NBC's Face the Ace

[Dreamkiller]

Lets hope no:3 isn't Phil Ivey for his sake .... $200 k on the line .... :cry....... Online Qualifier goes for $1 Million on new Poker Show NBC’s newest poker reality series “Face The Ace” gives online player Don Topel a chance to show the poker world that online poker is up to par with live poker as he gets his shot at $1 million this Saturday when the second episode airs at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Hosted by former Sopranos star Steve Schirripa, the show sees online qualifiers face off in a heads-up match of no limit hold’em against top flight professionals. If the pro wins, $10,000 is donated to charity. If the qualifier wins, he earns prize money and faces a decision: take the money, or put it on the line against another pro for an even bigger prize? Any qualifier who can win three consecutive matches gets to walk away with a cool million dollars! Topel’s journey to being a millionair hasn’t been an easy battle. Before he could even think about appearing on the televised heads up match, he had to beat out over hundreds of opponents in a series of online qualifier tournaments. Just when he thought it was over, Topel would move on to face some of poker’s toughest players once he actually made it to the show. Talk about really working for your money. Facing his first opponent, 2008 WSOP Player of the Year Erick Lindgren, Topel struggled, but then realized he had to pull it together and did so just in time to beat out the Pro and advance to the next round. The second round saw Topel put his prize money on the line to face off with two-time WSOP bracelet winner Howard “The Professor” Lederer. Once again the pro jumped out to the lead before being reined back in by Topel. The amateur flopped top pair on the last hand against Lederer’s baby flush draw, and the pair held to award Topel $200,000. Rather than take the money and run, Topel has decided to stake his newfound cash on a third match with $1,000,000 on the line.

[RuleBritannia]

Re: NBC's Face the Ace

Lets hope no:3 isn't Phil Ivey for his sake .... $200 k on the line .... :cry....... Online Qualifier goes for $1 Million on new Poker Show NBC’s newest poker reality series “Face The Ace” gives online player Don Topel a chance to show the poker world that online poker is up to par with live poker as he gets his shot at $1 million this Saturday when the second episode airs at 9:00 p.m. EDT. Hosted by former Sopranos star Steve Schirripa, the show sees online qualifiers face off in a heads-up match of no limit hold’em against top flight professionals. If the pro wins, $10,000 is donated to charity. If the qualifier wins, he earns prize money and faces a decision: take the money, or put it on the line against another pro for an even bigger prize? Any qualifier who can win three consecutive matches gets to walk away with a cool million dollars! Topel’s journey to being a millionair hasn’t been an easy battle. Before he could even think about appearing on the televised heads up match, he had to beat out over hundreds of opponents in a series of online qualifier tournaments. Just when he thought it was over, Topel would move on to face some of poker’s toughest players once he actually made it to the show. Talk about really working for your money. Facing his first opponent, 2008 WSOP Player of the Year Erick Lindgren, Topel struggled, but then realized he had to pull it together and did so just in time to beat out the Pro and advance to the next round. The second round saw Topel put his prize money on the line to face off with two-time WSOP bracelet winner Howard “The Professor” Lederer. Once again the pro jumped out to the lead before being reined back in by Topel. The amateur flopped top pair on the last hand against Lederer’s baby flush draw, and the pair held to award Topel $200,000. Rather than take the money and run, Topel has decided to stake his newfound cash on a third match with $1,000,000 on the line.

