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Mabuchi is Black Jack champ
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Posted on Jun 13 2011
Japan’s Jun Mabuchi bested 100 competitors to win the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Black Jack Tournament held over the weekend.
Mabuchi walked away with the $65,000 cash prize after coming all the way from dead last during the first chip count that was announced at the start of the last five hands. He had only $2,975 in chips and trailed eventual runner-up Yusuke Okada by $1,125 in chips. At this time, eventual third placer Masayoshi Hoishi was in the lead with an even $6,400 in chips.
Mabuchi caught fire in the next two hands, with the dealer showing bust cards, and orchestrated a $5,000 jump right into first place. He held $9,975 in chips with just two hands to go with Okada in second with $8,600; Hoishi was in third with $8,400 checks.
Then Mabuchi remained lucky in a tense $1,000 doubled down bet in the next hand and wisely played it safe at the homestretch.
In the finale hand, every player except Mabuchi doubled down in a last-ditch effort to make the money. At first, the dealer showed only a weak 5, but flipped over a 6 and hit a 9 for a solid 19 that bested the whole table.
Eventually, Okada won $22,000, and Hoishi settled for the $10,00 third place prize. Japanese Keiichi Sekii and Takao Muranishi finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Korean players, Dae Hak and Se Won Lah rounded out the bottom two.
All finalists earned an entry to another Black Jack event later this year. Finalists started with a bank of $5,000 with the same bet limits, however the round lasted four shoes. Saturday’s preliminaries contained 15 tables, where the Top 3 at each table advanced to the semifinals. Four wild card players were also randomly selected to play in the semis. The semis had seven tables with seven players apiece. The Top 3 from each table moved to the finals.
Meanwhile, TDHC will be holding the Baccarat Challenge on July 9 and 10.
