Classic WSOP Battles Re-screened

Catch the classic heads up battles from the main event of the WSOP on ESPN – details here.

In what promises to be an action packed spectacular, the World Series of Poker has decided to recreate some of the classic matchups in its spectacular history by holding 3 legendary heads up matches using the same 6 players as were the last 2 left standing during various WSOP main events. ESPN have come on board with the WSOP and will be screening all 3 exciting heads up matches.
The 3 heads up games being advertised are Chris Moneymaker versus Sammy Farha, Johnny Chan against Phil Helmuth with the 3rd match to be decided by poker fans around the globe who will vote as to which of the following 4 matches they would like to see replayed; Chan vs. Erik Seidel from the 1988 WSOP, Greg Raymer vs. David Williams from 2004, Jamie Gold vs. Paul Wasicka from 2007 or Jonathan Duhamel vs. John Racener from last year.
Each of these heads up matches represents an important period in the history of the WSOP. They will either be from prior to the Poker boom that was kick started by Chris Moneymaker’s victory over Sammy Farha. That was back in the days when the prize for winning the main event was a mere $2.5 million rather than the over $8 million that the winner receives today. It was this event, more than any other that captured the imagination of people all over the world who promptly went to their computers and started playing poker.
The match between Johnny Chan and Phil Helmuth will see Helmuth attempt to repeat his performance as a young 22 year old player who took on and defeated the poker master Chan to gain poker glory and the reputation as the ‘bad boy’ of poker. This was way back at the 1989 World Series when the internet wasn’t even heard of yet and poker was still resigned to that small group of pros able to manipulate the cards and read the tells as live games were the only way to play.
The great aspect about the 3rd and final matchup is that the fans decide who it will be by voting on Facebook. The event has already been created on the social networking site and fans simply have to join the page to vote for their favourite match. All 3 of them are already classics including last year’s surprising win by new poker face Jonathan Duhamel, the first Canadian to win the main event. Fans of the popular movie Rounders, starring Matt Damon and Ed Norton will recognise the match between Erik Seidel and Jonny Chan from the movie.