2009 NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship Update

Written by:
Ace King
Published on:
Mar/07/2009

This 2009 NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship update and latest results from Gambling911.com was as of Saturday night 7:30 pm EST.  There were 24 remaining players out of 64.  That field was to be narrowed down to 16, then 8 finalists, similar to the March Madness NCAA brackets structure.

Let's look at who is still in as of press time.

David Williams is still around.  He made news last month when it was revealed he had been dating Playboy model Aubrey O'Day.  Once she caught wind of his unusual foot fetish by reading Gambling911.com, O'Day promptly broke up with David Williams.  

Who needs her David?  Right?

Keep your head held high and feet to the ground David....and out of your mouth.

Kenny Tran, Glen Chorny, Sam Farha, Erick Lindgren, David Oppenheim remained in the running.

Then there was Huck Seed.  He's the 1996 World Series of Poker main event winner and has amassed over $4 million in total live tournament winnings.  More impressive perhaps, he has four WSOP bracelets.

Others in the running include John Phan, Barry Greenstein, Juan Juanda (who was one of the 2008 WSOP finalists) and Scotty Nguyen.  Mr. Nguyen won the 1998 WSOP main event and has amassed more than $10 million in live tournament winnings. 

Everybody's favorite, Daniel Negreanu, remains in the running and continues to demonstrate why he is one of the most revered poker players in the world today.  Phil Hellmuth Jr. also is in the running and he is - by most accounts - the best poker player ever.

Gabe Kaplan (Mr. Kotter), Phil Ivey, Ilari Sahamies and Paul Wasicka are in the running still.

Vanessa Rousso continues her string of good luck. 

"I'm probably the last person in the world that you would of thought to be a professional poker player," Rousso told Gambling911.com's Jenny Woo this weekend.  "I was more on the path to be a Wall Street lawyer or an investment bank or something like that.  I graduated the top of my class in high school; I was valedictorian and took a scholarship at Duke.  I was a super nerd going the academic route.  The thing is I've always been one of the "guys type" of girl; all of my friends have been guys..  When I got to law school in Miami, the group of friends that I made were guys that liked to play poker."

Then there is the uber popular Tom "Durr" Dwan, Dario Minieri, Bertrand Gropellier, Don Cheadle and Jeffrey Ishbia.  All in it to win it heading into the 8 pm hour.

Ace King, Gambling911.com

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