[user75032]
A hearty good afternoon and welcome from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Today marks Round One of the 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Over the next three days, 58 invited players and six qualifiers will engage in a single-elimination, bracket-style poker battle royale. At the end, a single player will be left standing and will earn a juicy payday of $500,000.
This event was new to the poker tournament calendar in 2005 when the Poker Brat, Phil Hellmuth, was crowned the inaugural champion. He was followed in 2006 by Ted Forrest, in 2007 by Paul Wasicka and in 2008 by Chris Ferguson. Each of those men will be in today's field, looking to be the first two-time champion.
In order to do so, each will have to win six consecutive matches. It sounds easy enough -- until you sit down and actually try to do it. Heads-up poker is about adapting to the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent while simultaneously avoiding bad luck. All it takes is one unfortunate river card to end the tournament early.
Play kicks off at 1:30pm with the Hearts bracket matches. Stick around!
[user38449]
The Hearts Bracket Match-ups in the Round of 64 are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. local time, though keep in mind this tournament is a television show, meaning a late start is probable. Of note, the Hearts Bracket is completely absent of Internet qualifiers, so every name is one you've likely heard of before:
[user75032]
Leeann Tweeden has made the introductions to the crowd and the television viewing audience. Cards are in the air on time (a first for a television production).
[user75032]
The Hearts Bracket
Some notes from the start of play as players were posing for the Hearts Bracket group photo:
* David Williams seems to have raided Dario Minieri's closet. He's wearing a large, gray neck scarf.
* Jerry Yang seems to have raided David Williams' jewelry box. He's wearing what can only be described as "bling" -- a huge gold necklace with a giant ace of hearts charm that brilliantly reflects all of the lights on the set.
* Clonie Gowen is looking quite elegant in a black, sleeveless cocktail dress. The producers have also thoughtfully placed a one-table buffer between her and any of the Full Tilt players (though we did spot Clonie chatting with Michael Craig before the start of play).
* Johnny Chan's dressed to go fishing. And by that, we mean his head is covered by a black fisherman's hat. That's all. No double entendres intended.
* Reigning world champion Peter Eastgate is the only player in Hearts wearing anything remotely red -- he's wearing a pink plaid shirt for his match against Andy Bloch.
[user75032]
There is space on set for approximately 60 spectators. Notable faces we've picked out include Melissa Hayden, Theo Tran, Orel Hershiser and Scott Diamond.
Our attention is more drawn by the free Coors Light that's being passed out by the cocktail servers.
[user75032]
The first round affords each player a starting stack of 20,000 chips, with initial blinds at 150 and 300. Levels increase every fifteen minutes, which means we will shortly be approaching the 300 and 600 level. No player has been eliminated so far, but with rapidly and relentlessly escalating blinds, that won't remain the case for long. The levels will next increase to 400 and 800, then 600 and 1,200 and finally (assuming any match makes it that far) 1,000 and 2,000.
[user75032]
Sam Farha was all smiles since the moment he walked on set today. He's all smiles as he leaves the set after dispatching Allen Cunningham. Cunningham was down to 5,000 chips when he open-shoved on Farha with . Farha called with . A queen-high flop with no spades was no help for Cunningham. When the hit the turn, he could only avoid elimination with a king on the river. The river was the , sending Farha on as the first player to make the Second Round.
[user75032]
John Phan advances
The eliminations have started to come in rapid succession. John Phan called after Erik Seidel check-raised all in on a board. Seidel turned over but was drawing against Phan's . The river was blanked out the , sending Phan through to the second round.
[user38449]
Andy Bloch chats with Peter Eastgate after their match
2008 WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate has just eliminated last year's NBC Heads-up runner-up Andy Bloch from the competition to secure himself a spot in the Round of 32.
Bloch check-raised all in with a king-high flush draw after the flop came down ace-high with two hearts. Eastgate made the call with the , which was good for top pair. Both the turn and river blanked (, ) and Eastgate's aces held up to win the match. He will play Sam Farha in the next round.
[user75032]
Erick Lindgren stated before play started that he would "quit poker" if he lost his first-round match against fellow Full Tilt Poker Pro Howard Lederer. Lindgren had the chip lead when Lederer check-raised all in on a flop of . Lindgren called but did not have the best hand. He was drawing thin with against Lederer's . The turn was the , changing nothing; the river paired the board , giving both players aces and sevens, but Lederer's queen kicker played to give him the pot and the double-up.
Could this be the end of Erick Lindgren's poker career? We'll know soon enough!
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. Farha called with 
. A queen-high flop with no spades was no help for Cunningham. When the 
hit the turn, he could only avoid elimination with a king on the river. The river was the 
, sending Farha on as the first player to make the Second Round.
board. Seidel turned over 
. The river was blanked out the 
, sending Phan through to the second round.
) and Eastgate's aces held up to win the match. He will play Sam Farha in the next round.
against Lederer's 
, changing nothing; the river paired the board 
, giving both players aces and sevens, but Lederer's queen kicker played to give him the pot and the double-up.