2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Each player is guaranteed $30,000 in prize money. Advancing to the next round increases that guarantee to $75,000.

We're through the first blind level. It looks like Doyle Brunson has opened a lead on Chris Moneymaker. It's tough to see much at the back three tables from our vantage.

The cards are in the air for the Clubs/Spades Sweet 16 matches. Doyle Brunson and Chris Moneymaker are at the feature table; Olivier Busquet and Jason Mercier are at the secondary feature table.

For this round, each player starts with 100,000 in chips. Blinds start at 600-1200.

After two rounds of matches, three-quarters of the field has been eliminated. The remaining 16 players are all in the money and guaranteed a payout of $30,000.

The Round of 32 matches didn't provide much drama or many surprises. The lone celebrity to make it out of the first round, Emmitt Smith, wasn't able to advance to the money round. He fell to Andrew Robl. Phil Laak, Tom Dwan, and Bertrand Grospellier all also lost tough matches.

When play resumes at 6:15pm local time (in one hour), the Spades/Clubs survivors will be back for the Sweet 16. The match-ups are:

Spades/Clubs Bracket

Olivier Busquet v. Jason Mercier
Ayaz Mahmood v. Jonathan Duhamel
Doyle Brunson v. Chris Moneymaker
David Oppenheim v. Eugene Katchalov

After those four matches are complete, the Hearts and Diamonds matches are on tap:

Hearts/Diamonds Bracket

Andrew Robl v. James Bord
Michael Mizrachi v. David Benyamine
Phil Galfond v. Vanessa Selbst
Erik Seidel v. Phil Gordon

See you in an hour!

Vanessa Selbst and Peter Eastgate were playing the last of the Round of 32 matches. They paused their play so that they could be switched to the feature table. On the very first hand at the feature table, Selbst was dealt against Eastgate's .

"Are you serious?" Selbst asked when she saw Eastgate's hand. "First hand at the feature table?"

Yes indeed, and it was bad news for Eastgate. He was eliminated after failing to improve on a board. Selbst is on to the Sweet 16.

Tags: Vanessa SelbstPeter Eastgate

Last year's runner up in this event, Erik Seidel, had a tough second-round match against Jennifer Harman. They reached the 1,500-3,000 blind level, where called all in raises occur almost every hand. Harman shoved all in from the button pre-flop with ; Seidel called with . Seidel's aces and treys, , secured the victory. He will return later tonight to face Phil Gordon.

Tags: Erik SeidelJennifer Harman

The sig others rushed back to the middle of the stage as Michael Mizrachi and Phil Laak were all in again. Laak was at risk and behind with . Mizrachi needed his to hold to move on the next round and lock up some cash.

The flop gave Laak some backdoor outs. His fans wanted him to win the hard way, calling for a nine. But alas, the turn left the Unibomber with three outs. The bricked, and the Year of the Mizrachi continues. The pros kept it light in their exit interview, and Lily Mizrachi and Jennifer Tilly hugged each other while their other halves talked to the cameras.

Mizrachi will play David Benyamine in the Sweet Sixteen.

Tags: Jennifer TillyMichael MizrachiPhil Laak

The stacks are back to even on the feature table. Phil Laak and Michael Mizrachi both have roughly 50,000 in chips after two all-in confrontations. Laak won the first with against Mizrachi's . In the second, Mizrachi was at risk with against Laak's .

Mizrachi must have asked the dealer for "one time". We didn't hear it but we did hear Laak's response:

"One time? You've had one time 17,000 times!"

With Jennifer Tilly standing next to Laak and Lily Mizrachi standing next to her husband, the board came to give Mizrachi a flush and reset the match.

Tags: Michael MizrachiPhil Laak

Emmitt Smith may have won Dancing with the Stars, but he won't get a chance to twirl chips in the NBC Heads-Up finals. Smith put his whole stack across the line with and needed help to best Robl's . He got a boost from the flop. Robl picked up extra outs with the on the turn. Yesterday Robl eliminated Kara Scott by binking a straight on the river. Could he do it again? If you're reading this post, you already know the answer. The arrived on the turn to give Robl Broadway for the win. Smith kept smiling through his exit interview and left to a round of applause.

Robl was called in at the last minute to replace David "Viffer" Peat, who was also tapped as a replacement. Peat bowed out, and Robl is making the most of the call to the dugout. He has guaranteed himself $30,000.

Tags: Andrew RoblEmmitt Smith

Battle Internet Update: After leading earlier, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier found himself behind in his match against Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond. The two moved all the chips in pre-flop. ElkY showed , a hand crushed by Galfond's . There was no miracle deuce for ElkY on a board of . He is eliminated short of the money. Galfond will return in a few hours to face the inner of the Selbst-Eastgate match.

Tags: Phil GalfondBertrand Grospellier