The other two matches -- Chris Moneymaker against Erik Seidel and Jamie Gold against Peter Eastgate -- are being played in almost total silence.
2010 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship
$20,000 Heads-up Championship
Day: 2
The other two matches -- Chris Moneymaker against Erik Seidel and Jamie Gold against Peter Eastgate -- are being played in almost total silence.
Gold moved all in on a board of and Eastgate took a few seconds to consider his action before calling. Gold showed for second pair while Eastgate held for top pair.
The on the river was no help to Gold who left in 16th spot with $25,000. Eastgate will return to action tomorrow when the Elite 8 kicks off.
"What's that word that means hanging on?" Laak asked. "Temerity?"
"Tenacity," Tilly replied.
Laak seemed confused. "Tenacity? What's temerity then?"
"It's something like nerve," said Tilly.
"Temerity. That's a good word too. But I was thinking of tenacity. I'm always looking for a place to use that."
We'll see if Laak has the temerity to put Mercier all in any time soon, or whether Lack will need to find his tenacity to take the match to the limit.
Seidel now has an approximately 4-to-1 chip lead in the match.
Moneymaker showed while Seidel tabled . Neither player improved on a board of , and Seidel's ace-high stood up as the final cards fell .
Seidel advances to the Elite 8 while Moneymaker earns $25,000.
Scotty Nguyen looks like he might be leading Gabe Kaplan. We can't get a good look at the stacks of Jason Mercier or Phil Laak.
After pushing three times before and forcing folds from Phil Laak, Mercier moved in again with and got called by Laak's
Neither player connected on the flop of and Mercier had Laak drawing dead when he caught the on the turn. The on the river was meaningless, and Mercier took the lead in the match.
After the hand, Jennifer Tilly offered Laak some encouragement from the rail, saying "You can do it. You just have to get set over set."
Laak's response: "How about ace high?"
Mercier:
Laak:
Laak would need some help, and he got it immediately on the flop. It was a king in the window, . Cheers erupted in the gallery for one of the few times during the last two days. The turn left Mercier looking for a five, and only a five, to end the match.
Laak took Mercier's two black fives and put one above the spot where the river would fall and one below it. The dealer burned and turned... the !
There were roars of disbelief on the set and even Laak looked a little shell-shocked. Mercier grinned that same mischievous grin we saw after he rivered Pieter de Korver in the Round of 32.
Laak came to the side of the set to receive a consolation hug from companion Jennifer Tilly. Someone else on the rail told Phil not to worry, "God still loves you. He really does."
"Not as much as He loves Jason," joked Tilly. "Jason! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she added.
Ashamed or not, Mercier is through to the Elite Eight. Laak departs with $25,000.
Scotty called with the and was behind Kaplan's , but running hearts - the and - gave Scotty the flush and the win. He advances to the Elite 8 while Kaplan goes home with $25,000.
We're on a fifteen-minute break right now, but before they dim the lights on the set we'll have one more flight of matches. The Hearts and Diamonds Sweet Sixteen matches are on tap:
Hearts
Eli Elezra v. Dennis Phillips
Doyle Brunson v. Annette Obrestad
Diamonds
Barry Greenstein v. Jerry Yang
Annie Duke v. Paul Wasicka