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NBC Heads-Up Championship, Day Two |
| by PokerPages LIVE Tournament Coverage - 2006 | |
| Sunday, 05 March 2006 |
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Final Eight Players Return Monday at 11 am by B.J. Nemeth Sunday, March 5, 9:00 pm -- Round 4 Starts Monday at 11:00 am We are down to the final eight players -- the Elite Eight. They are all guaranteed at least $75,000, but they all have their eyes on the top prize of $500,000. Here are the matchups for tomorrow's quarterfinals: Clubs Bracket: 11:00 am Jim McManus v. Chris Ferguson Spades Bracket: 11:00 am Huckleberry Seed v. Barry Greenstein Hearts Bracket: 12:50 pm Daniel Negreanu v. Sean Sheikhan Diamonds Bracket: 12:50 pm Ted Forrest v. Sam Farha Sunday, March 5, 8:54 pm -- Ernie Durack Out; Ted Forrest Advances to Round 4 Ernie Durack moves all in preflop for $52,000 with Ks-Qd. Ted Forrest immediately calls with As-Kc, and he's in a dominating position to win the tournament right here. The flop comes Kd-6s-2d, and Forrest takes a commanding lead in the hand with a pair of kings. Durack needs something runner-runner to survive. The turn card is the Ac, and Forrest clinches the hand with two pair -- Durack is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 7d.) Ernie Durack is eliminated, earning $25,000 for reaching Round 3. Ted Forrest advances to Round 4, guaranteed at least $75,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 8:50 pm -- David Grey Out; Sean Sheikhan Advances to Round 4 With the blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Sean Sheikhan limps, and David Grey checks his option. The flop comes 10d-8c-2d, Grey checks, Sheikhan bets $8,000, and Grey calls. The turn card is the 7s, Grey checks, Sheikhan bets $20,000, Grey moves all in, and Sheikhan calls with pocket aces (Ad-Ah). But Grey shows 8h-7h, and he turned two pair to take the lead. Sheikhan will need an ace, a ten, or a deuce on the river to win the match right here. The river card is -- the Ac! Sheikhan makes a set on the river to win the hand. David Grey earns $25,000 for reaching Round 3, while Sean Sheikhan advances to Round 4, guaranteed at least $75,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 8:46 pm -- Michael Mizrachi Out; Sam Farha Advances to Round 4 With blinds at $4,000-$8,000, Michael Mizrachi moves all in blind, and Sam Farha calls blind with Ac-6c. Mizrachi shows 9s-7d, and he'll need to improve to survive. The flop comes Js-3d-2c, and Farha retains the lead. The turn card is the 10d, and Mizrachi picks up a gut-shot straight draw. The river card is an Ace, and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi is eliminated from the tournament. He'll take home $25,000 for reaching Round 3. Sam Farha advances to Round 4, where he's guaranteed at least $75,000 in chips. Sunday, March 5, 8:43 pm -- Michael Mizrachi Doubles Through Sam Farha With blinds at $4,000-$8,000, Michael Mizrachi is automatically all in from the big blind for $4,800. Farha obviously calls the additional $800, before even looking at his cards. Surprisingly, they both have strong starting hands. But Mizrachi's pocket tens (10s-10h) dominate Farha's pocket sixes (6c-6h). The flop comes Kh-Qs-4d, and Mizrachi retains the lead. The turn card pairs the board with the Qd, and Farha needs a six on the river to win the match here. The last card is the 7s, and Mizrachi doubles up to $9,600 in chips. Farha still has $150,400. It's a long road facing the Grinder. Sunday, March 5, 8:37 pm -- Sam Farha Doubles Through and Cripples Michael Mizrachi With blinds at $4,000-$8,000, Michael Mizrachi moves all in with As-6s, and Sam Farha calls with Ah-Jd. Farha is the preflop favorite, and with the two nearly even in chips, this could be the key pot of their match. (Mizrachi has a slight chip lead.) The flop comes Jh-8d-2d, and Farha hits a pair of jacks to take a commanding lead in the hand. Mizrachi needs running sixes to win the hand. The turn card is the 4h, and Mizrachi is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 7c.) Farha takes a commanding lead with $155,200 in chips, and Mizrachi is crippled down to just $4,800. Sunday, March 5, 8:33 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Ted Forrest With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Ernie Durack raises to $26,000, and Ted Forrest calls. Durack is nearly all in, but not quite. The flop comes 8x-8d-2d, Forrest checks, Durack moves all in for his last $2,400, and Forrest obviously calls with A-K (ace high). Durack shows K-2 for a pair of deuces, and he's looking to double up here. The turn card is the 5c, and Forrest needs an ace, a king, or a five to win the match right here. But the river card is the Jd, and Ernie Durack doubles up to stay alive with about $50,000 in chips. Forrest still leads their match with about $110,000. Sunday, March 5, 8:30 pm -- Michael Mizrachi Doubles Through Sam Farha Michael Mizrachi moves all in preflop from the button, and Sam Farha looks at one card and shows it -- the Ac. He doesn't look at his second card until the camera crews move into position. But then he calls, and Mizrachi shows his cards -- Ah-9h. Farha squeezes his cards, and finds out that he has Ac-6d. Mizrachi has the preflop lead, and he's looking to double up here. The flop comes Kh-Jh-8d, and Mizrachi picks up a flush draw, and he still leads with his nine kicker. The turn card pairs the board with the Jd, and Farha can win with a six or chop with a high card. But the last card is the 3s, and Mizrachi's nine kicker plays, doubling him up in chips. Sunday, March 5, 8:25 pm -- Ted Forrest and Ernie Durack Chop After a flop of Qs-5s-5x, Ted Forrest and Ernie Durack both check. The turn card is the Ks, Forrest bets $6,000, Durack moves all in for about $30,000, and Forrest calls. Durack shows 5c-4s (trip fives, flush draw), and he's