NBC Heads-Up Championship Live Updates

After coming runner-up in this event two out of the first three years, Chris Ferguson has finally won the NBC Heads-Up Championship.

The action in the final hand began when Ferguson raised to $25,000 from the button and Bloch called. The flop rolled out 10♣ 3♠ 7♠; Bloch checked, and after a $35k continuation bet from Jesus, Bloch re-popped it to $105k total. Ferguson flat-called and the turn came the 7♥. Bloch bet out, this time making it $150k, and Jesus shipped.

Bloch tanked for an eternity, even flipping a coin to help make his decision, before making the call for his tournament life. Bloch needed a ten or a spade with 10♠ 4♠ against Ferguson's J♣ J♠, but the 7♣ river gave Ferguson the win. He banks $500k and gets the monkey off his back. Bloch will grab $250k for second.

Check back in a few for an interview with our winner. For a recap of the day's action by PL.com's Martin Derbyshire check out the trademark wrap-up blog.

The blinds are up and after he picked up a number of smallish pots, Ferguson's lead is growing.

The announcer was out of commission for one reason or another so the details of this hand are a little hazy. On a flop of T♦ 6♦ 2♣ Andy Bloch checked and Jesus bet out. Bloch then check-raised and Ferguson, in an uncharacteristically quick move, re-raised. Bloch thought for a moment before letting it go. Ferguson now has a small chip lead.

We're tied at one and one. This match will decide it all. Chris Ferguson has finished second twice in this event already and must be aching for the win. Bloch has had his own taste of being runner-up, losing the marathon 2006 $50k H.O.R.S.E. match against Chip Reese, so we know he's keen on taking it down as well. Only time will tell though as we roll the blinds back to $3k/$6k and both players take back their $640,000 starting stacks.

It's one and one now that Chris Ferguson has taken down the second match of this finale. Bloch was short-stacked after losing that big race a few moments ago and called all-in after Jesus shipped. Q♦ Q♣ for Jesus was in dominating shape against Bloch's K♣ 3♦ and things only got worse as the flop came Q♠ J♣ 2♣.

Bloch was looking for a miracle, but the turn was just the opposite, bringing the Q♥. A shriek of delight went up from the crowd as Bloch was drawing dead on the river. We'll be back in a few minutes to decide who's walking away with the title and the half million.

Chris Ferguson has all but won the second leg here. He made it $100k to go pre-flop and got the call from Bloch. When the flop came 10♦ 5♣ 4♠ Bloch shoved and Chris made the call.

It was 7♣ 6♣ for the up-and-down straight draw and back door flush draw for Bloch against Ferguson's J♦ J♠. Bloch picked up some additional outs when the 6♦ came on the turn, but the 9♣ on the end didn't do it for him.

Ferguson grabs a huge lead and should soon take this heat down.

Andy Bloch had a more than 2-1 chip lead but just blew it calling with 3♦ 3♥ after Chris Ferguson shoved. Jesus held the Q♦ J♦ and he took the lead on the Q♠ 6♦ 5♠ flop. Bloch gained some extra outs when the 7♣ hit the turn, but the 7♦ river ensured a Ferguson double.

Although Bloch retains the chip lead it is now just a slim advantage.

We're into another level and the blinds are now sitting at $15,000/$30,000. With Ferguson down around $400k he'll soon be forced to make a move.

Andy Bloch just took down a big pot which has secured him a decisive lead in the match. Bloch opened to $40,000 from the button and got a call from Ferguson in the big blind. The flop came down Q♥ J♦ 4♥ and after a check from Jesus, Bloch fired $50,000. Ferguson took a few minutes to think before announcing raise, adding another $150,000 on top.

Now it was Bloch's turn to tank. He took a short dwell before announcing all-in. If you haven't figured it out by now, both these players like to take their time. Ferguson then went into the tank and spent a few minutes mulling it over.

Jesus eventually opted to release his hand and concede the pot. Bloch is now up over $800,000... about twice Ferguson's $400k.

Andy Bloch has struck back in the match, value betting two pair on the river and getting Chris Ferguson to pay him off. The $100,000+ pot brings Bloch close to even now and things are just starting to loosen up a little here at Caesars.