Sure I read the other day that Gavin Smith beat him in the $1m game :ok

[RuleBritannia]

Re: NBC's Face the Ace I did.... http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/face-the-ace-don-topel-loses-1-million-dollar-match-4009/ Face the Ace: Don Topel Loses $1 Million Match By Dan Cypra for POKER NEWS DAILY | Posted on August 09, 2009 Full Tilt Poker pro Gavin Smith was the executioner of “Face the Ace” contestant Don Topel on Saturday night in the $1 million match; Topel walked away with nothing. The NBC poker show returns on September 12th. A spoiler posted on Poker News Daily last week stated that Topel picked the door marked with the ace of clubs, which turned out to be Gavin Smith. Sure enough, Topel selected the ace of clubs and the World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year during Season 4 strolled out. On his opponent for the monumental $1 million match, Topel commented, “I like Gavin. I like the way he plays. We’re one in the same. I’m expecting a tough match.” Blinds began at 2,000-4,000, with Topel and Smith starting with stacks of 500,000. Smaller pots between Smith and Topel characterized play in the early going. In one hand, Topel picked up pocket queens and raised to 30,000. Smith looked down at Q-10 and made the call. The flop came 10-8-K and the action went check-check. An ace hit the turn, a scare card for Topel’s queens, and the action once again went check-check. The river was a seven. Smith led out for 35,000 and Topel remarked that he thought the Full Tilt pro had a pair of 10s and made the call. “Face the Ace” commentator Ali Nejad called the move “a great read and a terrific play.” Topel folded 2-9 pre-flop in a hand where Smith held pocket kings to avoid disaster. However, the Canadian sensation made his stand shortly thereafter. Topel picked up Q-9 pre-flop and called, while Smith checked his option with Q-10. The flop came 5-Q-10, giving Smith top two pair and the challenger top pair. Smith checked, Topel bet 15,000, Smith put in a check-raise to 43,000, and Topel called. The turn was a three, leaving Topel drawing dead. Smith led out for 86,000 and Topel quickly released his hand. Smith asked whether Topel wanted to see one or both of his cards and flipped up the winning hand. An segue to commercial called Smith a “dream crusher,” a title he held true to after putting Topel all-in with A-6 against K-5. Nejad came to the table to explain the situation as “Face the Ace” host and former “Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa watched intently. The flop came A-3-4, leaving Smith as an 82% favorite to win the hand. A nine on the turn and four on the river didn’t change the situation and Topel departed with nothing. On his opponent, Smith commented, “I think he played great. I got hit on the head with the deck. I wouldn’t miss. If you always have the best hand, it’s hard to lose.” Topel defeated Erick Lindgren and Howard Lederer last week to set up Saturday’s match against Smith. Marcia Owens was the third contestant to take to the felts on “Face the Ace.” An ER nurse from Troy, Illinois who played poker live and online, Owens selected the ace of diamonds, Gus Hansen. By the way, Hansen was voted one of People Magazine’s sexiest men of the year in 2004, something new I learned today. In the defining moment of the $40,000 match, the overly star-struck contestant put in min-raise with A-10 against Hansen’s pocket tens pre-flop. The flop came 3-3-10 and the action went check-check. The turn came a six and Owens bet 4,000. Hansen made the call with a boat and the river was an ace, improving Owens to aces-up. Owens bet 4,000, Hansen made it 10,000, and Owens called, leaving herself with just three big blinds. After a double-up with A-8 against Hansen’s pocket fives, Owens was all-in with Q-8 against Hansen’s A-4. The flop came K-6-6, leaving Owens calling for a queen or an eight. However, the turn and river fell a nine and six, respectively, giving the $40,000 match to “The Great Dane.” “Face the Ace” will now take a one month hiatus, returning to fill an afternoon timeslot on September 12th at 2:00pm ET. Here’s a look at the remaining schedule for NBC’s “Face the Ace”: September 12th, 2009 – 2:00pm ET October 31st, 2009 – 3:30pm ET November 14th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET December 12th, 2009 – 3:00pm ET January 2nd, 2010 – 2:30pm ET

[Dreamkiller]

Re: NBC's Face the Ace Ouch ........ :( ...... I'd have deffo took the $200k .... for the fact that you could be a 10 to 1 chip leader in the $1m game and still lose ....:sad. Of course he may not have needed the money , went in on a freeroll etc etc but regardless of all that if you are in profit i've learnt to take that profit when you can in poker. IMHO.