freerolling against Forrest's Jh-5d (trip fives). Neither kicker plays because of the two higher cards on the board. Durack needs a spade on the river to double himself back to even. The last card is the Ah, and it's a chopped pot. Ted Forrest retains his chip lead. Sunday, March 5, 8:22 pm -- Mizrachi Chops With Farha Michael Mizrachi moves all in preflop with Ah-7s, and Sam Farha calls with Ad-5c. Mizrachi has the shorter stack and is facing elimination here, but he has Farha outkicked as they head to the flop. The flop comes Qh-10d-9d, and Farha cheers, asking for one more high card, which would force a chop. The turn card is the Kh, and right now the players are tied. Mizrachi can win with a seven, and Farha can win with a five -- anything else is a chop. The river card is the Qs, and it's a chopped pot. Sam Farha retains his chip lead. Sunday, March 5, 8:15 pm -- T.J. Cloutier Out; Daniel Negreanu Advances to Round 4 With blinds at $3,000-$6,000, Daniel Negreanu limps, T.J. Cloutier raises, and Negreanu calls. The flop comes 10c-7s-3d, and both players check. The turn card is the 8s, Cloutier bets $20,000, and Negreanu calls. The river card is the 3c, Cloutier moves all in, and Negreanu instantly calls and excitedly waves the announcer over. Negreanu clearly has a big hand here. Once the announcer and the TV cameras are in place, it's time to show the hands. Cloutier shows 10h-7c (two pair), but Negreanu has J-9 for a jack-high straight on the turn. T.J. Cloutier is eliminated, earning $25,000 for reaching Round 3. Daniel Negreanu advances to Round 4, where he's guaranteed at least $75,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 8:13 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Ted Forrest Ted Forrest moves all in preflop with Ks-9h, and Ernie Durack calls for his last $18,000 or so with Kh-Jh. Durack is in excellent position to double up here. The flop comes 10s-8c-6d, and Forrest picks up a gut-shot straight draw. The turn card is the 5h, and Forrest needs a nine or a seven on the river to bust Durack and win this match. The last card is the Qc, and Ernie Durack doubles up to about $36,000 in chips. Sunday, March 5, 8:09 pm -- Sam Farha Doubles Through Michael Mizrachi With blinds at $3,000-$6,000, Michael Mizrachi moves all in preflop with Kd-6s, and Sam Farha thinks for several minutes before calling with Ad-9h. Mizrachi will need to improve to bust Farha and win the match on this hand. The flop comes Qc-7c-3d, and Farha retains the lead with ace high. The turn card is the 5s, and Mizrachi picks up a gut-shot straight draw to go with his two live cards. The river card is the Jc, and Farha wins the hand with ace high to double himself into the chip lead. Sunday, March 5, 8:04 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Ted Forrest Ernie Durack is very short-stacked and all in preflop with 10s-7h against Ted Forrest's 4h-2d. The flop comes Jd-10c-6h, and Durack hits a pair of tens to take a commanding lead in this hand. The turn card is the Kd, and Forrest is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 2h.) Ernie Durack doubles up, but Ted Forrest still has a commanding lead. Sunday, March 5, 8:01 pm -- Cloutier Doubles Through Negreanu With blinds at $3,000-$6,000, Daniel Negreanu limps, T.J. Cloutier raises, Negreanu moves all in, and Cloutier calls. Daniel Negreanu shows Ks-Qh, but Cloutier shows pocket aces (Ad-As). The pocket rockets are showing up a lot lately, and Negreanu will need to crack them to win the match right here. The flop comes Ac-Jd-9h, and Cloutier makes a set as Negreanu picks up a gut-shot straight draw. All in all, not a bad flop for Negreanu -- at least he has outs (he needs a ten). The turn card pairs the board with the 9s, and Cloutier makes a full house to clinch the hand. (The meaningless river card is the Jh.) After the hand, Cloutier has about $110,000 to Negreanu's $50,000. Sunday, March 5, 7:56 pm -- Ted Forrest Doubles Through Ernie Durack With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Ted Forrest limps, and Ernie Durack checks his option. The flop comes 9d-6c-5d, Durack bets $4,000, and Forrest calls. The turn card is the Ad, Durack bets $10,000, Forrest moves all in, and Durack calls. Durack shows Ac-6d (two pair), but he'll need to improve to beat Forrest, who shows Kd-2d -- the nut flush. Durack needs an ace or a six on the river for a full house. The river card is the 5s, and Ted Forrest doubles up through Ernie Durack. Forrest should have a huge chip lead at this point. In other action, Michael Mizrachi has a lead of $110,000 to Sam Farha's $50,000. Sunday, March 5, 7:53 pm -- David Grey v. Sean Sheikhan The final Round 3 match has begun, pitting David Grey against Sean Sheikhan. They are starting with $80,000 in chips, and blinds at $400-$800. In other action, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi has about $90,000 in chips to Sam Farha's $70,000. Sunday, March 5, 7:51 pm -- T.J. Cloutier Doubles Through Daniel Negreanu After a flop of As-10s-7h, Daniel Negreanu check-raises all in, and T.J. Cloutier calls with 9-7 (pair of sevens). Negreanu says, "Oh no, you have a nine! I thought I was the favorite, but now I'm not." Negreanu shows 9s-6s for a flush draw and a gut-shot straight draw. The turn card is the 5d, and Negreanu needs an eight or a spade to bust Cloutier and win the match. But the river card is the Ac, and T.J. Cloutier doubles through Daniel Negreanu. Again, we don't have chip counts to share, and we can't see the stacks from the audience. Sunday, March 5, 7:49 pm -- Sam Farha Doubles Through Michael Mizrachi With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Sam Farha raises to $12,000, Michael Mizrachi moves all in, and Farha calls with pocket threes (3c-3s). Mizrachi shows Ks-Qc, and it's a race situation. The flop comes Jh-5s-4s, and Farha retains the lead with his pocket pair. The turn card