Erik Seidel has dominated the tournament circuit during the first half of 2011 and the 8-time WSOP bracelet winner hopes to continue his impressive run during the inaugural $25k Heads-Up World Championship. The veteran player has amassed nearly $6 million in earnings since January, propelling to the top of the 2011 money list and cementing his reputation as one of the most consistent players in poker. Seidel most recently captured the $100,000 Super High Roller event at the Five Star World Poker Classic, winning nearly $1.1 million after besting a field of 29 players. This win followed a 2nd place finish at the WPT Hollywood Poker Open, which netted Seidel $155,103, and his 1st place finish in the $25k NBC National Heads-Up Championship, good for $750,000 in prize money. Seidel captured the attention of the poker world, however, with his successive 4th, 3rd, 1st and 1st place finishes in High Roller tournaments held at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, the Aussie Millions Poker Championship, and the L.A. Poker Classic. By defeating fields containing only the most feared poker players on the planet, Seidel has proven that he may just be the best in the world. If he can follow up his incredible run with another score during the WSOP $25k Heads-Up World Championship, 2011 will forever be remembered as the Year of Seidel.
We're a little bit fashionably late here, but that doesn't seem to be bothering anybody. Tournament Director Jack Effel has just made his way to the mic to make a few quick announcements to the idle field.
Effel has his finger hovering over the "Draw" button right now, and we're just about to find out who's playing who today. We'll be back when the cards go in the air.
The 2011 World Series of Poker wasted no time for their big buy-in action with the $25,000 Heads Up World Championship starting on the first day. Registration is capped at 256 entrants, which most likely will not be met.
Tonight’s action will see two rounds action, beginning at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. respectively. The triple chance format allows for a 25,000 starting stack, with two add-ons of 50,000. Players can opt to start with the whole 75,000.
Last year’s Championship event was a $10,000 buy in, which did max out at 256 runners. Ayaz Mahmood won the event, banking just over $625,000, after outlasting Ernst Schmejkal. The top ten finishers included Jason Somerville, Alexander Kostritsyn, Vanessa Rousso and Gavin Smith.
Players are starting to crowd the rail for their first round matchups. Last year's WSOP Player of the Year Frank Kassela, Erik Seidel, Michael Mizrachi, and Barry Greenstein are all waiting for their matchups. We will update the draws as they come to us.
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