Huck Seed wins NBC Heads-Up title

1996 WSOP Champion Huck Seed has won the 2009 NBC Heads-Up Championship at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas. Seed is one the game’s most likeable characters and had been one of the favourites coming into this year’s event having cashed in all four previous years. Seed picks up a cool $ 500,000 for the win.

The NBC Heads-Up Championship is an invitation-only field of 64 players that each put up $ 20k to play. Since its inception in 2005 it has quickly become one of the most-watched and anticipated poker TV shows of the year. The field is generally regarded as one of the toughest in the world and 2009’s roster included reigning champion Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson and Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan to name just a few.

Seed had to get through Jonathan Little, Gus Hansen, Glen Chorny and cash game specialist David Oppenheim on his way to the final where he met PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso.

The recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue ‘star’ had been on an amazing roll throughout the Championship, defeating as tough a field as anyone could have imagined. First up was Brunson, then Phil Ivey, followed by 2007 champ Paul Wasicka and finally Daniel Negreanu to reach the final. It looked like a fairytale run for her until Huck brought her crashing back to earth with a calculated 2-0 victory for the Championship. Rousso picked up $ 250k as runner-up though, as her star continues to rise. The real plaudits go to Huck Seed however, a quiet and respected professional who may now be rightfully recognised as one of the best players in the game.