Welcome back, commenters! Did you all spend your two-week break from Top Chef wisely? I spent much of mine pondering the value of the many cards which—befitting the Vegas theme—have been played so far this season.

For example, when last we gathered, we saw the gay card trump the poor-immigrant card, as Ron was booted over Ash. But what if a chef has played both gay and poor-childhood cards, as Ashley has? Is that enough to trump Robin's powerful cancer card? Of course, none of this creates much suspense about who the final four will likely be (i.e., Jen, the brothers and Beardo), since the talented-chef card probably trumps all others. You don't need to consult According To Hoyle to figure that one out.

And you don't need to consult anything (other than your wits) to join this live-blogging game we play here each Wednesday night. So why not pull up a chair and sit in? Just turn on Bravo at 10pm Eastern and start quipping in the comments section below. Here are few highlights from last week—er, last fortnight, I should say:

  • We finally came up with a good nickname for oft-invisible Laurine: "Invisaline" (courtesy of commenter DahlELama). But this probably just means she's next to go since, for some reason, chefs always seem to get the boot right after we come up with a good name for them.
  • Two more commenters shared field reports on their recent dining experiences in cheftestants' eateries. Lizawithazee told us that she found the food at Ashley's place of employment, Branzino, to be "quite delicious" (read her report here). Meanwhile, at 10 Arts in Philly, where Jennifer C. is executive chef, commenter Mo MoDo enjoyed "about the best breakfast I've ever had" (more here).
  • It was also Mo MoDo, by the way, who speculated that Mike I.'s food probably tastes "vinegary" … because he's such a douche.

Many of you made many more funny comments — a collection of which is linked here. So I suggest y'all read them, right after you're done reading the following list of "things to watch for tonight":

  • Mike I. and Eli will tussle over Asian mushrooms. Apparently, the shit-talkers really love their shitakes.
  • We will hear several references to the word "umami," which I had to look up in the dictionary. Apparently, it describes "a taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides." So there you have it. Why not say "umami" during your next restaurant visit? Impress your friends!
  • The chefs will cook for the members of the "Macy's Culinary Council"—which reminds me that, somewhat implausibly, Macy's is a sponsor of this show. I guess it's only a matter of time before Top Chef gets a "Macy's Food Accessory Wall."

One last thing, before we this game underway: That "MisterHippity is the father of Padma's baby" story that's been floating around? Not true. I felt I really ought to try to nip that rumor in the bud (especially since I'm the one who started it).

Besides, we all know that Tom Colicchio is probably the father. If the baby is born bald, we'll know for sure.

[Image via the justified sinner's flickr]