FULL TILT POKER BLOG

#308 – Moments of 2007, Part VII – NBC Heads-Up Championship – “Some Spooks Never Go Away”

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One of the initial heats – they ran eight matches at a time to get through the initial two rounds – featured a number of interesting matches and I noted the highlights of each, with the time, and posted it when the group of matches ended. A few of the matches, for particular reasons, seemed especially interesting. One was the match between Shannon Elizabeth and Jeff Madsen. It wasn’t generally known at the time but Madsen was one of the pros who helped with with Shannon on her heads-up play. Another match pitted Ted Forrest against Shawn Shiekhan – Ted’s second rematch from his 2006 championship run. Having enjoyed reading my old post about these matches, I decided to reprint some portions of it, in case you missed it the first time.

The cards were in the area at high noon, just 90 minutes after the stage call. They start with 40,000 apiece, and blinds of 200-400.

Table 3 – Jeff Madsen and Shannon Elizabeth

11:40 AM – In a major blow to freedom of the press, I’ve been booted from my corner seat. Shannon was pleased when I told her I wanted to sit and watch, which morphed into “Shannon asked that I sit here” when various people asked me to move. To make room for some other friends of Shannon, they moved TJ’s wife several seats from her husband, so I had SOME juice. Jeff Madsen’s friends were consigned to the second row – three guys carrying in a combined total of 5 Budweisers who said they left a strip joint to get here on time. But then Shawn Shiekhan’s wife blew in and insisted on my seat, so she could stare at her husband’s back.

Maybe it was just as well. Katie Lindsay took the seat next to me and Shannon handed her purse over. “Can you watch this for me and make sure it doesn’t touch the floor? According to feng shui, if your purse touches the floor you lose money.” So Katie was then balancing TWO purses on her lap, Shannon’s and hers. And Katie’s purse was seriously encroaching on my chair space, a situation made only slightly more tolerable for a moment when Katie fished around her purse for something and briefly got to second base with me.

I dare her to try that with Mrs. Shiekhan.

12:15 PM – Jeff Madsen reminds me of a spider, hunched low, all long arms and elbows, pulling in chips. Shannon, it is announced, has a small lead on Jeff.

12:36 PM – Shannon takes a big pot, cutting Madsen’s lead to, according to the announcer, “slight.”

12:46 PM – Shannon Elizabeth is thumping Jeff Madsen. She moves all-in and he folds, taking down a big pot and increasing her stack to 67,000, leaving the Kid with just 13,000.

12:51 PM – Madsen is all-in for about 6,900. Shannon calls. Jeff has 5-5. 8d-5d for Shannon. The flop is As-9d-Qd. Shannon is a diamond or an eight from eliminating Madsen. Two of hearts on the turn. The river is the six of diamonds, making Shannon the flush and ousting the Kid. It is a great upset, exciting and great for poker. Two cameras are trained on Shannon’s BACK as she backs up her stuff and talks with friends on the rail.

Table 4 – Ted Forrest and Shawn Sheikhan

12:50 PM – Ted has left the room, I assume on a bathroom break. It was apparently with Shawn’s consent. Within a minute, Ted is back.

1:19 PM – The announcer says Shawn has about 50k to Ted’s 13k. Ted moves all-in on the button and Shawn immediately calls. Shawn, “One time! I want to bust this sucker!” It’s the first I’ve heard from Sheikhan this match. “One time! Justice once and for all.” Ted has 3-3, Shawn has As-5s. The announcer says Ted is all-in for 13,000. Flop: Qc-Kc-Js. 4d on the turn. 7h on the river. Ted Forrest doubles up. Justice, or Shawn’s version of it, will have to wait. Forrest now has 26,400.

1:28 PM – Once again, Ted Forrest is in the longest match. Ted has about 20,000 left. The room is clearing out. TJ stands behind Ted for a minute and paces, then he walks away. Ted is in no rush.

1:30 PM – Blinds go to 2,000-4,000.

1:34 PM – They have emptied out the bleachers on the other side and are repopulating them with a new audience. Ted Forrest appears to be in no hurry.

1:35 PM – Ted moves all-in and Shawn immediately calls. Ted has Jd-Td. Shawn has As-7d. Flop is K-2-3, no diamonds. The turn is a jack of hearts. Shawn is stone faced, no reaction whatsoever. Five of hearts on the river and Ted Forrest doubles up. Nine lives wouldn’t even begin to count Ted’s ability to stay alive in these competitions. He takes the chip lead.

1:39 PM – Ted moves all-in preflop and Shawn calls. Ted has A-5, Shawn J-T, the hand Ted used to double up a few minutes ago. Q-7-4 flop. 2h on the turn. River is the ten of clubs. Shawn yells “Fuck you!” He doubles up. He stands and says, “God he’s a tough man to beat.”

1:41 PM – Mike Matusow, at the edge of the stage, yells “Well played Shieky.”

1:42 PM – Blinds are up to 3,000-6,000. Shiek has about a 3-to-1 chip lead. Ted has gone in twice in the last few hands and Shawn has folded.

1:44 PM – Shawn raises to 12,000, Ted calls. The flop is Q-7-8. Ted goes all in and Shawn folds. Raise to 12,000? Neither of these men has 50,000 in chips and the big blind is 6,000. I thought that meant Shawn had aces but obviously not if he folded the flop.

1:47 PM – Ted has a slight lead. It’s very close.

1:50 PM – Shawn is all-in. Ted calls. Kc-5c for Ted. Ac-5h for Shawn. Mike Matusow: “So he’s got 3 outs. Good luck sir.” 2c-Kh-Jc. Ted flops top pair. Mike: “Like I said, good luck sir. Some spooks never go away.” Turn, ten of hearts. Eight of diamonds on the river. Ted advances.

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