WINNER: Monica Reeves

This rocketing rookie blasted her way to the top just weeks after learning how to play Elimination Blackjack. The rest never knew what hit 'em.
. . . . . . . . . .

PLAYERS:

The players are Gary "Debo" DeBernardi, Klara Lato, "Big" Chuck Gorson, Michael Castellana, Monica Reeves, Steven Suh, and Mark "P0ker H0" Kroon.

This table features three strong blackjack-tournament players in Klara Lato, Michael Castellana, and Chuck Gorson. Castellana and Gorsen are meeting at a final for the second time in this young season, as Michael finished third and Chuck seventh in the UBT's first event. Gary DeBernardi and Mark Kroon are aggressive players from the poker world. Monica Reeves is a newcomer to blackjack tournaments, but her performance in the preliminaries got her an invite to be a part of the elite Team UBT. This month's Internet qualifier is Steven Suh.

. . . . . . . . . .

ELIMINATION:

Hand 7: Gary DeBernardi is first to go when his early big bets lose and he has to chase. Debo’s all-in bet on hand 7 goes down when the dealer draws to 19 to beat his 17.

Hand 8: Internet qualifier, Steven Suh, is next to go in a tight first Elimination Hand. The inexperienced player makes a fundamental mistake that’s discussed in the Strategy Notes.

Hand 15: In a scenario reminiscent of hand 7, Michael Castellana recognizes that he needs to make up ground before the EH and goes all in. With all his money in the circle, he can’t split his aces and winds up busting his hand.

Hand 16: Mark Kroon is a goner before this Elimination Hand begins, having bet big behind Michael and losing on hand 15. The other players use this EH to make small positioning bets and P0ker H0 goes home.

Hand 25: Klara Lato is low bankroll following the Kroon elimination. She lasts till hand 25, but never catches up and loses a big $78,000 wager on the third EH to be eliminated.

Last Hand
Chuck Gorson spots Monica Reeves $65,000 going into heads-up play and he can’t make up the ground. Chuck loses a $40,000 bet, then $39,000 on hand 27, which allows Monica to cruise to the title.

. . . . . . . . . .

SEASON ONE RECAP:
Episode 1: The final table is a powerhouse, featuring great play, a classic good-versus-evil scenario...

Episode 2: This is an emotion-packed contest, with tempers flaring (between Matthews and Pine) in later rounds...

Episode 3: If anything, this episode demonstrates that you're not out till you're out. Tyrone Jackson is down to just $15,000 on hand 9...

Episode 4: This is a strategy-packed match that provides plenty of fodder, as you'll see, for Strategy Notes...

Episode 5: The match is a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, featuring a couple of excellent strategic plays and the first playoff of the UBT series...

Episode 6: It's a shootout. At hand 25, the three remaining players—Monica, Jennifer, and Angie—have nearly $1 million among them...

Episode 7: As has been the case earlier in this season, the repeat players, Gary Debernardi and John Cernuto, fair much better the second time around...

Episode 8: Dave gets battered mid-match and has to climb back from a significant deficit to get to heads-up play with Erica Schoenberg...

Episode 9: All of the players obviously have tournament chops. Ken Smith is the consensus favorite, but David Matthews, Adriana Jade, and Hollywood Dave are all considered prominent...

Episode 10: With huge bragging rights on the line (not to mention the prize money), the players are dialed in for this one and there are loads of high-end...

SEASON TWO RECAP:
Episode 1: This wasn't a timid table, but the eliminations came slowly and there were three players all the way to the 30th hand...

Episode 2: As it often does, it came down to cards in the end—but rather than it being about who got them, it was more about who didn't...

Episode 3: With two seasoned blackjack-tournament pros (Anthony and Blair) and one poker-tournament superstar...

Episode 4: This match will go down as one of the strangest and best in UBT history...

Episode 5: The blackjack players excelled on this day, with Ken Einiger and Adriana Jade steadily pulling away from the field...

Episode 6: Chips flew early in this match and three players, including Ken Smith, were already gone by the end of hand 8...

Episode 7: The final table of the UBT's first Poker vs. Blackjack Superstar Showdown features an interesting mix of poker and blackjack luminaries...

Episode 8: The three "favorites" mentioned above go out before the third Elimination Hand and the All-Stars contest comes down to the unlikely trio...