With 15-minute blind levels we really don't get a ton of play before the blinds start to climb. We're now at $10k/$20k and it looks like Chris Ferguson has taken a small lead.

Moments after entering a new blind level Andy Bloch took down a moderately sized pot and with it a small chip lead. Both players checked a flop of Q-T-2 and Bloch bet the six on the turn. Ferguson made the call and they both checked the four on the river. Bloch shows a ten which is good against Fergie's ace-high.

The blinds are up and the action should loosen up a bit now!

Another slow start to the second match has seen Andy Bloch build a slight lead over Chris Ferguson by virtue of a few small pots.

The cards are in the air for the second match in the best-of-three heads-up format!

Andy Bloch has taken the first match in the best-of-three format. Bloch limped in from the button and Chris Ferguson made it $70,000 to see the flop. Bloch called and the flop fell A♥ 9♦ 9♠.

Jesus led out for $150k and Bloch took a moment before pushing all-in. Chris made the call felting A♦ K♦, but was behind against Andy's 10♦ 9♥. The J♠ turn and 6♥ river were not the ace Ferguson needed and Bloch is one win away from the title.

The players are taking a quick 10-minute break before coming back with the second leg.

 

Andy Bloch just took a small lead after Chris Ferguson opened to $75,000 and Bloch moved all-in, forcing Fergie out of the hand. Things are still tight but Bloch is ahead by a nose.

We've reached the fourth 15-minute level in this match and blinds are now $15k/$30k.

Andy Bloch lost a little ground in the early going, but just doubled up through Chris Ferguson in a huge hand.

Bloch limped in from the button, then called when Ferguson made it $70k to see a flop. The flop came A♣ J♦ 8♦ and after a Ferguson check, Bloch made it $100k to go. Ferguson just called, but put Bloch all-in on the 9♦ turn and Andy gladly called.

Turned out Ferguson had a set of eights to Bloch's Q♦ 2♦ for the turned flush and would need to pair the board or quad it up on the river. The Q♥ did not do it for him and Bloch doubles up to get back to even.

The blinds are up to $10,000/$20,000 but the action is still being played fairly close to the vest. From our vantage point right now it looks as though Chris Ferguson has built a slight lead and will be looking to put the pressure on Andy Bloch.

OK, so it looks like there was a technical reason for the announcer's absence in the last few minutes of this match. They were taping a small segment with the show's commentators and apparently the announcer was in the way. We here at PL.com would sincerely like to apologize for accusing the announcer of laziness. And now, the final match.

The media section for this event is tucked away behind the last row of audience seating, making it nearly impossible to see any of the hands. Up until this point we've been relying on the tournament announcer and, up until this point, he's done a relatively good job.

Apparently he's decided the final match just isn't important enough to announce so there's basically an audience full of people and us media sitting here watching without the faintest clue as to what's transpiring on the felt. He's currently sitting in a chair five feet from the final table, not announcing.

We'll keep you posted on this exciting story as it develops because if he doesn't start feeding us the info soon it will be very difficult to report on the action.

The match has begun as a tight, tense affair between two heads-up experts. Afer a few jabs back and forth, a series of small pots and seemingly endless posturing for position, it remains fairly even through the first dozen hands.

It's Andy Bloch against Chris Ferguson in a best-of-three match for all the marbles. It's $500,000 and all the glory for first and $250k and a box of tissues for second.

The cards just hit the air so stick with PL.com throughout for all the hot heads-up action until they crown a 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Champion.

With the painful elimination of Huck Seed in the last match of the semifinals we have our final two players! Both are guaranteed at least a quarter of a million dollars but one will be leaving with twice that and the title of 2008 NBC National Heads-Up champion.

Chris Ferguson has finished as the runner-up in this event two out of the three times it's been held so we know he's aching for a win here at Caesars. Both players will start the finals with $640,000 and will play best two of three for the whole enchilada.

There will be a break but we haven't been informed when we'll be getting started again. We estimate at least an hour before things get going but keep one eye on PL.com just in case.

By applying constant pressure on Huck Seed, Andy Bloch worked his way into a 2-1 chip lead without having to show down very many hands.

