Wasicka wins NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship

5 March 2007

By Aaron Todd

Paul Wasicka will no longer face questions about his heads-up strategy.

Wasicka, who lost to Jamie Gold in heads-up play in the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, beat Chad Brown to claim the 2007 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship yesterday at Caesar's Palace.

Wasicka won $500,000, while Brown won $250,000 for finishing second.

Wasicka defeated Nam Le to advance to the semifinal round, then beat actress Shannon Elizabeth to advance to the best -of-three championship match. Wasicka needed just two matches to defeat Brown and join Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest as winners of the made-for-television tournament.

It's been quite a week for Wasicka, who also finished fourth at the L.A. Poker Classic to win $455,615 on Thursday.

Brown, the 2006 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year, defeated Kristy Gazes in the quarterfinals and Gavin Smith in the semifinals.

Elizabeth defeated Costa Rican pro Humberto Brenes to advance to the semifinals, while Smith beat Andy Bloch. Both semifinalists won $125,000.

NBC will broadcast the Heads-Up Poker Championship starting at noon on Sunday, April 8, with the semifinal and championship rounds slated to run on Sunday, May 20.