$20,000 Heads-Up Championship Day 1 | 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship

02-29-2008 13:29 UTC-7

A Golden Opportunity

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Much to the amazement of the crowd, the tournament's emcee announced over the loudspeaker that Jamie Gold had folded pocket queens face-up . . . pre-flop. Moments later, the emcee returned to Gold's table and let us know that Jamie had moved all in and was awaiting a call from his opponent, Caesar's Palace qualifier Tom Kelly.

"Now you're the one with a decision to make," said Gold to Kelly. "You just laid down pocket queens pre-flop," Kelly replied. "Can I show him one?" Gold asked, and when given the green light, he exposed an ace.

Armed with the new information, Kelly made a quick call and an exuberant Jamie Gold quickly reached to reveal his other card - a second ace! Kelly tabled the {A-Diamonds}

and the board blanked out giving Jamie a timely double up, that left Kelly with approximately 4,000 in chips.

Tags: Jamie Gold

02-29-2008 13:41 UTC-7

Kelly Eliminated

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Jamie Gold has just finished what he started with opponent Tom Kelly, sending him to the rail as the third casualty of the day.

Gold entered what was a pre-flop all in confrontation armed with the {A-Spades}

; Kelly tabled {K-Clubs}

. The board filled out 2-3-3-6-Q and Gold's ace-high held up, sending him through to the round of 32.

Tags: Jamie Gold

02-29-2008 13:44 UTC-7

Fischman Eliminates Brunson

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Todd Brunson stares across the table at opponent Scott Fischman

Scott Fischman, one of five players to have cashed in all three NBC Heads-Up Championships (Ted Forrest, T.J. Cloutier, Huck Seed and Barry Greenstein are the others), has just moved one step closer to making it four in a row with the elimination of Todd Brunson.

The players got it all in pre-flop, Fischman holding pocket deuces and Brunson, {K-Diamonds}

. The flop came a dramatic {Q-Diamonds}

, giving Fischman a set for the lead, but also offering Brunson several outs for a flush.

Despite all of the possibilities after the flop, the turn and river blanked out {7-Hearts}

,

and Fischman's set of twos held up to take down the pot and send Brunson to the rail.

Tags: Todd Brunson

02-29-2008 14:10 UTC-7

"Hersh" Goes Logging

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Ted Forrest autographs his first baseball

Former MLB all-star Orel Hershiser has just eliminated a very tough opponent from the field in Ted Forrest.

After the last card was dealt and Hershiser declared the winner, the two opponents stood up to shake hands and a very interesting moment took place; Hershiser asked Forrest to sign his baseball.

According to the tournament’s emcee, Hershiser plans to have each of his opponents autograph the ball, which he himself has also signed, and eventually give it to the player who knocks him out of the tournament. A sixth signature on the ball spells a championship for the former slinger.

Tags: Orel Hershiser

02-29-2008 14:47 UTC-7

Technical Difficulties

[user38449]

We apologize for the delay in updates, but we've been experiencing some heavy trouble with the wireless Internet here inside the Caesar's Palace poker room.

It seems, knock on wood, that we're back up and running, so we'll try and get you caught up ASAP before the next round of matches gets underway.

Stay with us!

02-29-2008 15:07 UTC-7

Hearts Bracket Completes Round 1

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The final three matches of the Hearts bracket saw Sam Grizzle, Vanessa Rousso and Andy Bloch move on to the round of 32.

Jean-Robert Bellande of Survivor fame was bested by fellow talker Sam Grizzle. PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso pulled a rabbit out of her hat to send magician Antonio Esfandiari to the rail and Andy Bloch defeated actress turned poker player Shannon Elizabeth at the feature table.

With the first eight matches in the book, here's a preview of the first group of match-ups in the round of 32:

Rousso
v.
Bloch

Scott Fischman
v.
Jamie Gold

Orel Hershiser
v.
Allen Cunningham

Grizzle
v.
Freddy Deeb

Stay tuned, as the players in the Diamonds bracket are getting prepped for the next round of matches, which should start in approximately 10-15 minutes.

02-29-2008 15:25 UTC-7

Shuffle Up and Deal

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Host Leeann Tweeden has introduced the players for the cameras and the cards are in the air.

02-29-2008 15:26 UTC-7

"We're all in over here!"

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One of the better match-ups here in the early rounds of play is on table five where Doyle Brunson is facing off against Sammy Farha. Drawing a laugh from the crowd, Doyle yelled out, "We're all in over here," less than a minute into the start of play. Farha laid his hand down and it seemed as though the early drama would end anti-climatically until Doyle made a second announcement moments later: "We're all in again!"

"Are you serious?" asked Daniel Negreanu, seated just a few feet away at the feature table. Farha folded once more, again spoiling everyone's hopes for a showdown, but the old schoolers are definitely putting on a show here in the first level of play.

Tags: Doyle Brunson

02-29-2008 15:52 UTC-7

All In and Out for Sam Farha; Brunson Advances

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All in for the fifth time in his match against Sam Farha, Doyle Brunson moved in over the top of Sammy's 1,200 pre-flop raise and was met by a call, prompting the first (and what would be the last) showdown between the two.

Revealing their cards one at a time, Doyle showed the {K-Spades}

and would need some help to overcome Farha's {A-Hearts}

.

The flop came {10-Spades}

bringing no help to either player, but the {K-Diamonds}

on the turn shifted the percentage scales heavily in Doyle's favor. Needing a jack or an ace on the river to stay alive, Farha received no such help when the {4-Clubs}

popped off on the river, giving the hand and the match to the godfather of poker, Doyle Brunson.

Tags: Doyle Brunson

02-29-2008 16:06 UTC-7

"I may lose, but I'm sexy as hell!"

[user38449]

...said Jason Alexander as he awaited his showdown against opponent Huck Seed. All of the money went in pre-flop and when it was time to table the cards, Alexander showed {7-Hearts}

and found himself in a coin-flip situation against Huck's {A-Diamonds}

.

The

flop was disastrous for Jason, as it gave Huck top two pair, but the {9-Spades}

that fell on the turn gave him a world of outs to stay alive. Before the river was dealt, Alexander got up out of his seat and moved in behind the dealer, Jeremy, to give him a friendly shoulder massage, while politely asking for a spade, ten or seven on the river.

Unfortunately for TV's "George," the {2-Clubs}

was the last card off the deck and Seed's top two pair held up to win the hand, sending Alexander to the rail.

Tags: Jason Alexander