$20,000 Heads-up Championship Day 1 | 2010 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship

03-05-2010 11:05 UTC-12

All Square

[user108095]

With blinds now at 1,000-2,000, the match between Erick Lindgren and Dan Ramirez is back to even. The blinds will not go any higher. Someone has to win at this level.

03-05-2010 10:56 UTC-12

Things are quickly getting out of control in our last match. With blinds of 600 and 1,200, there are only 33 blinds total in play. This will be over very, very quickly.

Erick Lindgren still seems to be in a jovial mood, joking around with MOC Jordan Siegel. The NBC online qualifier Dan Ramirez looks a little stressed.

Tags: Dan Ramirez Erick Lindgren

03-05-2010 10:55 UTC-12

Ramirez Doubles Up

[user108095]

Online qualifier Dan Ramirez put 3,000 of his 14,000 chips into the pot and got raised all in by Erick Lindgren. When Ramirez snap called, Lindgren joked "Whoops, I made a really bad push."

He was right as his {j-Spades}

was well behind Ramirez's {10-Diamonds}

.

EDog had no help on a flop of {3-Diamonds}

and was drawing dead after a black 10 fell on the turn.

Ramirez doubled up while Lindgren was left with just 10,000 chips.

03-05-2010 10:52 UTC-12

Wolpert Finishes Off Basebaldy

[user75032]

There's not much else Eric Baldwin could have done differently to avoid losing his match against Leo Wolpert. He had Wolpert on the ropes with queens against queen-ten but Wolpert slithered away. Then, down to 5,000 chips, Baldwin shoved with {A-Spades}

and Wolpert called with {k-Spades}

. The board was all blanks, with neither player connecting, until the river fell {8-Clubs}

to make a pair of eights for Wolpert to give him the victory.

Just one match remains to close out the Clubs Bracket.

Tags: Eric Baldwin Leo Wolpert

03-05-2010 10:49 UTC-12

Ted Forrest Chopped Down

[user108095]

Ted Forrest's run for the title has ended at the hands of online qualifier Stephen Quinn.

Forrest moved all in preflop for 14,000 holding {A-Diamonds}

and got the call from Quinn who held {4-?}

.

The race was over quickly when the flop fell {4-?}

giving Quinn a commanding lead. A king on the turn gave Forrest a chance for a gut shot straight, but the {A-Clubs}

on the river didn't help his hand.

Quinn will return tomorrow for the round of 32.

03-05-2010 10:46 UTC-12

Wolpert All Smiles

[user75032]

Leo Wolpert got his chips into the middle in about as bad a shape as you can in hold'em. Eric Baldwin limped the button, then called after Wolpert shoved. Baldwin was hoping to close out the match with {Q-Hearts}

against Wolpert's {Q-Clubs}

. Yet it wasn't going to come easy. The door card was the {J-Clubs}

, followed by a {K-Hearts}

and a

, giving Wolpert an up-and-down straight draw. He filled the straight with a turned {9-Hearts}

, leaving Baldwin looking for a ten for chop. No dice. The river paired the board {J-Hearts}

to give Wolpert the lead in the match.

Tags: Eric Baldwin Leo Wolpert

03-05-2010 10:29 UTC-12

Who's Left?

[user75032]

After a flurry of activity ended five matches, we still have three pairs playing. On the near side of the room, Erick Lindgren is in a tough contest with qualifier Dan Ramirez. Ramirez has the chip lead.

On the far side of the room Leo Wolpert, the 2009 WSOP $10,000 heads-up champion, is in what can only be described as a very intense match against Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin. It's difficult to tell from here who has the lead.

Ted Forrest and Stephen Quinn are also battling on the far side of the room. They are about even.

03-05-2010 10:29 UTC-12

Huck Seed Can't Defend

[user108095]

Huck Seed's reign as the National Heads Up Champion has ended.

Seed, who had just 8,200 chips after doubling up Erik Seidel, moved all in preflop with {K-Hearts}

. Seidel made the easy call with {K-Spades}

and had a small sweat after a flop of {4-Clubs}

gave Seed a chance to catch a gut shot and double up.

Neither the {3-Spades}

nor the

provided Seed with the miracle he needed though and he was eliminated from the tourney while Seidel advanced to the round of 32 for the first time ever in his six appearances at the event.

03-05-2010 10:21 UTC-12

Structure

[user108095]

For those of you following along at home, we thought a quick primer on the tournament structure might be helpful.

Each player in the Round of 64 starts with 20,000 chips. Initial blinds are 150 and 300. Blinds increase every 15 minutes. They move to 200-400, 300-600, 400-800, and 500-1,000.

In each successive round the starting chips will double, as will the starting blinds.

03-05-2010 10:19 UTC-12

Seidel Doubles Up

[user108095]

Erik Seidel is on his way to breaking his first round jinx.

Seidel, who is 0-5 in his Heads-Up Championship appearances moved all in against defending champion (and 5-0 in the first round) Huck Seed while holding {J-Spades}

on a jack-high flop. Seed called with {A-Diamonds}

and a flush draw, which didn't connect.

The turn was a blank and the river brought an eight, giving Seidel the winning two pair and control of the match.