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

03-06-2010 14:50 UTC-12

Two Plus Two

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The four tables currently in action split neatly into the chatty and not-chatty categories. Gabe Kaplan and Scotty Nguyen are talking up a storm on the feature table, about what we can't tell from here. On one of the outer tables, Phil Laak and Jason Mercier seem to be discussing some nuances of playing live, high-stakes cash games.

The other two matches -- Chris Moneymaker against Erik Seidel and Jamie Gold against Peter Eastgate -- are being played in almost total silence.

03-06-2010 14:59 UTC-12

Jamie Gold Eliminated ($25,000)

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Jamie Gold's quest to become the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Champion came to an end at the hand of Peter Eastgate.

Gold moved all in on a board of {5-Clubs}

and Eastgate took a few seconds to consider his action before calling. Gold showed {q-Hearts}

for second pair while Eastgate held {Q-Spades}

for top pair.

The {6-Hearts}

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.

03-06-2010 15:02 UTC-12

Someone Get Laak Some Flash Cards

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While Phil Laak and Jason Mercier are being moved from one of the outer tables to the secondary feature table, Phil Laak is looking for vocabulary help from companion Jen Tilly.

"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.

03-06-2010 15:08 UTC-12

Moneymaker Stumbles

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"Perennial underdog" Chris Moneymaker (as hostess Leann Tweeden described him) has just relinquished the chip lead in his match by a piece of bad luck. He and opponent Erik Seidel were all in on a flop of {K-Clubs}

. Moneymaker had top pair with {K-Hearts}

, but Seidel flopped the joint with {Q-?}

. The board blanked out {6-Spades}

and

.

Seidel now has an approximately 4-to-1 chip lead in the match.

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Erik Seidel

03-06-2010 15:15 UTC-12

Chris Moneymaker Eliminated ($25,000)

[user108095]

Shortly after losing most of his stack to Erik Seidel, Chris Moneymaker pushed his remaining 30,000 into the middle and put himself at risk when Seidel made the call.

Moneymaker showed {8-Diamonds}

while Seidel tabled {A-Spades}

. Neither player improved on a board of {3-Diamonds}

, and Seidel's ace-high stood up as the final cards fell {3-Spades}

.

Seidel advances to the Elite 8 while Moneymaker earns $25,000.

03-06-2010 15:36 UTC-12

Still Here!

[user75032]

Don't worry, we're still here and we've resolved some internet connectivity issues we've had on the tournament floor. The truth is that the two remaining matches are playing small-ball pots now. Since we're limited to our media desk it's hard to catch much of the action unless it's announced.

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.

03-06-2010 15:43 UTC-12

Mercier Doubles Up

[user108095]

Jason Mercier is finally off his short stack.

After pushing three times before and forcing folds from Phil Laak, Mercier moved in again with {A-Spades}

and got called by Laak's {K-Spades}

Neither player connected on the flop of {3-Hearts}

and Mercier had Laak drawing dead when he caught the {A-Clubs}

on the turn. The {3-Spades}

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?"

03-06-2010 15:51 UTC-12

Phil Laak Eliminated ($25,000)

[user75032]

Finally, some excitement on the set of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Jason Mercier, now holding the chip lead against Phil Laak, open-shoved all in. Phil Laak thought things over and then decided to call. Reveal your cards, gentlemen!

Mercier: {5-Clubs}

Laak:

Laak would need some help, and he got it immediately on the flop. It was a king in the window, {K-Diamonds}

. Cheers erupted in the gallery for one of the few times during the last two days. The turn {8-Hearts}

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 {5-Diamonds}

!

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.

03-06-2010 15:57 UTC-12

Gabe Kaplan Eliminated ($25,000)

[user108095]

Gabe Kaplan and Scotty Nguyen staged a protracted battle, but in the end, it had to end. And it did when Kaplan moved all in on a board of {6-Clubs}

.

Scotty called with the {A-Spades}

and was behind Kaplan's {A-Clubs}

, but running hearts - the {7-Hearts}

and

- gave Scotty the flush and the win. He advances to the Elite 8 while Kaplan goes home with $25,000.

03-06-2010 15:58 UTC-12

Short Break

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The Clubs and Spades Sweet Sixteen matches have ended. Tomorrow Peter Eastgate will meet Erik Seidel for the Clubs Bracket final, while Scotty Nguyen will square off against Jason Mercier in the Spades Bracket final.

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:

{A-Hearts}

Hearts

Eli Elezra v. Dennis Phillips
Doyle Brunson v. Annette Obrestad

{A-Diamonds}

Diamonds

Barry Greenstein v. Jerry Yang
Annie Duke v. Paul Wasicka