FULL TILT POKER BLOG

#975 – 2010 NBC Heads-Up Championship #1 – First on the Bus

Posted by Editor | Filed under 2010 NBC Heads-Up Championship, Erik Seidel, Heads-Up, Huckleberry Seed

Today is Friday, March 5, 2010 and it’s 12:40 PM PST as I write this. I am in the right corner of what is usually the Caesars Poker Tournament Room. It has been converted, identically to 2006-2009, to the studio set for the NBC National Heads-Up Championship. Although I had my moments last night, like every poker event I cover, when I wonder what I’m doing here and whether I have anything to contribute, I am excited to get started.

The first bracket, Clubs, is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM and the room is a hive of activity. Chips are set at the tables, dealers are seated, and technicians are brushing down tables, setting up microphones, setting up cameras, cables, dollies, cranes. The seats are in place and they are starting to seat the audience.

When I got here at noon, the room was dark and, though busy with technicians, otherwise empty. I usually take the back left corner of the room but decided, for no particular reason, to switch this year to the right side.

Carlos, the head of PR for the event, came by the say hello.

M: Do I need a media badge?

C: Yeah, I’ll go get you one.

M: Good, make sure it looks like something I can use to impress the ladies …. Ladies are dumb, right?

C: You get checked in okay yesterday?

M: No, they lost my reservation and, when I complained about it, they had security wrestle me downstairs to a holding cell where I spent the night.

C: You asked for the media rate Michael. We were just trying to accommodate your budget.

M: It was fine, really. The place I got, in the Augustus Tower, is really swank. I was going to write some really negative things about how this tournament is a tragic demonstration of what happens when poker panders to television, but now I just want to finish my post about the historic competition about to begin.

C: I hope you drank that complimentary Kool-Aid we left in your room.

M: Yes indeedy. Well, time to start earning my $122.76 per week.

C: (Shaking his head and backing away) Heh, heh. Well, the guys in the truck tell me they really like your blog.

It’s now 1:05 PM and the Clubs bracket is about to start. Here is what we’re looking forward to:

Patrik Antonius v. Chris Moneymaker

Leo Wolpert v. Eric Baldwin

David Williams v. Joe Cada (featured match)

Erik Seidel v. Huck Seed

Dan Ramirez v. Erick Lindgren

Peter Eastgate v. Bertrand Grospellier

Steven Quinn v. Ted Forrest

Dario Minieri v. Jamie Gold

I understand why Williams-Cada is the focus for TV but I’m really looking forward to watching the match taking place right in front of me, Erik Seidel v. Huck Seed. They made a big deal at the pairings party – and Huck even mentioned it – how Seed has the best record in the history of the HUC (19-4) and Erik Seidel (0-5) has the worst.

I wish there was a sportsbook for this. I’d love to put down money on Erik Seidel as an underdog. Seidel lost to an online qualifier in 2005 but drew Ted Forrest in the first round in his championship year of 2006 and in-the-money finishers Humberto Brenes (2007), Jonathon Little (2008), and John Phan (2009).

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