is the 2c, and Mizrachi needs a king or a queen on the river to bust Farha and win the match here. The river card is the 4h, and Sam Farha doubles up in chips. As has been the trend, no new chip counts are announced. Sunday, March 5, 7:45 pm -- Ted Forrest Doubles Through Ernie Durack After a flop of Jd-10c-3d, Ted Forrest moves all in with Ad-7d (flush draw with an overcard), and Ernie Durack calls with Kd-Js (pair of jacks). Forrest is the shorter stack, and he'll need to improve to survive. The turn card is the Qd, and Forrest hits his flush to clinch the hand. (The meaningless river card is a 2.) Forrest doubles up to about $74,000 in chips to Durack's $86,000. It's nearly back to even in their match. Sunday, March 5, 7:36 pm -- Ted Forrest's Miracle Chop to Survive With blinds at $1,000-$2,000, Ted Forrest raises to $6,000, Ernie Durack moves all in, and Forrest calls with Ah-10s. Durack flips over pocket aces (Ac-As), and he's a huge favorite to win this match right here. The flop comes Qh-4s-3h, and Forrest needs a runner-runner straight or flush to stay alive. The turn card is the 2d, giving both players a gut-shot straight draw -- Forrest needs a five on the river to chop the pot with identical straights, or he's out of the tournament. The river card is -- the 5c! The crowd cheers as professional player Ted Forrest semi-cracks pocket aces to a chop with his A-10 offsuit! Cinderella story Ernie Durack got pocket aces twice in less than ten minutes. But it'll apparently take more than to beat Ted Forrest. Sunday, March 5, 7:33 pm -- David Chesnoff Out; Jim McManus Advances to Round 4 David Chesnoff is all in preflop with Ad-6c, but Jim McManus has the preflop lead pocket nines (9d-9s). Chesnoff will need to improve to stay alive. The flop comes 7s-6d-3s, and Chesnoff hits a pair of sixes to give himself some extra outs, taking the lead with an ace or a six. The turn card is the 3h, and Chesnoff is down to five outs to survive. The river card is the Jd, and Jim McManus wins the hand with his pocket nines. David Chesnoff is eliminated earning $25,000 for making it to Round 3. Jim McManus advances to Round 4, guaranted to win at least $75,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 7:29 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Ted Forrest After a flop of Kx-Qc-10c with two clubs, Ernie Durack bets $5,000, Ted Forrest raises to $15,000, and Durack quickly moves all in. Forrest asks for a count of Durack's chips, and it's $36,000 more for Forrest to call here. Forrest thinks for a few minutes before calling with Kc-5c, and Durack shows pocket aces (but he doesn't have the ace of spades). Forrest has top pair with a flush draw, while Durack has an overpair and a gut-shot straight draw. The turn card is the 7h, and Forrest needs a king, a five, or any club to bust Durack and win the match right here. The river card is the 9d, and Ernie Durack's pocket aces hold up, giving him the chip lead with $120,000 in chips. Forrest is knocked down to about $40,000. Sunday, March 5, 7:24 pm -- Ted Forrest v. Ernie Durack Ted Forrest has about $105,000 to Ernie Durack's $55,000. Sunday, March 5, 7:12 pm -- Jim McManus Evens Back with David Chesnoff Jim McManus has gained some ground back against David Chesnoff, and they are now nearly even in chips. Sunday, March 5, 7:05 pm -- David Chesnoff Doubles Through Jim McManus With the blinds at $3,000-$6,000, Jim McManus moves all in preflop with Ac-8s, and David Chesnoff calls with Kd-10s. Chesnoff will need to improve to survive. The flop comes Jc-Jd-3h, and McManus retains the lead with ace high. The turn card is the 10c, pairing Chesnoff to give him the lead. Now McManus needs an ace on the river to bust Chesnoff. The last card is the 8d, which gives McManus a smaller pair. David Chesnoff doubles up to about $110,000, and Jim McManus is knocked down to about $50,000. The rest of their match will be played at the maximum blind level of $4,000-$8,000. The blinds won't increase any higher than that. Sunday, March 5, 6:47 pm -- Blinds at $400-$800; Shuffle Up & Deal! The three new matches will be starting with blinds at $400-$800, and the players each have $80,000 in chips. David Chesnoff and Jim McManus are at blinds of $3,000-$6,000. Jim McManus has the lead in their match with about $110,000 in chips to Chesnoff's $50,000. It's time to shuffle up and deal!
Sunday, March 5, 6:42 pm -- Player Introductions for New Matches The three empty tables have been filled with three new matches from the Hearts and Diamonds brackets. Here are the four matches that will commence after the break: Clubs Bracket David Chesnoff v. Jim McManus Hearts Bracket T.J. Cloutier v. Daniel Negreanu (Featured Table) Diamonds Bracket Ted Forrest v. Ernie Durack Sam Farha v. Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi
Sunday, March 5, 6:19 pm -- Break Until 6:30 pm With one match remaining (Jim McManus v. David Chesnoff), there is a break called until 6:30 pm. If this break will be used to set up new matches at the empty tables, expect it to extend well past that. Sunday, March 5, 6:18 pm -- Scott Fischman Out; Huckleberry Seed Advances to Round 4 With blinds at $3,000-$6,000, Scott Fischman moves all in, and Huckleberry Seed calls with pocket threes (3c-3d). Fischman shows Kh-6h, and he's probably surprised to be in a race situation. The flop comes 5d-4d-2d, and Seed flops an open-ended straight flush draw, and still leads with his pair of threes. Fischman picks up a gut-shot straight draw to go with his two overcards, but there are only two threes left in the deck. Fischman has six outs. The turn card is the 9h, and Fischman has one last chance to survive. The river card is the Qd, and Seed makes an unnecessary flush to win the hand. Scott Fischman is eiminated in Round 3, earning $25,000. Huckleberry Seed advances to Round 4, where he's guaranteed at least $75,000 in prize money.