Then he pushed in and Seed quickly called. It was A♦ Q♣ for Bloch against Seed's two red nines to put Bloch in the final or Seed back in the match. The flop looked good for a Seed double when the 5♦ 2♣ 6♣ came down. The 6♠ turn was good for Seed as well, but the A♣ on the river did him in, sending Bloch into the final with Chris Ferguson.

 

Huck Seed just made a big hand and chose to attempt to slow-play. Bloch, apparently not catching much of the board, simply checked it down. Bloch opened the pot before the flop and Seed smooth-called from the big blind. The flop came down A♠ 9♠ 2♥ and Seed led out with a $25,000 bet. Bloch made the call and the A♣ hit the turn. Seed opted to check this time around and Bloch did the same. The river was the 5♦ and Seed checked again. Bloch checked behind and Seed tabled A-K for trip aces.

The two remaining semifinal players have just reached a new blind level, $5k/$10k. Players start this round with $320,000 so there's still some play left in this match.

The match between Huck Seed and Andy Bloch to decide who will join Jesus in the finals is a decidedly more restrained affair than its semifinal counterpart. While Ivey and Ferguson waded into battle, getting bloody quick, Bloch and Seed are still in the process of sizing each other up. Seed made the semifinals here two years ago but was knocked out by Ferguson. A win against Bloch will put him in the finals and guarantee him at least $250,000.

Phil Ivey is done here at the 2008 NBC Heads-Up Championship. The action in his final hand started with an Ivey raise. Chris Ferguson then re-raised to $34k and Ivey called. The flop came 3-4-9 rainbow and Ferguson took a $45k stab at it. Ivey called again and the turn was the 5♦. This time Ferguson stepped it up, making it $100k to go, and Ivey pushed all-in for his tournament life. After long deliberation, Jesus made the call showing pocket eights.

For the first time in a long time, Ivey didn't have the nuts and his sixes needed to catch a set on the river or find a deuce or seven to complete his straight. The Q♥ on the river ended all hope for Ivey and while he'll cash $125k for his semifinal finish, Ferguson is on to the final for the third time in this tournament's four-year history.

Huck Seed has taken the early lead in his match with Andy Bloch. The biggest pot so far saw Andy Bloch check-call a $40k turn bet by Seed on a raggedy board, then fold when Seed came out firing another $115k on the brick-looking river, giving Seed the chip lead.

Chris Ferguson has drawn first blood in his battle with Phil Ivey. After Ferguson fired a $20k bet into a 7-7-3-5 board on the turn, Ivey came over the top for $30k more. Ferguson flat-called and the river came the 9♥. This time he checked, hoping Ivey would bet out, but Phil checked behind him. Ferguson showed the seven for trips to take a pot worth more than $100k and the early lead.

It appears the final four are set to play. Phil Ivey against Chris Ferguson and Huck Seed taking on Andy Bloch... Let's get it on!

BTW - in the semis they get $320k stacks and blinds start at $1,500/$3,000.

We are down to four! Orel Hershiser, David Benyamine, Gus Hansen and Jonathan Little are all out, each taking $75,000. We'll be taking a short break before returning to play down to our final two in about an hour. Here are the match-ups for the next round.

Chris Ferguson	vs.	Phil Ivey
Andy Bloch	vs.	Huck Seed

 

In a limped pot Gus Hansen bet $6k into a 9♥ 6♥ 3♥ flop and Phil Ivey came over the top, making it $18k to go. Hansen tanked for a good two minutes before moving in. Ivey had him covered and wasted little time making the call with K♥ Q♥. Phil had flopped the second nut flush and Hansen would need all kinds of runners to come back. The 8♣ turn meant he was drawing dead and Ivey moves on to the semis.

Chris Ferguson resurrected himself in his match with ShipItHolla Balla Jon little and took a decisive chip lead before ending it. Ferguson raised to $15,000 from the button and Little moved all-in. Ferguson made the call, putting Little at risk of elimination.

Ferguson: 9♥ 9♣

Little: T♦ 7♦

Little would need a lot of help but got absolutely nothing from the J♠ 3♥ 2♥ 5♥ 4♣ board. He's out, taking $75,000, and Ferguson is on to the next round. Jesus has the best all-around record at this event having finished second two out of the three years it's been run. Perhaps this will be the year he finally takes it down.

