Sunday’s broadcast of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship on NBC featured a clash of the titans, as newly minted Full Tilt Poker pro Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad squared off against DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson.
The Sweet 16 of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship included seven former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event winners. Craig Hummer and Ali Nejad had the call of the event, which emanated from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The feature table during the first hour of coverage pitted 1998 WSOP Main Event champ Scotty Nguyen against “High Stakes Poker” host Gabe Kaplan. Each player began with 80,000 in chips and the blinds kicked off at 600/1,200.
2006 WSOP Main Event champ Jamie Gold found the exit in just 11 hands. After dropping big pots with gems like J-6 and J-4, Gold saw a flop of 5-9-7 holding Q-7 for middle pair. However, PokerStars pro Peter Eastgate held Q-9 for top pair. Gold pushed all-in when a three hit on the turn and Eastgate snap-called, ending the match. Nejad praised, “That was a big call by Peter Eastgate.” Back at the feature table, Nguyen was genuinely surprised when Kaplan told him that Eastgate won the 2008 WSOP Main Event.
Meanwhile, eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel doubled up through Chris Moneymaker after flopping the nuts with Q-J. Then, Moneymaker was all-in pre-flop with 10-8 of diamonds against Seidel’s A-Q. The board ran out 3-5-7-3-7 and Seidel’s ace played, sending Moneymaker to the rails.
Highlights of 2010 National Heads-Up Championship suckouts by Phil Laak and Jason Mercier aired. The latter drew out on A-10 with A-9 against Pieter de Korver after spiking a nine on the river. Laak hit a gutshot on the river against Phil Gordon, who had flopped a pair of kings.
Also lamenting over the past was Nguyen, who shared the lesson he learned following an inebriated tirade in the 2008 WSOP HORSE Championship, which aired on ESPN: “You guys will never see me drink another beer on TV. I would never do something like that [and] disappoint you guys. You guys like me so much and then I do something like that.”
Mercier doubled through Laak with A-10 against K-J. Then, holding K-2 on a board of K-A-8-8, Laak picked up Mercier’s wired pair of fives and placed them above and below the area where the river would be dealt. Facetiously calling for a five to hit and send him home, Laak watched in horror as the two-outer materialized, stunning the assembled crowd. Also advancing was Nguyen, who made a flush on the river to eliminate Kaplan.
The second hour of coverage on NBC featured Brunson against Obrestad. Prior to the 2008 WSOP Europe festivities, the pair tangled in a best-of-three match in London, with Brunson winning 2-0. This time, Obrestad quickly found herself behind. Holding 6-4 on a board of 7-5-J-K for an open-ended straight draw, Obrestad fired out a bet of 5,400 after Brunson checked. Brunson promptly check-raised to 20,400 and Obrestad moved all-in. Brunson called for his tournament life and turned over J-5 for two pair. Obrestad whiffed on the river and Brunson doubled up to lead the match by a 15:1 edge in chips.
On their final hand, Brunson shoved with A-8 and Obrestad called all-in with Q-5 of hearts. Brunson flopped top pair and advanced to the round of eight. Then, 2007 WSOP Main Event champ Jerry Yang moved on after his A-Q of spades held against Barry Greenstein’s 10-9. Also advancing was Dennis Phillips, who outlasted cash game pro Eli Elezra.
UB.com pro and Poker News Daily Guest Columnist Annie Duke faced off against former National Heads-Up Championship winner Paul Wasicka, who doubled up after drawing out on pocket jacks with A-10. Then, he doubled up once more with A-5 against Duke’s pocket sevens. Duke exacted revenge, however. She was all-in with A-10 against pocket aces pre-flop; on the flop of A-2-J, she was just 2% to win. However, Duke caught a runner-runner straight to stay alive and immediately hugged Shawn “westtexasman” Rice, who was seated in the audience.
Wasicka doubled up with A-9 against Duke’s K-10. In the final hand, Duke cracked pocket jacks with 8-5 suited to move on to the round of eight.
Here are the matches for the Elite Eight, which will air this Sunday, May 16th, on NBC from Noon to 2:00pm ET:
Erik Seidel versus Peter Eastgate
Scotty Nguyen versus Jason Mercier
Dennis Phillips versus Doyle Brunson
Jerry Yang versus Annie Duke