Sunday, March 5, 6:05 pm -- Jim McManus v. David Chesnoff Jim McManus has a 2-to-1 chip lead, with about $110,000 to David Chesnoff's $50,000. Sunday, March 5, 5:59 pm -- Blinds Increasing to $2,000-$4,000 It's time for the blinds to increase again around the room. Huckleberry Seed has increased his chip lead to $100,000 over Fischman's $60,000. Announcer Ali Nejad also says that Jim McManus has a "sizable" chip lead over David Chesnoff. Sunday, March 5, 5:57 pm -- Josh Arieh Out; Chris "Jesus" Ferguson Advances to Round 4 At the featured table, Chris Ferguson moves all in, and Josh Arieh calls with a short stack. Arieh shows Kh-9c, and he's a preflop favorite over Ferguson's Jd-10h. The flop comes Ah-8h-4s, and Arieh is still in the lead with king high. The turn card is the Qs, and that gives Ferguson a double-gutshot straight draw to go with his two live cards. The last card is the 9s, and the turn card turned Arieh's river pair against him -- Ferguson made his straight. Josh Arieh is eliminated as Chris "Jesus" Ferguson advances to Round 4, guaranteed to win at least $75,000 in prize money. Josh Arieh will take home $25,000 in prize money.
Sunday, March 5, 5:51 pm -- Scott Fischman v. Huckleberry Seed Huckleberry Seed has the lead over Scott Fischman, with $90,000 in chips to Fischman's $70,000. Sunday, March 5, 5:49 pm -- Amir Vahedi Out; Barry Greenstein Advances to Round 4 With blinds still at $800-$1,600, Barry Greenstein raises to $4,800, Amir Vahedi moves all in, and Greenstein calls with pocket queens (Qh-Qs). Vahedi shows pocket sevens (7c-7h), and he'll need to improve to stay alive. The flop comes As-10c-6s, and Greenstein retains the lead. Vahedi is looking for a seven, but he can also catch a runner-runner straight. The turn card is the Kh, and Vahedi needs a seven on the river to survive. The last card is the Jh, and Amir Vahedi is eliminated as Barry Greenstein is the first player to advance to Round 4. Greenstein is guaranteed at least $75,000 in prize money.
Sunday, March 5, 5:44 pm -- Blinds Increasing to $1,000-$2,000 The blinds are increasing again for most of the tables. Barry Greenstein and Amir Vahedi are a little behind schedule, because the clock is stopped when the players are all in and waiting for the TV cameras to move into place. Sunday, March 5, 5:34 pm -- Huckleberry Seed v. Scott Fischman Huckleberry Seed and Scott Fischman are nearly even in chips, with about $83,500 for Seed and $76,500 for Fischman. Sunday, March 5, 5:31 pm -- Chris Ferguson Dominates at the Featured Table The blinds have increased to $800-$1,600 (each level is just 15 minutes), and Chris Ferguson has a huge lead at the featured table, with a 3-to-1 chip lead over Josh Arieh. Ferguson has about $120,000 to Arieh's $40,000. Sunday, March 5, 5:28 pm -- Amir Vahedi Survives With a Chop Amir Vahedi limps from the small blind, Barry Greenstein raises from the big blind, Vahedi reraises, Greenstein moves all in, and Vahedi calls. Amir Vahedi shows Ad-Jc, but he's dominated by Barry Greenstein's Ac-Qc. Vahedi has the short stack, and he'll need to improve to stay alive here. The flop comes K-K-3, and Greenstein retains the lead even though that flop opens the door for some chop possibilities. The turn card is the 6s, and Vahedi needs a six or a three on the river to chop, or a jack to win and double up. The last card is -- a 3! That double-pairs the board, and the two players chop the pot with their ace kickers. Vahedi dodged a big bullet to stay alive. Sunday, March 5, 5:19 pm -- Chris Ferguson Wins a Big Pot Against Josh Arieh Chris Ferguson raises preflop to $2,400, and Josh Arieh calls. The flop comes 9-8-8, Arieh bets $4,300, and Ferguson calls. The turn card is the Js, Arieh bets $9,000, and Ferguson calls. The river card is the 3h, Arieh bets $16,000, and Ferguson thinks for about two minutes before calling with pocket kings. Josh Arieh shows 10-x (ten high), and he missed his straight draw on the river. Ferguson picks up the pot worth over $60,000 to take a substantial lead in their match. Sunday, March 5, 5:12 pm -- Blinds at $400-$800; Shuffle Up & Deal! The players in Round 3 start with $80,000 in chips, and the blinds begin at $400-$800. The stage area has been shrunk down to just four tables, providing NBC more thorough coverage of the action as the stakes increase. Here are the matches right now: Clubs Bracket David Chesnoff v. Jim McManus Josh Arieh v. Chris "Jesus" Ferguson Spades Bracket Huckleberry Seed v. Scott Fischman Amir Vahedi v. Barry Greenstein Sunday, March 5, 5:07 pm -- Player Introductions Begin Announcer Ali Nejad has begun introducing the players. Play should begin in about 5-10 minutes. Sunday, March 5, 4:50 pm -- Production Delays Just like yesterday, the breaks are running long, and play has yet to resume. But all of the players are seated, with the exception of Chris Ferguson, who will be playing at the featured table. Ferguson is waiting in the wings, almost as if he will be announced to great fanfare. Play probably won't begin any earlier than 5:10 pm PST. Sunday, March 5, 3:19 pm -- Break Until 4:30 pm With the last match of Round 2 finally complete, everyone will take a break until 4:30 pm, when we kick off the Round 3 action with the Clubs and Spades brackets. Clubs Bracket: 4:30 pm PST David Chesnoff v. Jim McManus Josh Arieh v. Chris "Jesus" Ferguson Spades Bracket: 4:30 pm PST Huckleberry Seed v. Scott Fischman Amir Vahedi v. Barry Greenstein Hearts Bracket: TBA T.J. Cloutier v. Daniel Negreanu David Grey v. Sean Sheikhan Diamonds Bracket: TBA Ted Forrest v. Ernie Durack Sam Farha v. Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi Sunday, March 5, 3:17 pm -- Paul Phillips Out; Ernie Durack Advances to Round 3 With the blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Paul Phillips moves all in with Qh-10d, and Ernie Durack quickly calls with pocket tens (10-10). Phillips is the short stack here, and he'll need to improve to stay alive. The flop comes K-9-5, and Phillips picks up a gut-shot straight draw and a few more outs. He's looking for a queen or a jack. The turn card pairs the board with the 5c, and Phillips has seven outs to survive. The river card is the Ac, and Paul Phillips is eliminated as satellite-winner Ernie Durack pulls off another upset to advance to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 3:09 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Paul Phillips Paul Phillips moves all in preflop with Jc-6d, and Ernie Durack calls with Kd-5d. Phillips has the chip lead, and he'll need to improve to bust Durack here and win the match. The flop comes A-9-8, and Durack retains the lead with king high. The turn card is the Kc, giving Durack a pair of kings and leaving Phillips drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the Ah.) Ernie Durack doubles up in chips, but it's unclear who has the chip lead at this point. Sunday, March 5, 3:06 pm -- Barry Shulman Out; Sam Farha Advances to Round 3 Barry Shulman and Sam Farha both limp to see a flop of K-10-6 rainbow, and both players check again. The turn card is the Qh, Shulman checks, Farha bets, Shulman moves all in, and Farha immediately calls with Q-10 (two pair). Shulman shows 6-5 for a pair of sixes, and he'll need to catch a six on the river (for trips) to survive. The last card is the 3s, and Barry Shulman is eliminated as Sam Farha advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 3:03 pm -- Sam Farha Catches Shulman Bluffing With the board showing 9-7-4-7-6 on the river, Sam Farha checks, Barry Shulman bets $8,000, and Farha calls. Shulman shows A-x for ace high, and Farha shows Q-4 (pair of fours) to win the pot. In the other match, Paul Phillips has taken the chip lead with $45,000 in chips to Ernie Durack's $35,000. Sunday, March 5, 2:59 pm -- Paul Phillips Doubles Through Ernie Durack With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, Ernie Durack limps, Paul Phillips moves all in, and Durack calls with Jd-8c. Phillips shows As-5h, and he'll need to win this hand to survive. The flop comes K-7-2, and Phillips retains the lead with ace high. The turn card pairs the board with the 2h, and Durack needs a jack or an eight to bust Phillips and win the match here. The river card is the 6s, and Paul Phillips doubles up in chips. Sunday, March 5, 2:54 pm -- The Last Two Matches Barry Shulman and Sam Farha have reached the maximum blind level of $2,000-$4,000. They are one of the last two matches in progress, alongside Paul Phillips and Ernie Durack. Durack is the Canadian high-limit blackjack player who won his seat through an invitation-only satellite held here at Caesars Palace. Durack upset former WSOP Champion Scotty Nguyen for the biggest upset of Round 1. Sunday, March 5, 2:50 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Paul Phillips Paul Phillips moves all in preflop, and short-stacked Ernie Durack calls with Ad-5d. Phillips shows Jc-6c, and he'll need to improve to bust Durack here. The flop comes 7d-2d-2c, and Durack picks up a flush draw to kill some of Phillips' outs. The turn card is an offsuit ace, and Durack clinches the hand with a pair of aces. (The meaningless river card is the Ks.) Ernie Durack doubles up in chips to take a big chip lead over Paul Phillips. Sunday, March 5, 2:47 pm -- Phil Laak Out; T.J. Cloutier Advances to Round 3 With the blinds at $1,500-$3,000, T.J. Cloutier min-raises to $6,000, Phil Laak moves all in, and T.J. Cloutier calls with pocket queens (Qc-Qs). Laak shows pocket sevens (7c-7h), and he's dominated here. The flop comes J-8-5, and Laak needs a seven or a runner-runner straight to stay alive. The turn card is the Ah, and Laak faces a two-outer on the river. The last card is the 3d, and Phil "Unabomber" Laak is eliminated as T.J. Cloutier advances to Round 3, guaranteed to win at least $25,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 2:43 pm -- Doyle Brunson Out; Sean Sheikhan Advances to Round 3 Doyle Brunson is all in preflop with 10-4 offsuit against Sean Sheikhan 9c-6c. Brunson is severely short-stacked, and he needs to win this hand to survive. The flop comes Kc-9h-2s, and Sheikhan hits a pair of nines to take the lead. The turn card pairs the board with the 2d, and Brunson needs a ten on the river to stay alive. The last card is the 7d, and Doyle Brunson is eliminated as Sean Sheikhan advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 2:39 pm -- Carlos Mortensen Out; David Grey Advances to Round 3 With blinds at $600-$1,200, David Grey limps, and Carlos Mortensen checks. The flop comes 5-3-2 with two spades, Mortensen bets, Grey raises, and Mortensen calls. The turn card is the 9h, Mortensen checks, Grey moves all in, and Mortensen calls with K-5 (pair of fives). Grey shows 5-2 for two pair, and Mortensen needs to improve to survive. The river card is the 10d, and Carlos Mortensen is eliminated as David Grey advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 2:35 pm -- Sean Sheikhan Doubles Through Doyle Brunson With nearly even chip counts, and blinds at $1,000-$2,000, Sean Sheikhan raises to $8,000, Doyle Brunson moves all in, and Sheikhan calls. Sheikhan shows Ac-Qs, and Brunson shows As-Jd. The crowd moans as Brunson is dominated here. A few people in the crowd shout, "Jack! Jack!" as they wait for the flop. The flop comes Qc-8s-7h, and Sheikhan takes a commanding lead with a pair of queens. Brunson will need to catch something runner-runner to survive. The turn card is the 10s, giving Brunson a double-gutshot straight draw and a chance to survive. Brunson needs a nine or a king on the river. But the last card pairs the board with the 8c, and Sheikhan doubles up to $72,800 in chips. Brunson is crippled down to just $7,200. Sunday, March 5, 2:28 pm -- Doyle Brunson Doublees Through Sean Sheikhan With blinds at $1,000-$2,000, Doyle Brunson moves all in preflop, and Sean Sheikhan calls with pocket fives (5h-5s). Brunson shows 10s-7c, and it's an unlikely race situation. The flop comes J-J-10, and Brunson hits a pair of tens to take the lead, and their is applause as Brunson is clearly the crowd favorite. The turn card is the Jh, giving both players a full house. Another five is no longer good for Sheikhan, as it won't improve his full house. Sheikhan needs a jack or a ten on the river to chop the pot. The last card is the As, and Doyle Brunson doubles up to bring their match back to even. Sunday, March 5, 2:23 pm -- A Few Chip Updates David Grey has about $48,000 to Carlos Mortensen's $32,000, and Barry Shulman has about $60,000 to Sam Farha's $20,000. Sunday, March 5, 2:19 pm -- Sean Sheikhan Doubles Through Doyle Brunson With blinds at $600-$1,200, Sean Sheikhan raises to $4,000, and Doyle Brunson calls. The flop comes Qh-4c-7d, Sheikhan bets, Brunson moves all in, and Sheikhan calls with Ac-Qd (pair of queens, ace kicker). Brunson shows Qc-10s (pair of queens, ten kicker), and he'll need to improve to bust Sheikhan here. The turn card is the Kh, and Brunson needs a ten on the river to win the match. But the last card is the 6d, and Sean Sheikhan doubles through Doyle Brunson to take the chip lead in their match with $59,000 to Brunson's $21,000. Sunday, March 5, 2:15 pm -- Greg Raymer Out; Daniel Negreanu Advances to Round 3 With blinds at $600-$1,200 at the Featured Table, Greg Raymer raises to $3,600, and Daniel Negreanu calls. The flop comes Kd-Jc-2d, and both players check. The turn card is the 8h, Negreanu checks, Raymer bets $5,000, and Negreanu calls. The river card pairs the board with the 2c, Negreanu checks, Raymer moves all in, and Negreanu calls. The tension builds as they wait for the announcer before they reveal their cards. When Raymer shows 10h-5h (ten high on a pure bluff), Negreanu says, "Yes!" and pumps his arms as he shows Jh-7h (pair of jacks). Greg Raymer is eliminated as Daniel Negreanu advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 2:11 pm -- Ernie Durack Doubles Through Paul Phillips With the blinds at $600-$1,200, Ernie Durack limps, and Paul Phillips checks his option. The flop comes Js-8c-6d, Phillips bets, Durack raises, Phillips reraises, Durack moves all in, and Phillips calls. Durack shows pocket queens (Qd-Qh), but he's behind Phillips' Jh-6h (two pair). The turn card is the Ad, and Durack needs an ace, a queen, or a jack to stay alive. The river card is -- the 8h! Durack makes a higher two pair to double up in chips. Sunday, March 5, 2:04 pm -- Chad Brown Out; Ted Forrest Advances to Round 3 With blinds at $400-$800, Ted Forrest raises to $1,600, Chad Brown reraises to $5,600, Forrest re-reraises to $11,600, Brown moves all in, and Forrest calls. Brown shows Qh-Js, but he's a big underdog to Forrest's pocket aces (Ac-As). The flop comes J-9-4, and Brown flops a pair to give himself some hope. The turn card is the 5c, and Brown needs a queen or a jack on the river (5 outs) to stay alive. But the river card is the 10d, and Chad Brown is eliminated as Ted Forrest advances to Round 3, guaranteed to win at least $25,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 1:59 pm -- A Few Chip Counts Sam Farha has $55,000 in chips, giving him a 2-to-1 lead over Barry Shulman's $25,000. And Doyle Brunson has $47,000 in chips to Sean Sheikhan's $47,000. Sunday, March 5, 1:57 pm -- Howard Lederer Out; Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi Advances Michael Mizrachi raises to $2,000 preflop, Howard Lederer reraises to $6,500, and Mizrachi calls. The flop comes Kd-6d-4c, and Lederer moves all in. Mizrachi thinks for a few minutes before calling with K-J (pair of kings). Lederer shows Ad-5d for a flush draw with one overcard. Lederer will need to improve to stay alive. The turn card is the 2c, and Lederer picks up a gut-shot straight draw for a few additional outs. He needs an ace, a three, or a diamond to survive. The river card is the 8h, and Mizrachi's pair of kings hold up to win the hand and eliminate Howard Lederer from the tournament. Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi advances to Round 3, where he's guaranteed at least $25,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 1:50 pm -- Michael Mizrachi v. Howard Lederer Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi has about $45,000 in chips over Howard Lederer's $35,000. Sunday, March 5, 1:48 pm -- David Grey v. Carlos Mortensen With the completion of Dan Harrington's match against David Chesnoff, that opened up a table for the last match of Round 2 -- Carlos Mortensen v. David Grey. Sunday, March 5, 1:47 pm -- Daniel Negreanu Bounces Back Daniel Negreanu just made trip queens against Greg Raymer to win a big pot to even up the score a bit. Sunday, March 5, 1:46 pm -- Doyle Brunson v. Sean Sheikhan Doyle Brunson has taken a $48,000 to $32,000 chip lead over Sean Sheikhan. Sunday, March 5, 1:40 pm -- Raymer Takes a Big Lead Over Negreanu On the first hand of their match, Greg Raymer rivered a king-high flush at the same time that Negreanu rivered a five-high flush. That hand was expensive, and Raymer now leads with $57,000 in chips to Negreanu's $23,000. Sunday, March 5, 1:38 pm -- Dan Harrington Out; David Chesnoff Advances to Round 3 With blinds at $2,000-$4,000, David Chesnoff raises to $10,000, Dan Harrington moves all in, and Chesnoff calls with K-J. Harrington shows pocket eights, and it's a race situation. The flop comes K-7-3, and Chesnoff pairs his king to take the lead in the hand. Harrington needs an eight for a set to stay alive. The turn card is the 2s, and Harrington has two outs to survive. But the river card is the 6c, and Dan Harrington is eliminated as David Chesnoff advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 1:33 pm -- Shuffle Up & Deal! The cards are back in the air, with most of these matches starting at blinds of $200-$400. But Dan Harrington and David Chesnoff have maxed out their blinds at $2,000-$4,000. Shuffle up and deal! Sunday, March 5, 1:30 pm -- New Matches Starting Up Here is a rundown of all the matches that will be in action after the break. Clubs Bracket Dan Harrington v. David Chesnoff Hearts Bracket Phil Laak v. T.J. Cloutier Greg Raymer v. Daniel Negreanu (Featured Table) Doyle Brunson v. Sean Sheikhan Diamonds Bracket Ted Forrest v. Chad Brown Paul Phillips v. Ernie Durack Barry Shulman v. Sam Farha Howard Lederer v. Michael Mizrachi Sunday, March 5, 1:05 pm -- 15-Minute Break The TV crew needs some time to change tapes in the cameras, so there is a 15-minute break until 1:20 pm. If today is anything like yesterday, the breaks will last longer than that. During the break, all of the empty tables will be filled by players from the Hearts and Diamonds brackets. Also during the break, Barry Greenstein stopped by to correct me on my poor analysis of his hand against Tuan Le. In my haste to get the action down, I wrote that neither hand was particularly powerful before really comparing them to the board. But I've since corrected the entry with input from Mr. Greenstein. Sunday, March 5, 12:59 pm -- Paul Phillips v. Ernice Durack; Shuffle Up & Deal! Paul Phillips and Ernie Durack have just started their Round 2 match from the Diamonds bracket. Sunday, March 5, 12:57 pm -- Chip Reese Out; Chris "Jesus" Ferguson Advances to Round 3 Chip Reese moves all in preflop with As-8s, and Chris Ferguson calls with pocket nines (9d-9s). Ferguson is the favorite here, and Reese will need to improve to survive. The flop comes Qh-7c-5c, and Ferguson retains the lead. The turn card is the Jc, Reese needs an ace on the river to stay alive. The last card is the Js, and Chip Reese is eliminated as Chris "Jesus" Ferguson advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 12:54 pm -- Erick Lindgren Out; Huckleberry Seed Advances to Round 3 With blinds at $1,500-$3,000, Erick Lindgren moves all in for $17,000, and Huckleberry Seed calls with Ks-10d. Lindgren shows Jd-2d, and he's behind as he faces elimination. The flop comes Ah-Kd-6d, giving Seed top pair, but leaving Lindgren with a diamond flush draw. The turn card is the 9c, and Lindgren needs a diamond on the river to stay alive. The last card is the 8c, and Erick Lindgren is eliminated as Huckleberry Seed advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 12:45 pm -- Chip Update on Harrington v. Chesnoff The blinds have increased to $1,500-$3,000. David Chesnoff and Dan Harrington are still nearly even, with $43,000 for Chesnoff and $37,000 for Harrington. Sunday, March 5, 12:44 pm -- Erick Lindgren Doubles Through Huckleberry Seed Erick Lindgren raises to $3,000 preflop, Huckleberry Seed reraises all in, and Lindgren calls with Js-9h. Seed shows Kh-Jd, and he dominates Lindgren here. The flop comes 9s-6c-4h, and Lindgren picks up a pair of nines to take the lead. The turn card is the 3d, and Seed needs to catch a king on the river to bust Lindgren here and win the match. But the last card is the 5c, and Erick Lindgren doubles up to about $24,000. That leaves Seed with about $56,000, and over a 2-to-1 chip lead over Lindgren. Sunday, March 5, 12:38 pm -- A Quick Update on Seed v. Lindgren The blinds have increased to $1,000-$2,000, and Huckleberry Seed has increased his lead against Erick Lindgren to over 3-to-1 -- $62,000 in chips to Lindgren's $18,000. Sunday, March 5, 12:36 pm -- Dee Luong Out; Scott Fischman Advances to Round 3 Dee Luong raises to $3,000 preflop, Scott Fischman reraises to $10,000, Luong moves all in, and Fischman calls with pocket sevens (7d-7h). Luong shows As-10s, and it's a race situation. The flop comes Ac-Jh-5h, and Luong makes a pair of aces to take the lead. The turn card is the 6d, and Fischman needs a seven to bust Luong here. The river card is -- the 7s! Scott Fischman hits a set on the river to eliminate Dee Luong. Fischman advances to Round 3, and he's guaranteed at least $25,000 in prize money.
