Hold on, poker fans. Don't book Match 1 as a win for Erik Seidel just yet. With blinds up to 10,000 and 20,000, he opened his button to 40,000. Chris Moneymaker three-bet all in for about 250,000. Seidel took his time before calling with . He was ahead of Moneymaker's two live cards, .
The crowd tittered as a flop of gave Moneymaker an open-ended straight draw. He binked that draw on the turn with the to double up to 500,000. If he doubles again we'll be back to Square One.
[user140525]
Seidel is one step closer to winning the championship.
Erik Seidel had Chris Moneymaker at a 2-1 disadvantage as they saw a flop. Moneymaker risked the rest of his chips holding for an open-ended straight draw. Seidel's gave him top pair and the lead in the hand. The was no help for Moneymaker, and the river improved Seidel to trip jacks.
With that, Seidel won the first match to take a 1-0 lead against Moneymaker. They'll be back in 15 minutes for match #2.
Welcome back to the finals of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Erik Seidel won the first match of this best-of-three series. The pressure is now on Chris Moneymaker to knot the score and send the finals to the rubber match.
Fast forward the actino to the river of a board. Chris Moneymaker had first action and led with a bet of roughly 150,000. Erik Seidel silently tossed calling chips into the pot, then knocked the table "good hand" after Moneymaker tabled for a full house.
Dragging the pot has given Moneymaker what might be his first lead of the finals.
During the break, Caesar and several of his friends arrived in the poker room. They took photos with fans but didn't make it onto the set before the cameras started rolling. About 25 minutes into the match, Caesar and a centurion strode onto the stage and took their places standing regally behind the heads-up table. They make an eye-catching frame with the championship trophy between them, but we're curious to see how production explains their mysterious appearance mid-match.
The two players have been trading small pots back and forth for the last 10-15 minutes. The match remains stalled with Moneymaker at about 1,000,000 in chips and Seidel at about 600,000. Blinds are currently 8000-16000. There's still plenty of play left in this one.
We're on a quick bathroom break here in the second match. Small ball is still the approach of both players. Erik Seidel has whittled Moneymaker's lead. The approximate counts are now 900,000 for Moneymaker and 700,000 for Seidel.
Erik Seidel has the chip lead against Chris Moneymaker in Match 2 of this best-of-three finals. On a board of , Chris Moneymaker made a substantial river bet. Seidel, as his been his custom throughout the match, took about thirty seconds before calling with , aces and eights. We didn't get a clear look at Moneymaker's hand but it appeared to be a bluff. Whatever it was didn't beat aces and eights.
Moneymaker's in trouble now. That pot was critical. He appears to have about 300,000 in chips. Seidel has the remaining 1.3 million.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. He was ahead of Moneymaker's two live cards, 
.
gave Moneymaker an open-ended straight draw. He binked that draw on the turn with the 
to double up to 500,000. If he doubles again we'll be back to Square One.
flop. Moneymaker risked the rest of his chips holding 
for an open-ended straight draw. Seidel's 
gave him top pair and the lead in the hand. The 
was no help for Moneymaker, and the 
board. Chris Moneymaker had first action and led with a bet of roughly 150,000. Erik Seidel silently tossed calling chips into the pot, then knocked the table "good hand" after Moneymaker tabled 
for a full house.
, Chris Moneymaker made a substantial river bet. Seidel, as his been his custom throughout the match, took about thirty seconds before calling with 
, aces and eights. We didn't get a clear look at Moneymaker's hand but it appeared to be a bluff. Whatever it was didn't beat aces and eights.