2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship

$20,000 Heads-Up Championship
Day: 1
Event Info

2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
jj
Prize
$500,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$20,000
Prize Pool
$1,500,000
Entries
64

Kenny Tran Rivers a Flush, Doubles Through Clements

Scott Clements looked in great shape to be the third player from the Clubs bracket to advance to the round of 32, getting it all in with pocket tens against the {A-Clubs}{6-Clubs} held by Kenny Tran.

The board was a promising {7-Spades}{2-Clubs}{6-Hearts}, but the {K-Clubs} on the turn was a scary card for Clements as it gave his opponent the nut flush draw. Clements' nightmare was realized when the {Q-Clubs} fell on the river, sending the pot Tran's way.

Scott is still in good shape, however, as Tran was relatively short-stacked before the start of the hand.

Tags: Scott Clements

Nikzad Eliminated by Raymer

Caesar's Palace qualifier Hooman Nikzad has just been eliminated from the tournament by 2004 WSOP Main Event winner Greg "FossilMan" Raymer. An unknown to most in the poker world, Nikzad actually owns an impressive poker resume, having career tournament earnings in excess of $500,000.

The pair got it all in on a jack-high flop; Nikzad with a pair of jacks and Raymer, a pocket pair of sevens. A fateful seven on the turn gave Raymer a set, leaving Nikzad drawing to four outs for a straight with one card to come. The river blanked out and the win sends Raymer into the round of 32.

Tags: Greg Raymer

Little Wins a Big Race

All in holding {K-Diamonds}{10-Hearts}, Jonathan Little found himself in a coin-flip situation against long time pro Erik Seidel who went to battle with a pocket pair of nines.

The flop came {7-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{2-Hearts} which appeared to be a safe one for Seidel, but things grew worse and worse as the turn brought the {4-Hearts} giving Little a flush draw, and the {J-Hearts} on the river completed it.

With the win, Little climbed back up to ~10,000 in chips.

Tags: Jonathan Little

Hachem Doubles Through Matusow

Mike Matusow was in prime position to send Joe Hachem to the rail, getting it all in holding {4-Diamonds}{K-Diamonds} on a {9-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}{10-Diamonds} board against Hachem's {Q-Diamonds}{8-Spades}, but the poker gods didn't cooperate.

The {K-Hearts} fell on the turn, pairing Matusow's biggest hole card, but the {J-Hearts} on the river completed Hachem's straight to keep him alive.

After an emphatically sarcastic "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" chant, Matusow complained to the crowd, "I run so good, it's unbelievable!"

Tags: Mike Matusow

Tom Dwan has Phil Hellmuth saying "durrrrrrr" after Three Hands

"The Poker Brat" has just been eliminated from the field three hands into his Round 1 match against Internet pro Tom "durrrr" Dwan, courtesy of an unlucky turn card.

Phil limped in from the button holding pocket aces and was met by a raise from Dwan. Hellmuth then re-popped it and Dwan countered by moving all in over the top. Phil answered with one of his patented insta-calls and quickly revealed his pocket aces. Durr tabled a respectable pair of tens, but would need to spike one of the two remaining tens in the deck to stay alive.

Things were looking grim for durrrr after the {2-Spades}{K-Hearts}{7-Spades} flop, but the {10-Spades} on the turn had the crowd roaring. With one card to come, Phil had live outs for a flush or a bigger set, but the {9-Diamonds} on the river sealed his fate and sent Dwan on to the round of 32.

Tags: Tom Dwan

Feature Table

An intriguing match-up between, arguably, the best live no limit hold'em tournament player in the world, Phil Hellmuth, and one of the Internet's best, Tom "durrrr" Dwan, is set up at the feature table.

Hellmuth owns more WSOP bracelets (11) than any other poker player in the world and has career tournament winnings in excess of $9.8 million dollars.

Dwan has put together an impressive resume of his own, having won over $675,000 on the tournament trail at the tender age of 21.

"The Mouth" Sounding Off

"I want the opposite of whatever Gabe Kaplan's betting on," shouted Mike Matusow, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

Mike will be taking on Australia's most popular poker pro, 2005 WSOP Champion Joe Hachem, in his Round 1 match. In honor of his opponent, Mike is sporting a bright yellow t-shirt with a kangaroo on it, while occasionally waving a miniature Australian flag and chanting, "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!"

Tags: Mike Matusow

"E-Dog" Eliminates Elezra; Diamonds Bracket Complete

Eli Elezra
Eli Elezra
Erick Lindgren put Eli Elezra to a decision for all of his chips with three hearts showing after the river was dealt and Eli made the call, only to see Lindgren table a match-winning heart flush.

Elezra's elimination concludes the Diamond bracket, sending eight more players through to the round of 32:

Huck Seed
v.
Brian Townsend

Clonie Gowen
v.
Michael Mizrachi

Barry Greenstein
v.
David Benyamine

Doyle Brunson
v.
Erick Lindgren

With half of the Round 1 matches in the book, we're now on a 1-hour break. Play will resume at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time.

Stay with us!

Tags: Eli Elezra