Phil Ivey has begun to put the hammer down in his match with Gus Hansen. When Hansen bet out on a 4-5-7 flop, Ivey came over the top. Hansen called, but checked the 7♦ turn and was forced to make a decision when Phil made it $35k to see the river. His decision was to fold and allow Phil to increase his chip lead in the match.

The blinds are up again. They now rest at $3k/$6k.

The match between Chris Ferguson and Jon Little looked decidedly one-sided until recently but Jesus has made a charge and now holds a small chip lead over the young gun. Little limped in from the button and Jesus made it $14,000 to go from the big blind. Little moved all-in and Fergie quickly called.

Ferguson: 9♦ 9♠

Little: 4♣ 4♠

Little was in a tough spot and things went from bad to worse with the flop of K♣ 9♥ 6♥. Little needed running quads to end the match but when the 7♣ hit the turn Jesus was good for the double.

Courtesy of some aggressive play, including coming over the top of an $8k Gus Hansen turn bet and picking up a recent pot, Phil Ivey has a slight lead in the match.

Both players seem intent on letting few hands get to showdown and have taken an aggressive stance.

Another 15 minutes have elapsed and the blinds have been raised to $2,000/$4,000.

Chris Ferguson was down to his last $40k or so but managed to get in with the best of it and survive to double up. Jonathan Little set him all-in before the flop and Jesus made the call with A♦ 3♣. Little would need to improve with 9♠ 8♠ but the board of K♦ Q♠ T♥ 3♠ T♣ failed to do it for him. Little picked up a flush draw on the turn to go with his pair draws but was unable to make it there on the river. Little is down to $240,000 to Ferguson's $80,000.

Joanathan Little is going to town on Chris Ferguson in their match, completely running him over. Three-betting many pots before the flop and setting Fergie in on a hand-by-hand basis, Little is up to about $280,000 to Ferguson's $40,000. Jesus will be all-in momentarily.

The blinds are up in both matches to $1,500/$3,000. Each player begins this round with $80,000 and with levels of only 15 minutes so you can see how quickly things begin to get serious.

Jonathan Little has added to his early lead and seems to be controlling the action in his match with Chris Ferguson. Jesus picked up a small pot a moment ago though, to regain at least a bit of ground. They both checked a flop of A-T-4 with two spades. The turn was the 3♦ and Ferguson bet out. Little made the call and the 6♠ hit the river. Two more checks and Fergie showed a ten for second pair. it was good and he raked the pot. It's still about $220,000 to $100,000 in favor of Little.

The early going in the Phil Ivey-Gus Hansen match is fairly tight. Both players are about even after Hansen picked up a few chips betting $16k into an ace-high board on the turn and forcing Ivey to fold.

 

Jonathan Little has taken a commanding lead in the first few hands of his match with Chris Ferguson. We're hazy on the details - the tournament director hasn't done much in the way of announcing - but Little has about $220,000 to Fergie's $100k.

The cards are in the air in these two heavyweight tilts. Phil Ivey against Gus Hansen sets up as two good friends and great players who knock heads regularly in the big game matching up for bragging rights. The Jonathan Little-Chris Ferguson match-up pits one of the hottest players of 2007 against a veteran pro who has twice won runner-up in the three previous NBC Heads-Up events.

It's Gus Hansen versus Phil Ivey and Jonathan Little up against Chris Ferguson coming up live in just a few minutes. Stay tuned for all the action live from the set of the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship as it happens!

With half of the elite eight matches complete we now know that Huck Seed and Andy Bloch have advanced and will be playing one another later today for a seat in the finals.

We'll be taking a short break before returning to play the other half of this round when Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen will face off as well as Jon Little and Chris Ferguson. By the end of the next round we'll have our final four.

Orel Hershiser's run at the Heads-Up Championship is over. He got a lead, but lost it, then shippped with J♦ 10♠ against Bloch's A♥ 9♣. The flop of 9♥ 6♥ 7♠ gave Orel some outs, but the 6♣ turn wasn't one of them. The river then came the 2♣ and Bloch moved forward to the semis while Hershiser's impressive run is cut short. He'll have some great memories and $75k to take home with him though - not bad for a few days of playing cards.

