It’s been a while since we talked about the Ultimate Blackjack Tour yet with the festive mood most everyone is in these days, I thought it would be great to feature an interview with the first ever UBT Tournament of Champion winner. The lucky man is Dave Matthews, who won a couple of months ago. He is best known for his emotional displays at the table. Though many pros are perceived to be ice cold when it comes to tournaments, Dave Matthews is the exact opposite. This is one reason many viewers like him – he shows that blackjack pros are still quite human.

Here are some excerpts of UBT’s interview with him after his win.

What was your reaction when you first heard about the game of Elimination Blackjack?

I was excited about Elimination Blackjack. It introduced a greater skill element to the game of tournament blackjack. And the fact that it was brand new meant that no one, not even the best pros, knew the right way to play it. I felt that if I could learn the game faster than anyone else, it would give me a good chance to excel at it.

What do you think of the Ultimate Blackjack Tour? Do you watch it?

I’ve seen all the episodes, and I think they should show more of me! Kidding. But really, it’s a great show. The show does a great job of making blackjack exciting for the viewing public. That’s the biggest challenge for blackjack on TV. Poker has been popular because it has a lot of built-in drama. Blackjack hasn’t, until now. The production quality of the show is first rate and they do a great job of showing the skill, the luck, and the drama of the matches.

How much of your victory do you attribute to skill and how much to luck?

I’ll go with 70% luck and 30% skill. That isn’t to say that skill wasn’t a huge part of it, but realistically, gambling tournaments hinge on luck. Take a look at Chris Moneymaker. He has a lot of poker skill, but was also very lucky. Show me a gambling tournament champion that didn’t get lucky to win. There aren’t many, if any.

In my first tournament where I qualified for the Champions event, my last four hands were blackjack, blackjack, 20, 20. In the Champions event, I was all-in twice where I had to win the hands. If the best player in the world gets a 16, and the newest amateur gets a blackjack, the amateur is going to win. Skill plays more of a role in the long run over many hands, many rounds, and many tournaments.

You won the UBT Championship episode. You beat all the other UBT Champions. What was that moment like?

I was on top of the world and nearly lost my mind. I was jumping, yelling, and rolling around on the floor. I was exuberant. The thrill of winning and besting the best of the best was rewarding. The prize money was fantastic. What was best of all, however, was that I had achieved something that I will have all my life: I will always be the first champion of the UBT and that I will cherish.

I bet he will!