THE MOTHER OF ALL HEADS UPS?

25 April 2008

Brunson vs. Antonius will pit an Internet trained ace against a poker legend


Poker legend Doyle Brunson's challenge that he will play anyone, for any amount at any variety of poker has been taken up by Finnish Internet and land tournament star Patrik Antonius, and negotiations are now in progress on the game to be played and the likely very high stakes involved.

The parties have around 10 different poker styles from which to to choose, and with significant poker earnings stashed away over the years by both players, the stakes will undoubtedly be impressive. Both players are posting on their blogs about the upcoming clash, generating plenty of interest, speculation....and probably a few side bets on the duel, too.

Brunson and Antonius will be analysing each others strengths and weaknesses in making the critical choices. Antonius (28) is one of the best online and offline players of the new generation, playing frequently for the highest stakes on the Internet and in land tourneys. His income from cash games is unknown, but believed to be substantial, and in tournament earnings he has already topped $2.6 million against some of the world's top exponents of a variety of poker styles including Omaha, HORSE and of course Texas Hold 'Em.

At 75 years old, Brunson has a vast range of experience and success in poker. Besides his two WSOP Main Event successes in 1976 and 1977, he was the first player ever to earn more than a million dollars in tournaments. Since then, the wily and highly skilled veteran has racked up over $5.3 million.

With ten WSOP event winner bracelets, cash games tend to be Brunson's forte - probably a consequence of his years on the road with some of poker's other legends. His bestselling book, Super System, was one of the first modern poker books, still read and appreciated by thousands of poker players decades after it was orginally published and the subject of several editions.

The clash of these two widely differing players is likely to be one of the key "novelty interest" events in the world of poker, and the rules for the heads up are eagerly anticipated by many poker fans.

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