NBC HEADS UP CHALLENGE GOES TO JESUS

7 March 2008

$500 000 reward for new 2008 National Heads Up Champion


Internationally respected poker pro Chris "Jesus" Ferguson is the new 2008 National Heads Up Champion, beating Andy Bloch in a final heads up to collect the winner's cheque for $500 000 this week.

To win, Ferguson had to individually encounter and best ace players like John Juanda, Gavin Smith, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Jonathan Little, Phil Ivey and his final opponent Andy Bloch.

It took three days of stressful action involving 63 of the planet's best players (see previous InfoPowa report) to reach the final heads up, Ferguson's third attempt at the big title - he came in second on previous seasons.

In the best of three final, Bloch won the first game and Ferguson came back to take both the second and the third. In the semifinals, Andy Bloch defeated Huck Seed and Chris Ferguson beat Phil Ivey.

The two finalists can boast some impressive intellectual firepower. Ferguson has a Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA and Bloch has two electrical engineering degrees from MIT and a JD from Harvard Law School to his credit, and was part of the MIT Blackjack Team featured in the non-fiction book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship features 64 poker players competing in a series of heads-up No Limit Texas Hold'em matches to determine the best heads-up poker player. This tournament has a unique, single-elimination, bracket-style format with the finals decided on the best of three. The brackets are set during the tournament’s draw party held prior to the event.

This year's event saw many upsets such as 2007 NHPC champion Paul Wasicka losing to Freddy Deeb and Shannon Elizabeth, eliminated by Bloch. Other big name exits in the first round were Daniel Negreanu, Howard (The Professor) Lederer and 2007 NHPC runner-up Chad Brown. Five-time WSOP bracelet winners Ted Forrest and Allen Cunningham were also casualties, together with WSOP champ Joe Hachem. Erik Seidel, Greg Raymer Johnny Chan, Gus Hansen, JC Tran and Internet ace Tom Dwan.

Celebrity participants included Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Tilly - all defeated in the first round.

The tournament was taped for broadcast and will air on NBC over six consecutive Sundays in April and May, beginning on April 13.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa