#604 - World Series Heads-Up #1 - “Let’s Get Ready to ….”

The Penn & Teller Theatre is positively abuzz with activity. As the appointed hour approached, the packed house featuring such luminaries as Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Jamie Gold, and Chris Moneymaker were brought to silence by a singular figure.

Michael Buffer.

Buffer, whose name has long been synonymous with championship events, induced chills with his introduction of the pugilists. As the bags unveiled the fortresses of chips, it was difficult not to be in awe. Ivan Demidov, the 27 year-old Mad Russian, looked in peak condition behind his towers of over 56 million chips. Coming to this final table just a month after finishing third at the World Series of Poker-Europe in London, there was no doubt that a win by the Russian would be of historic proportion.

His opponent, the chip leader, the pride of Odense, Denark, Peter Eastgate, also looked massive astride his castle of over 80 million in chips. Eastgate, too, would be an historic sight in victory, the youngest world champion ever.

After Buffer’s introductions, he signalled the start of the hostilities with the trademark line:

“Let’s get ready … to … SHUFFFFFFFLE up and DEEEEEEAAAAAL!!!!!”

The Russian and the Dane wasted no time trading opening blows. Eastgate attacked Demidov’s big blind and Demidov defended. Likewise, he held on to call a bet of 1.75 million after a flop of Ts-Kh-Th. Both men checked the king of diamonds on the turn and the crowd erupted when the river brought the king of clubs.

Ivan took a roundhouse swing with an 8 million chip bet. To this observer, it looked like he was pulling his punch. But Peter reeled backwards nonetheless and folded.

As we near 11:30, the chips are almost equal. Peter Eastgate is proving a skilled grappler, but Ivan Demidov’s stick-and-run strategy is helping him land a greater number of - albeit non-lethal - blows.

The only anxious moment came at 11 o’clock, when Demidov suddenly left the table. It looked like an impromptu bathroom break, shades of Duran vs. Leonard II, but Jack Effel informed the crowd that it was merely a break to change the tape.

Demidov returned with no delay in play and, though they have been only gingerly trading punches, he has been getting, at least slightly, the better of it so far.

But this fight is far from over. In the brief time it has taken to create this account, the young Dane has regained his chip lead, demonstrating that though Ivan the Terrible is capable of landing more blows, Eastgate is ready to do more damage when his volleys land.