Negreanu vs Hellmuth Heads-up Match is on!

It’s on! Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth will square off this month in a live heads-up Highstakes Duel, and the bookies have DNegs as the hot favourite to defeat his old friend and rival…

PokerShares currently have Negreanu at 1.61, that’s -164 in the US system and about 2/3 in UK betting numbers, which basically means DNegs is about 60% to win. Hellmuth meanwhile is at 2.45, (145 or 3/2, which is around 40% to win).

Negreanu’s new-found skill at the heads-up game is what has swayed the betting markets in his favour, an expensive $1.2million lesson at the hands of Doug Polk in their epic Grudge Match teaching him plenty about mano-a-mano poker.

Though hardly a ‘grudge match’, the DNegs vs PokerBrat duel came about after Hellmuth said he was “disappointed” in Negreanu’s play against Polk.

That prompted the following challenge from the GGPoker ambassador: “Yo @phil_hellmuth you said you watched “zero” of the match but seem to have strong opinions on the play. I’ll play you a heads up match live, online, at any stakes you feel comfortable with for as many hands as you would like. Wanna play big guy?”

In fact, when the Hellmuth-Negreanu showdown was first mooted, Polk was among those looking to make a quick buck…

However, the highly-anticipated battle with the Poker Brat will be as far from the Negreanu-Polk 25k-hands, two-table online fight as you can get, and Helmuth has already shown his prowess at shorter, live heads-up matches.

Recently, Hellmuth spanked Antonio Esfandiari three times, taking a total of $350,000 from ‘The Magician’ in the opening bouts of Highstakes Duel.

Hellmuth was also quick to point out his lack of fear – ready and willing to take on a list of legendary all-comers…

…and reminded those looking to get their money on Negreanu that he had won 29 out 32 career heads-up battles, and was shocked at Negreanu’s claims to be the favourite.

Hellmuth tweeted: “Man! @RealKidPoker says I’m 2.5-to-1 underdog in our heads-up match in “High Stakes Duel,” on @PokerGo App! Not sure I’ve ever been such a big underdog before, ouchie!!”

The rules for the Highstakes Duel can be seen below:

• Players each post $50K for a Round 1 purse of $100K.
  
• Losing players may play the next round by matching the outstanding prize pool within three days of the lost match.†
  
• Losing players always have the first right to challenge, but the same loser may only do so three times in a single duel series.
  
• If a loser declines, new players may submit a challenge. If no challenger comes forward within 30 days, the winner may cash out.
  
• If a winning streak starts during Rounds 1–3, players may cash out after three consecutive wins.
  
• If a winning streak starts during Round 4 or later, players may cash out after two consecutive wins.
  

Of course, we will be bringing you all the best of the action as and when it happens right here on HighstakesDB, so stay tuned!