2011 National Heads-Up Championship (spoilers likely in thread)

[shamanalix]

Beware spoilers in this section if you don't want to know what happens until it appears on NBC starting April 17.

I can't wait. The Heads-Up Championship is this weekend in Las Vegas, and I'll be following the action via online reports (Poker News, Card Player, Bluff, NBC, whereever).

Full Tilt Blogs is having a contest that closes at 3p ET Friday (today). Only for swag, but fun nevertheless. My picks:

Winner: Eugene Katchalov
Runner-Up: David Williams
Semifinalists: John Juanda, Chris Ferguson
Beware of: Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Cates, Sam Trickett, Phil Hellmuth, Vanessa Selbst.
Late withdrawal: defending champ Annie Duke.

Anybody up for a little pool after all today's first-round matches trim the field (our deadline would be Saturday morning)? Or a pool before Sunday's action begins (I think quarterfinals, semis and finals are Sunday)? I'm a bettin' buckmaniac! Post here or PM me.

And good luck all...

[shamanalix]

Leave it to the Shamster to make things too easy for ya. Here's today's first-round schedule (all Pacific time):

12:15 — Diamonds Bracket
Betrand Grospellier vs. Justin Young
Joe Hachem vs. Phil Galfond
Vanessa Selbst vs. Eli Elezra
Peter Eastgate vs. Chris Ferguson
Huck Seed vs. Jennifer Harman
Erik Seidel vs. Allen Cunningham
Mike Matusow vs. Greg Raymer
Tom Marchese vs. Phil Gordon

2:15 — Clubs Bracket
Dwyte Pilgrim vs. Olivier Busquet
Liv Boeree vs. Jason Alexander
Jason Mercier vs. Ted Forrest
Andy Bloch vs. John Juanda
Barry Greenstein vs. Scotty Nguyen
Annette Obrestad vs. Ayaz Mahmood
Jonathan Duhamel vs. Melburn Whitmire
Nicolas Chouity vs. Antonio Esfandiari

5:15 — Hearts Bracket
Kara Scott vs. David Peat
David Williams vs. Emmitt Smith
Gavin Smith vs. Gus Hansen
James Bord vs. Frank Kassela
Phil Laak vs. Daniel Negreanu
Michael Mizrachi vs. Vanessa Rousso
Don Cheadle vs. Tom Dwan
Phil Hellmuth vs. David Benyamine

8:15 — Spades Bracket
Doyle Brunson vs. Jennifer Tilly
Erick Lindgren vs. Dennis Phillips
Dan Cates vs. Phil Ivey
John Racener vs. Chris Moneymaker
Carlos Mortensen vs. Sam Trickett
Eric Baldwin vs. David Oppenheim
Patrik Antonius vs. Sorel Mizzi
Eugene Katchalov vs. Faraz Jaka