ShareImage courtesy of PokerGO.com
Phil Hellmuth has defeated Nick Wright in the first round of High Stakes Duel III. The 15-time WSOP bracelet winner is riding the crest of a wave in this format with back-to-back match victories against Antonio Esfandiari and Daniel Negreanu: Can anybody defeat him and put a dent into his 7-0 record?
On a Roll
While Nick Wright isn’t a professional player, many still expected him to have a chance in this sit&go format. The Fox Sports host says he has plenty of cash game experience which should at least have given him some kind of framework to operate within.When the two squared up in the PokerGO studio at the Aria Casino, the fans were expecting a decent fight in the $50,000 battle.
There was even a hitch before the game started, over what the agreed blind levels would be. Hellmuth stood his ground and insisted he would only play 30 minute levels, as previously agreed.
Alas, it was not to be Wright’s day, as after five and a half hours Phil Hellmuth proved he was too strong for the amateur, gradually increasing his advantage after the first couple of hours until he was home and dry.
In fact those first two hours saw Hellmuth complaining about his luck in typical style before he finally turned things around and really got going, so the viewers definitely got their money’s worth.
Round 2?
All eyes are now on Nick Wright to see if he will challenge Phil Hellmuth for the double-or-quits round two. The rules dictate that the first round loser must pay $100,000 to buy into a further match, with an insane $200,000 for a third bite at the cherry, if needed.We await news on whether or not the battle will continue.
