When the Ultimate Blackjack Tour airs next weekend on CBS, there's a chance that poker fans will see one or two familiar faces. Set to roll at 2 p.m. on Sept. 16, the show pits some of the world's
best poker players against elite blackjack players for a $1 million prize pool. About 100 blackjack players and 10 of poker's biggest names were invited to play. While the blackjack experts outnumber
poker players by a huge ratio, the show is actively promoting itself by touting poker's biggest names, like Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan. But despite the fame of the poker pros, one of them believes
some of the blackjack folks will be as captivating. "Poker players go from boring all the way to eccentric," says Robert Williamson. "The top blackjack players in the world? They have us hands down
beat on the eccentric side." Some of the blackjack hotshots try to hide their identities from casinos by changing their appearance and playing tournament matches in costume. And some even play under
pseudonyms to avoid being banned by casinos. "These are people that are used to role playing," Williamson adds. "They are definitely colorful characters."
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