Don Topel Wins $200,000 on Face the Ace Premiere, Will Play for $1 Million

Saturday night marked the debut of the NBC poker show Face the Ace. Two contestants took to the felts during the premiere, headlined by truck driver Don Topel, who won $200,000 after defeating Full Tilt Poker pros Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer. Next week, Topel will play for $1 million.

Face the Ace’s set is a lounge at a Las Vegas casino, boasting the tagline, “Think you’re a poker shark? Then prove it.” A montage of Face the Ace pros – all from Full Tilt Poker – then hit television airwaves. In fact, the logo of the NBC show bears a striking resemblance to the logo of the world’s second largest online poker site, Full Tilt. Contestants face one “ace” for $40,000. If they’re successful, they can take the money and run or battle against another top-tier pro for $200,000. Win a second match and a player can walk away six-figures richer or square off against a third “ace” for $1 million. If a contestant loses at any time, they’ll walk away with nothing and the pro banks $10,000 for the charity of their choice.

The first contestant was Jonathan Nygaard from Jonestown, Pennsylvania. Show host Steve Schirripa, of HBO’s The Sopranos, fame, noted that Nygaard served in both the U.S. Marines and Navy and was shot in the line of duty. Each of four smoke-filled doors held one “ace” and Nygaard selected the ace of spades. Schirripa gave a brief biography of the “ace” in question and 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine member Phil Ivey strolled onstage after his door was opened by Deal or No Deal model Megan Abrigo.

On the first hand between Nygaard and Ivey, the Full Tilt Pro raised to 1,400 with A-8 and Nygaard looked down at pocket rockets, making it 3,400. Ivey made the call to see a flop of J-9-4 with two diamonds. Nygaard bet out 4,500 and Ivey surrendered, causing Nygaard to comment that it was a “tough fold.” In the match’s deciding hand, Ivey made it 1,400 pre-flop with A-4 and Nygaard re-raised to 5,400 with pocket queens. Ivey promptly pushed and Nygaard called, putting the November Nine member at risk. The board ran out J-8-J-3-7, giving Nygaard his first win and $40,000. A somewhat bashful Ivey commented, “He played real aggressive. I didn’t think he had a hand, so I moved all-in and I was wrong.”

Nygaard opted to take the $40,000 and walk instead of facing off against a second ace. In his place came Topel, a 41 year-old from Midlothian, Illinois whose mother and sister live with him. Topel selected the ace of diamonds, who was revealed as 2008 WSOP Player of the Year Erick Lindgren. On the first hand, Topel made the call with J-10 and Lindgren checked his option with Q-5. The flop came 4-10-3 and the action went check-check. The turn was a deuce. Lindgren checked, Topel bet 600 with top pair, and Lindgren’s 11 outs appeared across the top of the screen: four aces, four sixes, and three queens. Lindgren raised to 2,100 and Topel called. The river was a six, giving Lindgren a straight. The pro bet 4,000 and Topel quickly released his hand.

Lindgren won the match’s first three hands before Topel flopped top pair and a flush draw with K-J of hearts to take down his first pot. In a key hand between the two foes, Lindgren made the call pre-flop with A-5 of clubs and Topel raised to 2,800 with A-9 of diamonds. Lindgren shoved and offered Topel the opportunity to see one card, exposing the five of clubs. Topel called and found he was ahead to the flop of 10-7-2 with two diamonds. Topel was 85% to win before a five hit the turn, dropping the challenger to a 27% underdog. However, the river was the jack of diamonds, doubling Topel up.

In the final hand between Topel and Lindgren, the challenger raised to 2,000 pre-flop with J-5 of hearts and the pro made the call with 9-7 of diamonds. The flop came 9-2-2 with two hearts. Lindgren checked, Topel bet 3,500, and Lindgren pushed all-in for 5,100 more. Topel made the call and a four of hearts on the turn gave him a flush and a $40,000 payday. Schirripa joked, “You got one step out of the basement.” Despite making $60,000 per year as a truck driver, Topel elected to risk his newfound winnings, choosing the ace of hearts, Howard Lederer.

Lederer and Topel each started with 100 big blinds and the Full Tilt icon came out swinging, taking down the first two major pots shown. In the match-up’s deciding hand, Lederer looked down at A-Q of spades and raised to 10,000. Topel picked up pocket kings and made it 30,000. Lederer pushed and Topel called, creating a pot of 188,000, or 94% of the chips in play. The flop came J-3-10, giving Lederer a gutshot straight draw, but the board bricked out, doubling Topel up. Lederer doubled up once before ultimately falling with 2-4 of diamonds against Topel’s Q-9 after Lederer’s flush and straight draws failed to hit. Lederer commented, “He played well. He has a reasonable chance [to win $1 million].”

Topel elected to risk his $200,000 payday and play on for $1 million. Face the Ace returns next Saturday, August 8th, at 9:00pm ET on NBC.