NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
Day 1 Completed
2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
Entries
64
One Round Down, Five to Go
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We've reached the end of a long Day 1 here at the 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship in Ceasars Palace, Las Vegas. 64 players squared off in 32 heads-up matches throughout the day. The youth movement was definitely on display but the old guard sent their representatives through to the second round also.
It was no surprise that 15-minute levels and steep blind increases made many of the first-round matches gamble-fests after a few blind levels. Despite that made-for-televion structure all the players on hand seemed to have a great time, win or lose.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came in the Hearts Bracket. Former NFL superstar and Dancing With the Stars champion Emmitt Smith took WSOP Main Event runner-up David Williams to the limit, juking and dancing his way to a come-from-behind victory with a lucky river card. The Spades Bracket produced the most "cooler" hands, with Faraz Jaka and Phil Ivey both being victimized. And quads were sprinkled liberally throughout each bracket during the day.
Tomorrow the 32 victors will return for Round Two. We're not entirely sure what time cards will be in the air. But when they are, these will be the match-ups:
Diamonds Bracket
Bertrand Grospellier v. Phil Galfond
Vanessa Selbst v. Peter Eastgate
Jennifer Harman v. Erik Seidel
Greg Raymer v. Phil Gordon
Clubs Bracket
Olivier Busquet v. Liv Boeree
Jason Mercier v. Andy Bloch
Barry Greenstein v. Ayaz Mahmood
Jonathan Duhamel v. Antonio Esfandiari
Hearts Bracket
Andrew Robl v. Emmitt Smith
Gavin Smith v. James Bord
Phil Laak v. Michael Mizrachi
Tom Dwan v. David Benyamine
Spades Bracket
Doyle Brunson v. Dennis Phillips
Daniel Cates v. Chris Moneymaker
Carlos Mortensen v. David Oppenheim
Patrik Antonius v. Eugene Katchalov
Doyle Brunson Eliminates Jennifer Tilly to End the Day
The last match in the Spades Bracket was the match at the feature table between Doyle Brunson and Jennifer Tilly. They moved in all the chips pre-flop, with Tilly at risk of elimination. She had a slight lead in the hand, tabling 
against Brunson's 
. Yet it was Brunson who connected with the flop, 
. Tilly never made a hand better than king-high, as the turn 
and 
ended her tournament in the first round.
Racener Crushed by Moneymaker's Nuts
On a 
flop, the slow-and-steady-wins-the-race table suddenly got all their chips in the middle. While they waited for the cameras to finish with Carlos Mortensen and Sam Trickett, Chris Moneymaker got yet another drink, and John Racener got ready to leave. His 
might have been top pair, but he was drawing mighty thin against Moneymaker's 
for a six-high straight. Racener was dead on the 
turn and gathered his life coach, his entourage, and his bling and peaced. CMoney will play Dan Cates in the next round.
The Matador Charges into the Round of 32
Carlos Mortensen saved the best run-good for the end. Queen-ten was very, very good to him in his match against Sam Trickett. He went with it for the final hand of the match, when short-stacked Trickett pushed with 
. Mortensen's rivered a Broadway straight, 
. That was all she wrote for Trickett, who despite this early exit is still off to a great start in 2011.
Trickett Now Wearing the Run-Good Mantle
One of Sam Trickett and Carlos Mortensen is going to run best and win their match. Right now Trickett has the lead, as his all-in shove with 
was called by the Matador with . No problem! Trickett promptly flopped a flush, 
, to leave Mortensen drawing dead and to double up again.
Trickett Staves Off Elimination
Down to 6,400, Sam Trickett open-shoved his button with 
and was called by Carlos Mortensen with pocket treys.
"How does Carlos get in with treys and NOT be flipping?" asked a railbird near the media desk.
How indeed, but despite his EV advantage Mortensen couldn't put Trickett away. The board came with two sixes, 
, to give Tricket a double-up to 13,000.
Basebaldy Strikes Out
Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin was in rough shape when he put his life on the line with . David Oppenheim's 
started out ahead and took an ever bigger lead on the 
flop. The turn meant Baldwin was drawing to a chop. No luck from the 
river, and Baldwin fell to Oppenheim in yet another spades bracket-buster.
Trickett Run Down by the Matador
Sam Trickett and Carlos Mortensen have both been known to run like gods. So this match is a battle for run-good bragging rights. Mortensen moved all in on a board, and Trickett, who had him slightly covered, made the call.
Mortensen: for two pair
Trickett: 
for the flopped straight
The 
turn had Mortensen one card from elimination, but one card was plenty for the Matador. The on the river filled his boat and left Trickett crippled.
Roll Out the Truck Horn -- Phillips Motors on to Round of 32
Erick Lindgren wasn't able to complete the comeback from an ultra-short stack against Dennis Phillips. Escalating blinds forced Lindgren to move pre-flop with 
; Phillips met him with . Phillips' king kicker got the job done on a board of 
.