$20,000 Heads-up Championship Day 2 | 2010 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship

$20,000 Heads-up Championship

Day 2 Completed

03-06-2010 18:35 UTC-12

...And, We're Done

[user108095]

All In: The Jerry Yang Story, hitting a TV production set near you tomorrow.

We started the day with 32 players and ended with an elite field of eight who will return tomorrow to play for the title of 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Champion.

Overall, it was another fairly quiet day at Caesars, though many players showed more emotion than they did on Day 1. Early on, Phil Gordon looked down-right pained when Phil Laak caught a miracle 10 on the river to make a match-winning straight. The table turned on Laak in the Round of 16 though when Jason Mercier caught a river two-outer to send Laak crashing out of the tournament.

Jen Harman was bounced in the Round of 32, but didn't leave until she gave a piece of her mind to an over-exuberant Jerry Yang supporter in the gallery. Shockingly enough, the player most would have expected an outburst from -- Phil Hellmuth -- left quietly after calling all in against Annette Obrestad with a hand that Hellmuth claimed "could only beat a pure bluff." Obrestad wasn't bluffing.

What started as a quiet match between Annie Duke and Paul Wasicka provided the most drama of the day as each player took turns doubling up their short stacks. The hand of the day came near the end of the match when Duke moved all in with ace-10 against Wasicka's pocket aces and proceeded to suck out a running Broadway straight with a miracle king on the river. "That was just the sickest thing ever," Duke said at the end of the hand and no one in the crowd disagreed.

The marquee match of the Elite Eight looks to be the Prince of Poker, Scotty Nguyen vs. the always unpredictable Jason Mercier in the Spades Bracket final. Former WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate will take on a former WSOP Main Event runner-up, Erik Seidel, in the Clubs Bracket final.

In the Hearts Bracket final, Doyle Brunson will face off against Dennis Phillips. And in what may be the most shocking pairing of the day, 2007 WSOP Main Event champ Jerry Yang will try to continue his winning ways against Annie Duke in the Diamonds Bracket final.

Play will start early tomorrow morning, with cards aiming to be in the air somewhere around 11am. From there the cards will keep flying until only one player remains. Join us here at PokerNews to find out who that player will be.

Until then, you can find us at the bar.

03-06-2010 18:31 UTC-12

Paul Wasicka Eliminated ($25,000)

[user75032]

What an ending to the Paul Wasicka-Annie Duke match. Duke moved all in from the button and Wasicka called. Duke didn't table much of a hand, {8-Diamonds}

. Wasicka had come up with another premium pair, {J-Diamonds}

.

Duke made a pair on an all-spade flop, {8-Spades}

. The

that gave Duke two pair on the turn was only a fitting card for this crazy match. Everyone in the gallery awaited the river, wondering if Wasicka might find the luck dust one more time. He needed a deuce, a seven, or a jack to stay alive. But this time the river finally blanked {9-Hearts}

to send Duke through to the Elite Eight.

Tags: Annie Duke Paul Wasicka

03-06-2010 18:29 UTC-12

Wasicka Won't Die

[user108095]

Just moments after shipping most of his stack to Annie Duke, Paul Wasicka got some of it back with a double-up of his own. He shoved with {A-Hearts}

and got called by Duke who held {K-Spades}

.

Wasicka improved on a flop of {4-Spades}

put the hand away with the {9-Hearts}

on the turn. The river {3-Spades}

meant nothing, and Wasicka clawed his way back into contention.

03-06-2010 18:26 UTC-12

AYFKM? Duke Doubles Back!

[user75032]

We are seeing a heads-up match for the ages here between Annie Duke and Paul Wasicka. Wasicka had taken a 89,000-to-71,000 chip lead when Duke pushed all in with {A-Clubs}

. Wasicka peeked at his cars, grimaced in Duke's direction, and then called with {A-Spades}

.

There was an ace in the window, {A-Hearts}

. Those of us in media row quickly realized that Duke was drawing at only a running Broadway straight to stay alive. She got half of it with the {Q-Spades}

turn. And then MOC Jordan Siegel perfectly punctuated the delivery of the river card.

"IT'S A KING!" he shouted as the {K-Spades}

came. The gallery went absolutely berserk. Duke, standing over the table, held her hands up to her face in utter disbelief. She then walked to Wasicka's side of the table and whispered something in his ear before re-taking her seat.

The match rolls on! Wasicka is now quite short.

Tags: Annie Duke Paul Wasicka

03-06-2010 18:17 UTC-12

Paul Wasicka Doubles -- Again

[user108095]

Paul Wasicka and Annie Duke went to war one more time, but neither player has been able to deliver the knock-out blow. In the most recent hand, Wasicka shoved with {A-Diamonds}

and got called by Duke, who held {7-Spades}

.

The flop of {4-Diamonds}

provided plenty of drama, as Duke caught two pair and Wasicka picked up the nut flush draw. The {8-Clubs}

changed nothing on the turn, but the {2-Diamonds}

on the river gave Wasicka the hand and a commanding chip lead.

Duke could do nothing more than hold her head in her hand as her chips were shipped across the felt.

03-06-2010 17:53 UTC-12

Duke Doubles Up

[user108095]

Annie Duke moved her short stack into the middle with {6-Clubs}

and put herself at risk against Paul Wasicka's {Q-Diamonds}

.

The flop was good for Duke though, coming {5-Hearts}

, giving her a pair and straight draw. The {K-Spades}

and

were no more help, but Duke's small pair was enough to keep her in the match.

03-06-2010 17:49 UTC-12

Eli Elezra Eliminated ($25,000)

[user75032]

Dennis Phillips was grinding and grinding and managed to build a 136,000 to 24,000 chip lead over Eli Elezra. Elezra finally moved all in pre-flop with {K-Diamonds}

. Phillips called with the best hand, {A-Diamonds}

.

Nobody hit the flop, {2-Spades}

. But since things never seem to come easy in poker, the turn was of course a third club, the {7-Clubs}

, to give Elezra a flush draw to go along with his king and queen outs. With the crowd leaning forward in anticipation, the river fell {10-Hearts}

to end Elezra's tournament run.

Phillips will return tomorrow as part of the Elight Eight. With his elimination, Annie Duke and Paul Wasicka (again!) are the last remaining mathc.

03-06-2010 17:34 UTC-12

Wasicka Doubles Up

[user75032]

With blinds at both of the remaining tables now up to 2,000 and 4,000, the action is picking up. Paul Wasicka was all in pre-flop as the short stack against Annie Duke. Wasicka was also behind in the hand, tabling {A-Clubs}

against Duke's {J-Clubs}