After suffering a setback not long ago Andy Bloch has succeeded in chipping back up and is now leading once again. The current count puts Bloch on $222,000, leaving Hershiser with just under $100k. The player to bust in this match will get $75,000 while the victor will guarantee himself at least $125,000.

The blinds are up once again in the match between Orel Hershiser and Andy Bloch. $5,000/$10,000 is the new price and with only $320,000 chips in play that means these two players will soon be forced into action.

Orel Hershiser has taken a 2-1 chip lead on the strength of some aggressive play and good cards. After an Andy Bloch check, Hershiser bet $12k into an A-K-5 flop. Bloch called and the same scenario played out on the 2♥ turn. Both players checked the 3♣ river and Hershiser took it down with K-J.

Orel Hershiser just got all-in and managed to make the best hand hold up to take a slight lead in his match with Andy Bloch. With blinds of $3,000/$6,000 Hershiser moved in for about $85,000. Bloch dwelled for a few minutes before making the call and laying Q♠ J♦ down on the felt. Hershiser saw he was ahead with A♠ 5♥ and after the board ran A♥ Q♣ 8♦ 6♣ 6♥ he was good for the double. Hershiser's now on about $175,000. Bloch has $145,000.

With blinds of $3,000/$6,000 Andy Bloch has Orel Hershiser on the ropes. Wait, that's a boxing analogy. Bloch has Orel down by a few runs in the bottom of the ninth. Yes, that will do. It seems the two are moving in frequently with few pots going to a flop.

Huck Seed is through to the semifinals after insta-calling a David Benyamine river shove with a full boat. The board read 2-3-7-3-5 and Benyamine made the move with pocket nines only to find out Huck held ducks for the full house.

Benyamine cashes $75k for his efforts and Seed will make no less than $125,000 for reaching the semis.

Andy Bloch has extended his lead over big-leaguer Orel Hershiser. Hershiser beat Freddy Deeb, Allen Cunningham and Ted Forrest to get this far but he may have met his match in Andy Bloch. Bloch knows a thing or two about heads-up play, having participated in one of the longest WSOP heads-up matches in the 2006 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event against Chip Reese.

Bloch just showed down trip jacks after squeezing some value from his opponent. We're not sure of the exact figures but it looks like Hershiser's in trouble.

The Huck Seed-David Benyamine affair is a tight one. The match just drew even with Huck calling a Benyamine pre-flop bet and continuation bet on an A-Q-Q flop. The turn came another ace and both players checked. The 3♥ river was also checked down and Seed's king-high made for the better two pair kicker to take the pot.

Orel Hershiser just min-raised Andy Bloch on the river with air and was insta-called by Bloch with two pair. While Hershiser has displayed some solid poker to this point he could be falling apart here - did he really expect Bloch to fold to a min-raise?

Now Bloch has a 2-1 chip lead and the blinds are up.

Andy Bloch has raced out to a chip lead in his match with Orel Hershiser. Bloch check-called $55k worth of Hershiser bluffing on an ace-high flop and turn to take down a sizable pot at showdown with a pair of aces.

The former major leaguer may be in over his head against the MIT and Harvard Law graduate.

After a few takes of the TV intros, giving Andy Bloch the chance to reveal he's a San Francisco Giants fan (bitter rivals of Orel Hershiser's L.A. Dodgers) the cards are in the air for the David Benyamine-Huck Seed and Hershiser-Bloch matches.

You're just in time for a little heads-up action - if you can stand it.

Just a heads-up that the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship quarterfinals are set to begin in just a few minutes from inside the poker room at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It looks as though there are only two tables set up on the NBC set so they will play the quarters two at a time.

The players will begin this round with $160k in chips and escalated blinds starting at $1,000/$2,000. The matches scheduled include:

Orel Hershiser	vs.	Andy Bloch
Gus Hansen	vs.	Phil Ivey
Huck Seed	vs.	David Benyamine
Jonathan Little	vs.	Chris Ferguson

It looks like the Benyamine-Seed and Hershiser-Bloch matches will go down first. Stay tuned for all the action live from Las Vegas as only PL.com can deliver it!