FULL TILT POKER BLOG

#351 – NBC Heads-Up Championship #2 – Hearts Bracket Preview

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Andy Bloch and Shannon Elizabeth are at the feature table. Andy originally wasn’t chosen to be part of the field; he busted me in the Satellite to get here, but himself busted in time to play the Sunday night HORSE on Full Tilt. I thought maybe they extended him an at-large bid because of his heroic busting of me in the sat., but as usual, I got it completely wrong. Brad Garrett was invited to play but pulled out when the settlement of the writers strike in Hollywood required that he be back at work pronto.

So this match-up of 64 of the best includes an intruder, Andy Bloch, who weaseled his way in when Brad Garrett, one of the chosen 64, had a more pressing commitment.

Vanessa Rousso v. Antonio Esfandiari – In the elevator going down from my room to the pairings party last night, there was this very attractive woman wearing big fuzzy boots and a big hat. After I stepped in, she pushed the button to closet the doors, apparently impatient to get downstairs (as was I). “These things never work,” she said, looking at me as we noticed the doors were still open. I summarized my philosophy of elevator operation: “The button keeping the doors open works. But the button closing them is just there for you to vent your frustration. It’s just painted on.” She chuckled as the doors closed. I think that was Vanessa Roussa. Either that or it was a Vanessa Rousso wannabe. I think she’ll take it over Antonio.

Shannon Elizabeth v. Andy Bloch – This is the feature table of the bracket, and one that’s got me tied up in knots. Andy is one of my best friends in poker and a terrific player, so he should win. But Shannon Elizabeth is, well, Shannon Elizabeth and my tournament poker experiences are more pleasant when she does well. Last year, I tried sitting behind her for each match, a reprise of the first thing I ever wrote about her, her final WSOP appearance in 2006 when she was last in chips in the bubble, forced in on the blind, and made a straight flush. Each round I got kicked out of my seat by some friend or family or wife of Shawn Shiekhan. We talked about my making sure I sat behind her and got kicked out, which now strikes me as disloyal to my friend Andy. But there is no way to sit and watch in the vicinity of the feature table, so I’m off the hook.

Todd Brunson v. Scott Fischman – Two tough players who should do well in any heads-up competition. Todd hasn’t done much in the HUC for all his heads-up ability. I think this is his year to advance.

Jamie Gold v. Tom Kelly – Tom won his way on through the HUC satellite. (I still haven’t told the story of my defeat in that same satellite, though I’ll try to. When? Who knows? Jeffrey Pollack asked me at the pairings party when I was going to finish the columns about the last day of WSOP-Europe. “When I can,” I told him.) It seems like enough time has passed that Jamie Gold isn’t automatically the bad guy. Still, that satellite was TOUGH. I’m picking Tom.

Ted Forrest v. Orel Herschiser – It would be easy to pick Ted here and of course I am. But Orel Herschiser is (a) a legendarily tough competitor, and (b) a very smart man. I think I remember some story about him playing blackjack in Vegas for monstrous stakes. That could be significant. The year Ted won it, he was all-in with A-T against A-A from the guy who won his way onto the show in a blackjack tournament. Ted made a miracle straight for the split, went on to win, and took the whole thing. “Winning ugly,” Ted calls it. Especially because he USUALLY does not play an aggressive, confrontational, in-your-face game, Herschiser could stick around awhile, make it interesting, and maybe pull off an upset. On the other hand, Orel knows he can’t match up with Ted post flop and should, if he last the first couple levels, overbet to end hands early or force confrontations based on the first two cards. At the very least, he has a better chance keeping up with Ted in how to play two cards than he does in how to play seven.

Allen Cunningham v. Chad Brown – Chad was a finalist last year but c’mon? Brown is legitimately a great player but Allen ought to be winning this sometime.

Jean-Robert Bellande v. Sam Grizzle – The Rude Match. The match that will out-Matusow Matusow. It’ll be entertaining. That’s all I can say. Here is the short version of the Greatest Sam Grizzle story ever, courtesy of Todd Brunson. Early one morning in LA, Grizzle is heckling a $150-$300 LHE game, telling the players how much they suck. He can’t play, showing them that his wallet holds just $2. He gets a stake, gets in a fight with his backer and is sitting in front of just $400 in chips. In a few hours, he’s up $40,000 and quits “to do you guys a favor” and play that day’s tournament. He WINS the tournament and $90,000. He’s back in the room immediately after, about 4 AM, and sits in a tough $400-$800 razz game and loses every bit of both scores, walking out with the same $2 he had a day earlier, pausing only to tell everyone at the table how bad they are.

Paul Wasicka v. Freddy Deeb – Tough, tough first round match. Wasicka is such a solid player but Freddy just personifies toughness at the poker table. If I took Freddy, it’s solely because a defending champion losing in the first round is just not an unlikely thing when the players aren’t seeded.

Round 2 tease: Forrest v. Cunningham.

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