$20,000 Heads-up Championship Day 1 | 2010 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship

03-05-2010 15:14 UTC-12

Don't Adjust Your TV

[user108095]

If the pink shirt Antonio Esfandiari wore during his match wasn't enough to fry your eyeballs, wait until you get a look at the bright yellow shirt Daniel Negreanu is sporting at his feature table with Jason Mercier.

And don't think we're the only ones who've noticed. During the opening banter, Leann Tweeden asked Mercier if he was going to need shades to combat the glare from Negreanu's shirt.

03-05-2010 14:53 UTC-12

We're Back

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The break is over and players in the Spades bracket are mic'd up and ready to play as cards get in the air.

03-05-2010 14:07 UTC-12

While You Wait

[user75032]

We're still waiting for the Spades Bracket to start. The latest information that we have is that the scheduled 7pm start time (according to the media guide) has been moved to 6:30.

In the meantime, here's a preview of tomorrow's Clubs and Diamonds Round of 32 matches:

{A-Clubs}

Clubs

Chris Moneymaker v. Leo Wolpert
David Williams v. Erik Seidel
Erick Lindgren v. Peter Eastgate
Stephen Quinn v. Jamie Gold

{A-Diamonds}

Diamonds

Barry Greenstein v. Sam Farha
Jennifer Harman v. Jerry Yang
Darvin Moon v. Annie Duke
Paul Wasicka v. Gus Hansen

03-05-2010 13:05 UTC-12

Break Time Again!

[user75032]

The Diamonds Bracket ended in a much more orderly fashion than the Clubs Bracket did. There wasn't nearly as much fanfare as we expected. Everyone seemed subdued. Even the normally garrulous Mike Matusow didn't have much to say.

We're on a break again for an indeterminate length of them until the Spades Bracket players arrive. Those matches are scheduled for 7pm according to our media guide, but we expect they'll start much sooner than that.

03-05-2010 13:05 UTC-12

Jennifer Wins... Jennifer Loses

[user108095]

The battle of the Jennifers came to a quiet end when Jennifer Tilly moved all in after a flop of {5-Spades}

and was called by Jennifer Harman.

Tilly showed {2-?}

for a straight draw while Harman held {Q-?}

for top pair. The {8-Diamonds}

on the turn was no help and the {3-Diamonds}

paired Tilly's high card, but wasn't enough to help her win the match.

She'll be back later to root on her boyfriend Phil Laak while Jennifer Harman won't return until tomorrow's Round of 32.

03-05-2010 13:00 UTC-12

One and Done for 2009 Runner-Up Rousso

[user75032]

Barry Greenstein took the chip lead early in his match against Vanessa Rousso, the 2009 National Heads-Up runner-up, and never relinquished it. He finally got Rousso all in pre-flop, with Rousso tabling {K-Clubs}

against Greenstein's {J-Diamonds}

. A jack on the flop was enough for Greenstein to win the pot and send Rousso home much earlier in 2010.

Tags: Barry Greenstein Vanessa Rousso

03-05-2010 12:55 UTC-12

King-High Good Enough for Moon

[user75032]

The quietest table on set had to belong to 2009 WSOP Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon and qualifier Bill Huntress. But there was plenty of talk after Moon bet an all club flop, {Q-Clubs}

, then called after Huntress check-raised all in.

Huntress: {J-Spades}

Moon:

Moon had a flush draw and an inside straight draw. He was, improbably enough, also in the lead with king-high. The board blanked out {9-Spades}

and

to end Huntress' tournament.

03-05-2010 12:49 UTC-12

Mike Matusow Falls Short

[user108095]

All the money went in on the turn in the match between Mike Matusow and Jerry Yang.

Both players checked a flop of {6-Diamonds}

before Matusow moved in when the {4-Diamonds}

fell on the turn. Yang made the call and the cards were turned up, with Matusow holding a slow-played {K-?}

while Yang held two pair with {6-Spades}

.

Matusow needed an eight, deuce or king to advance, but couldn't catch an out as the river brought the {7-Hearts}

.

Both players shook hands at the end of the match before Yang celebrated his victory with his trademark double fist pump.

03-05-2010 12:42 UTC-12

The Mouth, Ladies and Gentlemen

[user75032]

"Did you guys see that?" Jerry Yang asked, turning to the rail. We weren't sure what he was referring to because we didn't see it. All we noticed was that Yang had pocket kings and there was a matching king on the flop.

"First he slow-rolled me with three kings," said Matusow. "Then he flipped me off."

"I wasn't sure that was you. You were so quiet," replied a woman in the crowd.

03-05-2010 12:38 UTC-12

Halfway Home

[user75032]

We're halfway through the Round of 64 Diamonds Bracket matches. Paul Wasicka, Annie Duke, Sam Farha and Gus Hansen all move on. Still playing are Mike Matusow and Jerry Yang, Darvin Moon and Bill Huntress, Barry Greenstein and the hobbled Vanessa Rousso, and the battle of the Jennifers, Harman and Tilly, at the secondary feature table.

Blinds just went up to 400-800. The two Jennifers seem to be the chattiest of the remaining tables but since they're in the center of the set it's difficult to follow the thread of their conversation.