On Sunday, the quarterfinals of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship aired on NBC. Of the eight players left standing, four were former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champions. The poker tournament wraps up this Sunday, May 23rd, on NBC.
In the first hour of coverage, 2008 WSOP Main Event champion Peter Eastgate faced off against eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel. Concurrently, 2009 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year Jason Mercier tangled with 1998 WSOP Main Event winner Scotty Nguyen. Each player received 160,000 in starting chips with blinds at 1,000/2,000. Entering the day, Seidel was 3-0 in National Heads-Up Poker Championship in 2010 after being 0-5 prior to this year.
Seidel took Eastgate to school early, raising to 4,000 pre-flop with K-J. Eastgate bumped the action to 12,500 with 9-8 of diamonds and Seidel re-raised to 30,000. Eastgate called and the flop came A-Q-6. With 20% of the chips in play already in the pot, Eastgate check-folded to a bet of 40,000 from Seidel, giving the veteran the early lead. Then, Eastgate ran two pair into Seidel’s straight to drop a pot of 58,000.
On the final hand, Seidel was up 10:1 in chips and Eastgate committed his stack with Q-7; Seidel held K-6 of diamonds. Among those sweating the eight-time bracelet winner were fellow National Heads-Up Poker Championship quarterfinalist Annie Duke and her beau Joe Reitman. The board came 7-10-5-K-5, giving Seidel kings-up and a trip to the semifinals. NBC poker analyst Ali Nejad praised, “Erik really put on a clinic in that match.”
The tone for the bout between Mercier and Nguyen was set early on when the former asked Mercier, a Florida resident, “Every time I turn on Nancy Grace, it’s nothing but bad shit from Florida. Why is that?” Rather than offer up any explanation, Mercier responded, “I have no idea.” In the pairing’s defining hand, Nguyen called a raise on the flop with a gutshot straight draw, which promptly hit on the turn. The Poker Hall of Fame nominee held a 3:1 advantage in chips as a result.
Then, Mercier shoved all-in pre-flop with 7-5 of clubs, but could not draw out on Nguyen’s pocket jacks. Nguyen reached the semifinals, where he’ll face off against Seidel this Sunday on NBC.
The second episode featured DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson battling against 2008 WSOP November Niner Dennis Phillips. Brunson was nearly eliminated after committing his chips with pocket jacks on a flop of 8-10-K against Phillips’ 10-8 for two pair. However, running sixes gave Brunson a higher two pair and a much-needed double up. Then, Phillips exacted revenge and doubled through with Q-5 against 7-6 after the two got it in on a flop of 3-Q-6. Phillips was up 7:1 in chips as a result.
Brunson spiked a flush on the river to balloon his stack to 15 big blinds, but his momentum did not continue. On a flop of K-Q-9 with two diamonds, Brunson checked holding 9-7 of the suit for a pair and a flush draw. Phillips held A-K for top pair and bet 27,000. Brunson moved all-in and Phillips called. The turn and river were both clubs, sending Phillips to the semis.
Meanwhile, Duke and 2007 WSOP Main Event champ Jerry Yang fought for the last spot in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship Final Four. After being whittled down, Yang doubled up with 6-3 against Duke’s K-9 after dodging a club, jack, six, or king on the river to stay alive. Then, Yang doubled again after coming out on the winning end of a race with pocket threes against Duke’s J-7 of hearts. Duke became visibly agitated, at one point reminding the dealer not to count out her bet until she had moved it forward.
Yang drew out on A-K with A-4 after spiking a four on the river, but his run in the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship soon came to an end. In the pairing’s final hand, Yang was all-in with J-3 against Duke’s A-8. Both players paired their top hole card on a flop of J-2-A, but a running 10-9 stamped Duke’s ticket to the semis.
Next week, the semifinals and finals of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship will air on NBC from Noon to 3:00pm ET.
