Chris Ferguson Wins NBC National Heads-up Poker Championships

The 2008 NBC National Heads-up Poker Championships came to a close this past weekend, and a familiar name was left standing at the end.

Chris "Jesus" Ferguson emerged from an elite group of professional players to win the tournament that was held at Caesars in Las Vegas. He received $500,000 for the win.

The tournament mixes sixty four people, celebrities and professional players, in a bracket style tournament in which players go head to head against each other. Each time a player wins, they move on to the next round and a new opponent.

The final match is played in a best out of three format. Ferguson got to the final pairing by beating fellow pro Phil Ivey in the semi finals. His opponent that he took down was Andy Bloch, who beat Huck Seed to reach the finals.

Ferguson has fared very well at these heads up tournaments. In 2005 he was beaten in the finals by Phil Hellmuth. Then, in 2006, he again returned to the finals and was defeated by Ted Forrest.

Turns out the third time was a charm for Ferguson after he outlasted Bloch and won the title. Bloch received $250,000 for finishing the tournament in second place.

Orel Hershiser made a name for himself in the poker world with an impressive run through the tournament, but he fizzled out in the end and finished in seventh place. He won $75,000.

March 3, 2008
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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