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The Ultimate Blackjack Tout comes to United States television broadcaster CBS as company announces a two season commitment. So move over poker, make room for blackjack.
The first season begins at 2.00pm Eastern Time on the 16th of September and a second season is scheduled to begin the following Spring, 2007.
Houston Curtis who is the executive for the Ultimate Blackjack Tour has said that he sees CBS as being the perfect partner for this undertaking. Curtis says that they considered the top broadcasters and cable outlets throughout the country and settled on CBS because of its success in the field of sports programming.
The idea behind the tour is ‘Elimination Blackjack’. This is a game which combines the elimination factor of poker with the skill incorporated in blackjack. As the tournament continues, after each set of eight hands, one of the competitors is eliminated from the game. This acts to place a premium on strategy and aggression. Each stage of the competition provides a winner through use of a final ‘secret bet’ once most of the players have been eliminated. The grand prize is an attractive $1 million.
The outstanding success of poker has led several well-known names to endorse the event. Ten-time WSOP Champion Phil Hellmuth, points to elimination blackjack competition as representing yet another tournament in which skill plays the major role and products that this UBT competition is going to be a great success. Winning player Annie Duke also waxed enthusiastic when commenting on this new challenge. She said that this new approach will succeed in making blackjack exciting for television viewing. She said that she had a great time playing it and that it will be even more exciting to watch.
Starting in September there will be ten episodes that will draw on not only the best from the blackjack world but also the best of the poker world as well. Ken Einiger the blackjack champion, will be joined by follow pros, Monica Reeves, Anthony Curtis and "Hollywood" Dave Stann. Poker professionals such as one time world poker champs Russ Hamilton and Hellmuth, along with Jennifer Tilly, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, and Annie Duke.
During there second season of the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, a true tournament championship is planned. There is a dedicated website at which potential players may learn to play the game and anyone who wants may earn credits to take part in the second season.
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