasons 2-4).
- There were six decks.
- Starting in Season 3, each player received one "Burger King Power Chip" per round, which allowed a player to switch one card with the next card in the shoe. If used on a double-down hand, the player could look at the double-down card and replace it if desired. This feature would later be used in a future GSN original Catch 21.
- Also starting in Season 3, there were two "knockout cards" in the shoe. Once a knockout card was drawn, the player with the lowest score after the next hand was eliminated. After the first knockout card, the minimum bet increased to $2,500, and after the second, the bet increased to $5,000. The deck was shuffled after each knockout card. If there were only four players when the first was drawn and three when the second was drawn, no players were eliminated, but the minimum bet still increased.
- Players could split, double-down & insure for less than their bet.
- Players could double-down on anything, including blackjacks.
- Surrendering the hand was legal, which allowed players to give up half their bet and concede the hand.
- If a player couldn't make the minimum bet or ran out of chips, they were eliminated.
- Blackjack paid 3 to 2.
- The dealer had to stand on all 17s and higher, including soft hands.
- After 30 hands in Season 1 and 25 hands in Seasons 2-4, the player with the most chips won.
Season 1 results[]
The World Series of Blackjack Tournament was held at Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort in Connecticut. First place would move on to the Final table while second place would move on to the Wild Card table. The winner of the Wild Card table would move on to the Final table. First place at the Final table won $100,000.
Round | Winner | Runner-Up | Other Players |
---|---|---|---|
Round 1 | Regina Guzior | Michael Konik | James Grosjean Anthony Curtis Connie Desimone |
Round 2 | "MIT Mike" Aponte | "Hollywood" Dave Stann | Ken Einiger Joanna "Queen of Spades" W. Susan Pikor |
Round 3 | Micky Rosa | Bobby J. | Bradley Peterson Cathy Hulbert Ashwin Patel |
Round 4 | Jimmy Pine | Previn Mankodi | Stanford Wong Ann Van Dyke Nick Dillon |
Round 5 | Ken Smith | Richard Munchkin | Jane Gamble Franky DeRocco Skip Samad |
Wild Card Round | "Hollywood" Dave Stann | Bobby J. | Michael Konik Previn Mankodi Richard Munchkin |
Finals | Mike Aponte | "Hollywood" Dave Stann | Jimmy Pine Micky Rosa Regina Guzior Ken Smith |
Mike Aponte, a former member of the MIT Blackjack Team, won the Season 1 championship and $100,000.
Season 2 results[]
The World Series of Blackjack Tournament was held at Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. First place would move on to the Semi-Final table while second place would move on to the Wild Card table. The winner of the Wild Card table would move on to the Semi-Final table. The top two finishers in the Semi-Final table would move on to the Final table for chance at winning $250,000. First place at the Final table won the $250,000 grand prize.
Round | Winner | Runner-Up | Other Players |
---|---|---|---|
Round 1 | Kevin Blackwood | "Hollywood" Dave Stann | Joe Pane Rene Angelil Katya Underhill |
Round 2 | Leann Moell | Charlene Ono | Ken Smith Russ Hamilton Marshall Sylver |
Round 3 | Stanford Wong | Robert Blechman | Regina Guzior Richard Taraska Nicki Vermeulen |
Round 4 | Kami Lis | Nancy Kubasek | Rick Blaine Michael Konik Henry Tamburin |
Wild Card Round 1 | Charlene Ono | "Hollywood" Dave Stann Nancy Kubasek Robert Blechman | |
Round 6 | Anthony Curtis | Erica Schoenberg | Tyrone Washington Rick Swogger David Page |
Round 7 | Rick Jensen | Ken Einiger | Angie "Moneytaker" Hardy Jimmy Pine Jean Scott |
Round 8 | Viktor Nacht | Micky Rosa | Chuck Gorson Joe Maloof Lorna Fox |
Round 9 | Jason Geraci | Michelle Richards | "MIT" Mike Aponte Eric Kiel Brian Zembic |
Wild Card Round 2 | Ken Einiger | Micky Rosa Erica Schoenberg Michelle Richards | |
Semi-Final | Rick Jensen | Ken Einiger | Anthony Curtis Viktor Nacht |
Semi-Final | Stanford Wong | Kami Lis | Kevin Blackwood Leann Moell |
Finals | Ken Einiger | Kami Lis | Stanford Wong Rick Jensen |
Ken Einiger claimed the Season 2 championship, winning $250,000.
