[user38449]
We're back on the set of the 2009 NBC National Heads-Up Championships here inside the Caesars Palace Poker Room in Las Vegas, NV, getting set to catch the action from the Round of 32, which is scheduled to begin at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time. First up will be the 16 remaining players from the 'red' half of the bracket -- Hearts and Diamonds.
An impressive streak shared by two guys, Huck Seed and Scott Fischman, will be on the line this afternoon. Both Seed and Fischman have cashed in this tournament every year since the tournament's inception in 2005. To secure a fifth cash, Fischman will have to find a way past David Williams in the Hearts Bracket, while Seed will face the always-aggressive Gus Hansen in the Diamonds Bracket.
Here's a look at the eight matches set to get us off and running this afternoon:
Hearts Bracket
Eli Elezra v. Erick Lindgren
David Williams v. Scott Fischman
John Phan v. Jerry Yang
Sammy Farha v. Peter Eastgate
Diamonds Bracket
Kenny Tran v. Jennifer Harman
Phil Laak v. David Oppenheim
Gus Hansen v. Huck Seed (feature table)
Glen Chorny v. Brad Garrett
donpeters
Cards are in the air. Players will start with 40,000 chips and blinds at 300 and 600. Levels are fifteen minutes long, with blind increases to 400/800, 600/1,200, 1,000/2,000, 1,500/3,000 and 2,000/4,000.
[user75032]
All of the player competing today won their opening matches yesterday. If they are able to win again today, they will be through to the Third Round and guaranteed at least $25,000 in prize money. Huck Seed, at the feature table, is attempting to cash in this tournament for the fifth straight year.
[user75032]
A preflop raising war led to our first all-in raise and call of the day between Phil Laak and David Oppenheim. Once the chips were in the middle, Oppenheim pulled out a pair of sunglasses and a zip-up hoodie, which he pulled low over his head in classic Laak style.
Laak:
Oppenheim:
Oppenheim was the player at risk of elimination but had the best hand. Nothing changed on a flop of or after the turn fell .
"A nine would be good," remarked railbird Jennifer Tilly.
"A nine, any of the nines," agreed Laak.
"I had a nine in my hand," called out Eli Elezra from the next table.
"This is like the aces versus tens hand," mused Laak. "durrrr says it's standard."
Standard or not, the that hit the river didn't improve Laak the way Dwan's tens improved versus Phil Hellmuth last year. Oppenheim doubled up, taking a huge chunk of Laak's stack in the process.
[user38449]
Jerry Yang
John "The Razor" Phan just became the first player to secure a spot in the money after making quick work of 2007 WSOP Main Event winner Jerry Yang.
Yang opened the pot with a preflop raise, Phan countered with a reraise, Yang moved all in and Phan made the call:
Phan:
Yang:
Yang was able to collect a couple of extra outs after the flop came queen high with two hearts, but a third king on the turn for Phan spelled the end for Jerry Yang.
[user75032]
Gus Hansen
Huck Seed a huge chunk of Gus Hansen's stack earlier; he has it all now. Hansen raised from the button, then called all in after Seed re-raised. Hansen had the best hand before the flop, tabling against Seed's . It was Seed who connected with the flop, , to make a pair of queens. Hansen didn't improve from there and has been eliminated.
With that elimination, Seed becomes the first player to cash in this tournament for five straight years. One other person can match that accomplishment; Scott Fischman is playing David Williams right now for the same accolade.
[user38449]
Phil 'The Unabomber' Laak
David Oppenheim is certainly making the most of his last minute invite to play in this year's Heads-Up Championship, having just defeated Phil 'The Unabomber' Laak to advance into the Round of 16.
Short-stacked, Laak got it all in with the best hand -- a pocket pair of kings -- and Oppenheim challenged with . The dealer then spread a flop giving Oppenheim a pair of aces, which was all he needed to send Laak to the rail.
"David, kings are lucky for you!" said Jennifer Tilly to Oppenheim as Laak threw his backpack over one shoulder.
Laak then shook hands with David, saying, "Win a lot of money," before exiting the tournament area.
[user75032]
Scott Fischman's quest to join Huck Seed as the only players to cash in all five years of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship has hit a bump in the road -- the pockets aces of David Williams. Fischman and Williams took an unraised flop of and then got all of their chips in the middle. Williams turned over , a pair of aces, to Fischman's pair of kings, . Fischman did not improve from there but had Williams covered and so remains in the match.
[user75032]
"Is he Fish or Man?" Brad Garrett asked after Scott Fischman doubled through David Williams. Williams made what he described as a "loose call" with ; Fischman responded he had made a "loose push" with . Fischman's moved worked out with a deuce on the flop and a deuce on the turn.
Jennifer Harman also doubled up in her match against Kenny Tran. Tran limped the button, then called after Harman moved all in. Harman's pocket fives were favored over Tran's pocket fours and held up to give her the pot.
[user38449]
Eli Elezra
Erick Lindgren has just defeated heads-up opponent Eli Elezra, locking up his first ever NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship money finish.
On a board showing , Erick led out with a bet, Eli raised all in and Erick made the call:
Lindgren:
Elezra:
Lindgren claimed the pot and the match with two pair, queens and fives, and he'll play the winner of the David Williams v. Scott Fischman match in the Round of 16.
"That was the only hand I could beat," said Lindgren after the match. "I knew the queen hit him. It was the only hand I could beat and he had it."
Erick and Eli have met twice in the history of the NBC Heads-Up Championships (once this year and once last year in the Round of 64) and Erick has won both meetings.
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Hearts Bracket 
Diamonds Bracket 
or after the turn fell 
.
that hit the river didn't improve Laak the way Dwan's tens improved versus Phil Hellmuth last year. Oppenheim doubled up, taking a huge chunk of Laak's stack in the process.
against Seed's 
. It was Seed who connected with the flop, 
. The dealer then spread a 
flop giving Oppenheim a pair of aces, which was all he needed to send Laak to the rail.
. Fischman did not improve from there but had Williams covered and so remains in the match.
; Fischman responded he had made a "loose push" with 
. Fischman's moved worked out with a deuce on the flop and a deuce on the turn.
