Tiffany "Hot Chips" Michelle

Last you heard from me I had been invited to play in GSN’s 4th Season of the World Series of Blackjack along with 39 other players and a 1million dollar prize pool. It may seem as if I was caught up in a whirlwind and whisked off to Vegas never to be seen or heard from again (not that it would be the first time a poker player disappeared into the black hole that is Las Vegas) but alas I have touched down in Los Angeles only to find that the whirlwind has yet to cease.

I can’t disclose my results since the show hasn’t aired but I can tell you that I played as well as can be expected for a “first time tournament blackjack player” and most importantly I had a blast. I spent the week at the Las Vegas Hilton watching the prelim games, brushing up on my blackjack tournament skills and strategy, shooting interviews for the show and network, wardrobe fittings and hanging out with some of the coolest and most successful and blackjack players on the planet. Oh yes, and lets not forget busting out a game of Chinese poker with any available victim while passing the time in Barry Manalow’s Green Room. Of course there are similarities in blackjack and in poker but these players, hands down are BRILLIANT mathematicians with brains like a calculator. Most importantly, the guys that I hung out with such as Hollywood Dave, ‘Rock & Roll’ Darrell, Ken Smith, Joe Reitman, and Ken Einiger were genuinely nice and humble people. The celebrity players on the show included Penn Jillette, Caroline Rhea, Shannon Elizabeth and Orel Hershizer. Although I’m not a baseball fanatic the latter would definitely win a Hall Of Fame award from me for being an outstanding person, he was so enjoyable to talk to and hang out with. I was such a LUCKY girl to have Lara Miller (my new and amazing publicist) on hand for support and the coaching expertise of Joe and Dave for any and every stupid blackjack question I could think up. Overall the entire GSN and WSOBJ crew, staff, and cast were amazing which made the experience very enjoyable.

During my trip I was able to find a little time to sneak away with friends including dinners at Benihana’s and Drai’s and a trip to Imperial Palace for a night of karaoke. At the end of the week, when my brain could take it no more and had been filled to the brim with blackjack strategy, tips, calculations and numbers I had to find a poker table where I could let lose and regain some of my sanity. Hollywood Dave and I ventured to Binions for a tournament where the “bad boy of blackjack” schooled me at my own game and proved his poker skills by placing 4th… in my defense I wasn’t too far behind!

Upon my return to LA I was reminded that I had left my other career (acting) on hold for the week and I was quickly forced back into my routine of auditions, meetings and callbacks. I begin filming for NBC’s show Identity and Will Ferrell’s new movie Semi-Pro very soon and, as always I must find a way to balance the very odd, very fun and very busy lifestyle as a poker playing actress. I'll see you at the tables... I'll see you on the big screen.