Sunday, March 5, 12:34 pm -- Mike Sexton Out; Jim McManus Advances to Round 3 After a flop of Kh-Jd-9s, Jim McManus checks, Mike Sexton bets $1,200, and McManus calls. The turn card is the 6c, McManus checks, Sexton bets $3,400, McManus raises to $7,000, Sexton moves all in, and McManus calls. McManus shows Qd-10c for the nut straight, but Sexton says, "I'm not drawing dead." Sexton shows Js-6s for two pair, but he'll need to catch another jack or six for a full house to survive. The river card is the Kc, and Mike Sexton is eliminated as Jim McManus advances to Round 3. Sunday, March 5, 12:29 pm -- A Few Updated Chip Counts Scott Fischman has evened up his match with Dee Luong, while Jim McManus still holds a strong lead over Mike Sexton. At the featured table, Chip Reese has $55,000 in chips over Chris Ferguson's $25,000. Sunday, March 5, 12:27 pm -- Mike Caro Out; Amir Vahedi Advances to Round 3 After a flop of 7c-2c-2h, Mike Caro moves all in, and Amir Vahedi calls with Kh-7h (pair of sevens). Caro shows Kc-8c (flush draw), and he'll need to improve to survive. Caro needs an eight or any club. The turn card is the 2s, giving Vahedi a full house, and killing Caro's flush draw. Now Caro can catch an eight to win, or a king or a deuce to survive with a chop. The river card is the 5h, and Mike Caro is eliminated as Amir Vahedi advances to Round 3, guaranteed to win at least $25,000 in prize money. Sunday, March 5, 12:22 pm -- A Few Updated Chip Counts Amir Vahedi has a sizable lead over Mike Caro, with about $58,000 in chips to Caro's $22,000. Erick Lindgren has evened his match with Huckleberry Seed, with $38,000 for Lindgren and $42,000 for Seed. Sunday, March 5, 12:15 pm -- Blinds Increase to $600-$1,200 The blinds have just increased to $600-$1,200. Huckleberry Seed has about $47,000 in chips to Erick Lindgren's $33,000. Jim McManus has over a 2-to-1 chip lead against Mike Sexton, with $55,000 in chips to Sexton's $25,000. Sunday, March 5, 12:12 pm -- Dee Luong Takes a $9,200 Pot From Scott Fischman With some preflop raising, there is already $9,200 in the pot between Dee Luong and Scott Fischman. The flop comes K-Q-3 rainbow, and Luong bets out for $6,000. Fischman thinks for about a minute before he folds, and Luong picks up a nice pot. Sunday, March 5, 12:07 pm -- A Few Updates David Chesnoff and Dan Harrington are chatting a bit while they play, and they've learned that they both graduated from the same law school in Boston -- Suffolk University. Earlier, announcer Ali Nejad was presenting them as rivals because Harrington is wearing his usual green Boston Red Sox cap, while Chesnoff is wearing a New York Yankees cap. He now asks Chesnoff how he became a Yankees fan after schooling in Boston. Chesnoff's reply: "I was smart enough to grow up in New York, but go to school in Boston." Right now, Chesnoff has a small lead over Harrington, with $43,000 in chips to Harrington's $37,000. At the next table, Jim McManus has about $47,500 to Mike Sexton's $32,500. It's still early and relatively close in these matchups. (Contrast that with the early exits of Tuan Le and Eli Elezra.) Sunday, March 5, 12:02 pm -- Blinds Increase to $400-$800 The blinds have increased to $400-$800. We've already had two bustouts in the first blind level, and even though there has been some big action early, it's a quiet day here on the NBC Heads-Up stage. The players are quiet, and the audience is quiet. Completely different from yesterday's Round 1 matches in the Diamond bracket. Sunday, March 5, 12:00 pm -- Eli Elezra Out; Josh Arieh Advances to Round 3 Eli Elezra moves all in preflop with 10d-9d, and Josh Arieh calls with Kc-Qh. The flop comes A-Q-4, and Arieh has flopped a pair of queens to take the lead. The turn card is the 2d, and Elezra picks up a diamond flush draw, which he'll need to hit to stay alive. But the river card is the 7h, and Eli Elezra is eliminated as Josh Arieh advances to Round 3, guaranteed to win at least $25,000. Sunday, March 5, 11:55 am -- Josh Arieh Cripples Eli Elezra Josh Arieh raises to $1,200, Eli Elezra reraises to $5,200, and Arieh calls. The flop comes 7d-6c-5h, Elezra moves all in, and Arieh immediately calls with 9c-8d (flopped straight). Elezra shows pocket queens, and he'll need to improve to bust Arieh here. The turn card is the Jh, and Elezra is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 6d.) Josh Arieh wins the pot to double up to about $78,000 in chips, leaving Eli Elezra crippled with just $2,000 in chips. Sunday, March 5, 11:51 am -- Tuan Le Out; Barry Greenstein Advances to Round 3 Today's action isn't five minutes old before we have our first all-in situation. Barry Greenstein raises to $1,200, Tuan Le reraises to $3,200, and Greenstein calls. The flop comes 10d-7h-5d, Tuan Le bets $4,000, Greenstein moves all in, and Tuan Le calls. Tuan Le shows 7d-6d (pair of sevens, flush draw), and Greenstein shows Jd-8d (higher flush draw, gut-shot straight draw). Neither hand was particularly powerful preflop, but both players hit the flop pretty hard and couldn't get away from it. Tuan Le has the high hand right now, but Greenstein is still the favorite with about a 56-44 edge. But the turn card is the 9d, and Greenstein makes a jack-high flush to clinch the pot. (The meaningless river card is the Kh.) Tuan Le is eliminated seven minutes into their match. (The player introductions took longer than that.) Barry Greenstein is the first player to advance to Round 3, and he's guaranteed to win at least $25,000.
Sunday, March 5, 11:44 am -- Blinds at $200-$400; Shuffle Up & Deal! The players have all been introduced, so it's time to get started. The players now have $40,000 in chips that they carried forward from Round 1, and the blinds are starting at $200-$400. Time to shuffle up and deal! Sunday, March 5, 11:35 am -- The First Announcements The players have all taken their seats, and announcer Ali Nejad has just made the first announcement to warm up the crowd. We still have to go through the player introductions, but play should be starting in 10-15 minutes. Sunday, March 5, 11:20 am -- Still Delayed Some of the players have gathered on stage, and they appear ready to play. But producers and technical people are still making their final preparations, and we're still at least ten minutes away from starting play. Sunday, March 5, 11:00 am Here are the scheduled matchups for today. Of course, the starting times are estimates, because if today is anything like yesterday, we'll be running late. Clubs Bracket: 11:00 am PST Dan Harrington v. David Chesnoff Jim McManus v. Mike Sexton Eli Elezra v. Josh Arieh Chris "Jesus" Ferguson v. Chip Reese Spades Bracket: 11:00 am PST Erick Lindgren v. Huckleberry Seed Scott Fischman v. Dee Luong Mike Caro v. Amir Vahedi Barry Greenstein v. Tuan Le Hearts Bracket: 12:30 pm PST Phil "Unabomber" Laak v. T.J. Cloutier Greg "Fossilman" Raymer v. Daniel Negreanu David Grey v. Carlos Mortensen Doyle Brunson v. Sean Sheikhan Diamonds Bracket: 12:30 pm PST Ted Forrest v. Chad Brown Paul Phillips v. Ernie Durack Barry Shulman v. Sam Farha Howard Lederer v. Michael Mizrachi Those players who win their first match today are guaranteed at least $25,000 in prize money. Those players who win three matches (the top 8) will receive $75,000, and the Final Four will receive $125,000. The champion will take home $500,000, and the runner-up will win $250,000. |
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