GSN keeps refining their blackjack show into a better and better product. The change to a four-player format makes for a more intimate and (last night, at least) friendly atmosphere. Pretty girls serve drinks, which is the way drinks should be served. A couple more jokers - cards, not players - liven up the proceedings. Losing Alex Boorstein is addition by subtraction. Matt Vasgersian explains things well, and Hollywood Dave cracks wise better.
Last night's debut featured a well-balanced cast of wannabe sharpies. Jason Alexander was the comic, Jeff Probst played the straight man, Ricki Lake did the lady trying to prove she has "male genitalia" in Jason's memorable final-hand comment, and Steve Howey was the wise-acre and wild-playing kid.
Alexander ran a nice bunch of cards to a consistent first-half lead that he cautiously nursed through the second half of the game. Probst kept dogging him with bets just big enough to stay within hailing distance. Ricki couldn't catch many breaks, but she played the wildest and craziest hand of the night: a split, resplit, and two doubles. Wouldn't you know, Stann hit a blackjack and collected almost all the money Ricki pushed out.
That crimped Ms. Lake severely, and she eventually bombed out. Steve Howey played gonzo blackjack, but somehow rallied back just before the close to have a very good chance in the last hand. Probst kept plodding along, not doing anything silly and keeping his chances alive. Well, now that I think about it, Jeff did hit on a seventeen. Hm.
The final hand featured Alexander's previously mentioned male-genitalia bet of 200K out of his total stack of 206K. Probst bet more conservatively, as expected. Howey also bet conservatively, which was not expected. As the hand actually developed, each had a chance for the win.
A dealer bust would make Jason the victor. The cards flopped...a prolonged but definite bust by Stann. Much rejoicing from Alexander, but he was also gracious to the losers and wept genuine fake tears about never winning an Emmy before.
The immediate rerun may be pushing things, but I found the show was strangely rewatchable for its humor and pace. I also got tangled up in the absurd ALCS game, so it helped to have two chances to catch all the blackjack.
