Erik Seidel has come back from the brink of disaster to defeat Chad Brown in this heads-up match! Taking down his eighth bracelet as well as the $538,835 first prize, Seidel enjoyed every moment of the victory despite his visible exhaustion.

On his way to victory, Seidel was down to less than $500,000 but managed to double-up a few quick times to take the chip lead for himself. From then on he never looked back, conceding a few small pots to his opponent before dealing the death blow on the final hand.

Chad Brown was on the button and raised to $250,000. Seidel made the call and drew two cards while Brown drew one. Seidel took a look at Brown's chip stack before pushing $250K into the middle. Brown quickly announces all-in and Seidel takes all of three seconds to make the call. Seidel showed 8 7 6 5 3 for an 8-7 low, Brown takes one last look at his cards before laying them down on the felt.

He was able to make a 9-7 low but it wasn't enough. Sent to the rail in second, Brown takes $324,777 for his efforts.

Erik Seidel and Chad Brown are currently locked in heads-up battle for the bracelet and the first place cash. The chip lead has been traded back and forth numerous times in the last level but Erik Seidel holds a slight edge at the moment.

Jack Good for Seidel

Erik Seidel raises from the button and gets a call from Brown. Chad takes three cards while Seidel draws two. After a check from Brown, Seidel bets out $200,000 and after a bit of thought Brown makes the call. Seidel shows J-6 low which is good for the pot.

Another One for Seidel

Brown raises an additional $120,000 on top of the blinds and gets a call from his opponent. Both players draw two cards and check it down. Seidel shows a nine-low which is good for the pot.

Brown takes some Back

Chad Brown managed to regain some ground in this hand after showing a T-9 which was good. Both players had committed $200K before the first draw with Seidel taking two and Brown drawing one. Seidel bet out $150,000 and Brown makes a quick call. Brown shows T-9, taking down the pot.

Seidel with the Re-Raise

Chad Brown raises to $200,000 from the button and Seidel re-raises to $640,000 total. After a bit of time in the tank Brown releases his hand and concedes the pot. 

After a good hour that sees both Chad Brown and Sean Sheikhan on the ropes for their tournament lives, Brown raises to $170,000 from the button and Sheikhan moves all-in for an additional $240,000 from the small blind. Erik Seidel gets out of the way in the big blind and Brown makes the call.

Sheikhan draws one card and this fact seems to give Brown pause, as he tanks for a few minutes while crunching the numbers before drawing one card himself. As Vanessa Rousso watches on the edge of her seat at the rail, Brown turns over 9-7-5-4-2 and Sheikhan shows 10-8-7 and mucks, giving Brown the pot and sending his own self to the rail.

For third-place, Sheikhan takes home $206,676. We're taking a short break before heads-up play commences, but here are the chip counts while we wait:

Chip counts courtesy www.worldseriesofpoker.com

The rest of it courtesy www.PokerListings.com

Lamar Wilkinson open-shoves all-in for his last $170,000 and is called by Sean Sheikhan in the small blind. Sheiky stands pat while Wilkinson draws one, but after Sheikhan turns up a nine-low Wilkinson mucks and surrenders the pot and his chance at a bracelet, hitting the rail in fourth place for $162,389.

We're now three-handed at the final table, with chip counts as follows:

Chip counts courtesy www.worldseriesofpoker.com

References to near-anonymous Kobe Bryant teammates courtesy www.PokerListings.com

Andy Black open-shoves for his last $250,000 and is called by Erik Seidel and Chad Brown in the blinds. All three players draw one card apiece and Seidel moves all-in. Brown folds and Seidel turns up a 9-8 while Black shows 8-7-4-4-3 for a pair of fours. The Irishman is thus eliminated, heading to the rail in fifth place and earning $118,101 for his troubles.

Freddy Deeb is crippled after doubling up Andy Black when Black makes an 8-7 drawing one and Deeb stands pat with a queen. A few hands later, the H.O.R.S.E. World Champion gets all-in for his last $45,000 and sees Shawn Sheikhan raise to $80,000. Erik Seidel calls and draws two cards while Deeb draws one and Sheiky shands pat. After Sheikhan checks, Seidel bets $145,000 and Sheikhan comes over the top all-in, prompting a fold from the Gentle Giant. Sheikhan shows an 8-7 and Deeb mucks, consigning himself to the rail in sixth place for $73,813.

The cards are back in the air from the Amazon Room and we're playing down to the bracelet. Here are the chip counts as the action resumes:

The remaining six players are on dinner break until 10:15 p.m.

Here are the chip counts as the players take their leave:

Chip counts courtesy www.worldseriesofpoker.com

Lamar Wilkinson raises to $60,000 from under the gun and Todd Brunson calls all-in for his last $51,000 on the button. Freddy Deeb joins the party from the big blind and he and Doyle's son draw one card while Wilkinson stands pat. He and Deeb stand pat and Deeb mucks a pair of sevens while Brunson shows a 10-low. Wilkinson has a 9-8 and it's good to take the pot and send Brunson to the rail. He's out in sixth place for $73,813.

It's Official

With the elimination of Barry Greenstein, it is officially a final table -- even though the final nine had been playing at the same table for some time. The final seven are also the money bubble, meaning the next player outed earns $51,669.

While they play for some Greenstein-free green, have a gander at the official chip count, as per www.worldseriesofpoker.com

Barry Seidel-Lined

Barry Greenstein was reportedly multi-tabling with the concurrent Ante Up for Africa charitable event. Perhaps even the multi-tabling master could not handle the pressures of playing Hank Azaria and Chad Brown in the same day, however, as Barry is busted.