Season 3 results[]
The World Series of Blackjack Tournament was held at Hilton Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. 1st place would move on to the Semi-Final table while 2nd place would move on to the Wild Card table. The winner of the Wild Card table would move on to the Semi-Final table. The top two finishers in the Semi-Final table would move on to the Final table for chance at winning $500,000. First place at the Final table won the $500,000 grand prize.
Round | Winner | Runner-Up | Other Players |
---|---|---|---|
Round 1 | Paul Haas | Tommy Dyer | John Grannis Sheila Taylor Ken Einiger |
Round 2 | Charlie Montoya | Kami Lis | Anthony Lu Steve Bortle Darrell Arnold |
Round 3 | Jeff Bernstein | Angie "Moneytaker" Hardy | Jamie Root David Weston Mano Fuentes |
Round 4 | Henry Tran | Randy Driggers | Jennifer Ortega Ted Coustenis Tommy Connor |
Round 5 | Tony Duong | John Payne | Shawn Crowder Vicki Reed "Hollywood" Dave Stann |
Round 6 | Dominick Haven | Ken Smith | Paul Eckstein Val Hunter Elie Karam |
Round 7 | Pat Nicholas | Henry Fletcher | Mikki Padilla Frank Calderone David Matthews |
Round 8 | "Razor" Rob Boisvert | Erica Schoenberg | Marshall E. Lafferty Scottie Black Randy Joyce |
Wild Card Round 1 | Kami Lis | Randy Driggers Ken Smit Tommy Dyer Tommy Connor1 | |
Wild Card Round 2 | John Payne | Jamie Root1 Erica Schoenberg Angie Hardy Henry Fletcher | |
Semi-Final 1 | Jeff Bernstein | John Payne | Henry Tran Paul Haas Pat Nicholas |
Semi-Final 2 | Kami Lis | Charlie Montoya | Tony Duong Dominick Haven Rob Boisvert |
Finals | Jeff Bernstein | Tony Duong2 | John Payne Kami Lis Charlie Montoya |
Dr. Jeff Bernstein won the $500,000 grand prize for his Season 3 victory.
1Qualified for Wild Card Round through random drawing among all 3rd-5th place preliminary finishers.
2Qualified for Final Table through random drawing among all 3rd-5th place semi-final finishers.
Season 4 results[]
Same as previous season
Round | Winner | Runner-Up | Other Players |
---|---|---|---|
Round 1 | George Mandilaras | Phil Dunaway | Tiffany Michelle Christiane Hogenbirk Jeff Bernstein |
Round 2 | Jeff Swenson | Kami Lis | Lon Johnson Juan Cloud Joe Malc |
Round 3 | Alice Walker | Norm Sheridan | Joe Fisher Kacie Bergeron "Hollywood" Dave Stann |
Round 4 | Salomon Cohen-Botbol | Rick Jensen | Orel Hershiser Philip Richman Mikki Sullivan |
Round 5 | Jarek Markowiak | Darrell Arnold | Caroline Rhea Hans Schmid Eli Haber |
Round 6 | T. J. Boros | Marlin Horseman | Penn Jillette Ken Smith Helen Ho |
Round 7 | Kristine Johnson | Rick Fortin | Ken Einiger Don Rebentisch Joe Reitman |
Round 8 | Marvin Ornstein | Dannye Long | Henry Tran Angelo Merkouris Shannon Elizabeth |
Wild Card Round 1 | Rick Fortin | Darrell Arnold Henry Tran1 Dannye Long Kami Lis | |
Wild Card Round 2 | Marlin Horseman | Christianne Hogenbirk1 Rick Jensen Norm Sheridan Phil Dunaway | |
Semi-Final 1 | Rick Fortin | Kristine Johnson | Marvin Ornstein T. J. Boros Salomon Cohen-Botbol |
Semi-Final 2 | Alice Walker | Marlin Horseman | Jarek Markowiak George Mandilaras Jeff Swenson |
Finals | Alice Walker | Marlin Horseman | Rick Fortin Kristine Johnson T. J. Boros2 |
Alice Walker (who had previously won GSN's million-dollar Three card poker championship) took first place and $500,000.
1Qualified for Wild Card Round through random drawing among all 3rd-5th place preliminary finishers.
2Qualified for final table through random drawing among all 3rd-5th places semi-final finishers
Trivia[]
Caroline Rhea was a contestant on Celebrity Blackjack and was on World Series of Blackjack for Season 4 in 2007.