Greenstein moved all-in under the gun, while Erik Seidel bumped it up to fold the rest of the players. Greenstein drew two cards to make 9-8-7-6-3; while Seidel took one to make 9-5-4-3-2 and rail Greenstein just short of the money.

Chip's Ahoy

Chip Reese raised under the gun, to be re-raised by Andy Black. Reese called; and neither player drew a card. Black moved all-in, showing 8-7-6-3-2 when Reese called. Reese mucked, going out of the event in ninth place.

The remaining eight players moved to a single table, where play will continue until one more elimination solidifies the final table.

Parris' Springtime

Parris Holmes moved in to be called by Freddy Deeb. Holmes drew one card; while Deeb stood pat to take it down with a queen low to Holmes' pair of nines. The move sent Holmes out in 10th place, three short of the final table and the money bubble. 

Allen Keyed

Allen Cunningham moved in after Sean Sheikhan raised. Sheikhan called, then drew one card -- while Cunningham stood pat, showing a jack. Sheikhan showed T-9-8-3-2; and Cunningham mucked to move out in 11th place.

Jesus: Out!

Jesus is out! Parris "Dutch" Holmes took him out in 12th place, leaving 3 more eliminations until the final table.

We're playing near the back of the room because of the Ante Up for Africa event. This is new to these players since they're all pretty high-profile and used to the frenzy of the railbirds. But today the attention is not on the poker stars - it's on the movie stars.

Here are the new chip counts and seatings:

Table 12

1: Eliminated

2: Chip Reese - $385,000

3: Eliminated

4: Todd Brunson - $210,000

5: Freddy Deeb - $107,000

6: Parris "Butch" Holmes - $275,000

7: Andrew Black - $263,000

Table 18

1. Chad Brown - $415,000

2. Shawn Sheikhan - $260,000

3. Barry Greenstein - $180,000

4. Allen Cunningham - $205,000

5. Erik Seidel - $480,000

6. Eliminated

7. Lamar Wilkinson - $290,000

FYI: There were a total of 78 entrants in this event, and over 230 re-buys - that's approximately 3 re-buys per player!

Jeff Lisandro has been eliminated by Andy Black in 15th place. Farzad Bonyadi was eliminated as well, in 14th place.

Thor Hansen has also been eliminated:

He got all-in pre-draw and was called by Chad Brown, who had 9-4-2-8-6. Thor spilled his cards while looking them over, but they were no good anyways. He goes home today in 13th place.

13 players remain; 4 more eliminations until we reach the final table.

The Amazon Room is quite packed at this time as everyone scrounges for a view of the Ante for Africa event that is set to start at 5 p.m.

This tournament is still stacked with pros as well, so they're not helping the crowd situation.

Here are the updated chip counts:

1. Barry Greenstein - $348,000

2. Allen Cunningham - $345,000

3. Todd Brunson - $340,000

4. Chad Brown - $325,000

5. Andy Black - $290,000

6. Shawn Sheikhan - $275,000

7. Erik Seidel - $219,000

8. Chip Reese - $210,000

9. Parris "Butch" Holmes - $170,000

10. Freddy Deeb - $155,000

11. Lamar Wilkinson - $147,000

12. Chris "Jesus" Ferguson - $128,000

Tom Schneider Eliminated in 17th Place

Tom Schneider was up against Allen Cunningham when he turned in his whole stack. But when Allen showed his hand - 3-5-6-7-8, Tom just mucked his hand and was eliminated.

This means Jeff Lisandro is in the good running for Player of the Year.  Tom Schneider was his competition but now that he's out, Jeff's safe.

Phillipe Rouas was eliminated by Shawn Sheikhan, in 16th place.

Here is the the new seating plan for the final 2 tables:

18:

1. Chad Brown

2. Shawn Sheikhan

3. Barry Greenstein

4. Allen Cunningham

5. Erik Seidel

6. Thor Hansen

7. Lamar Wilkinson

12:

1. Jeffrey Lisandro

2. Chip Reese

3. Chris Ferguson

4. Todd Brunson

5. Freddy Deeb

6. Parris "Butch" Holmes

7. Andy Black 

We're starting off the day with 17 players remaining in the field. We are playing at three tables, and here is the seating chart:

TABLE 12
Seat 1, Farzad Bonyadi - $112,500
Seat 2, Chad Brown - $318,000
Seat 3 ,Tom Schneider - $59,000
Seat 4, Allen Cunningham - $176,000
Seat 5 , - Chris "Jesus" Ferguson - $120,500
Seat 6, Parris 'Butch' Holmes - $163,000

TABLE 18
Seat 1, Andrew Black - $220,500
Seat 2, Erik Seidel - $250,500
Seat 3,  Freddy Deeb - $199,000
Seat 4,  Todd Brunson - $285,500 
Seat 7, Chip Reese - $184,000

TABLE 24
Seat 1, Lamar Wilkinson - $176,500
Seat 2, Thor Hansen - $92,000
Seat 3, Barry Greenstein - $50,500
Seat 4, Shawn Sheikhan - $437,500 
Seat 6, Jeff Lisandro - $214,500
Seat 7,  Phillipe Rouas - $29,500

The Top Chipholders:

1. Shawn Sheikhan - $437,500

2. Chad Brown - $318,000

3. Todd Brunson - $285,000 

4. Erik Seidel - $250,000

5. Jeff Lisandro - $214,500