The hotly-anticipated highstakes duel between Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth has been postponed until the end of the month because of COVID-19 issues, though neither player is involved in the health concerns…
🚨HIGH STAKES DUEL II RESCHEDULED🚨 (Due to a non-player covid concern)
March 31 | 8pm ET 📆https://t.co/IZ8eeSqGUp pic.twitter.com/vNHvqofqY4— PokerGO News (@PokerGOnews) March 13, 2021
Hellmuth vs. Negreanu Duel delayed!
Kid Poker and the Poker Brat were due to throwing hands starting tomorrow in the PokerGo studios in Las Vegas. However, that has now been delayed until March 31st at the earliest.
The Highstakes Duel match will see both players putting up an initial $50,000, with the loser having the right to a rematch at double the stakes.
Hellmuth has already proven his skill at the SNG-style format, taking $350,000 from Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari. After a first-round loss, Esfandiari said, “We’re very good friends, but when it comes to poker, we still go at it as hard as two people can. If I lose again I might just jump.”
Hellmuth proved unstoppable, but had kind words for his long-time friend after winning round two: “We have a great rivalry, it’s been a lot of fun. He’s just a great player. My usual tricks don’t work against him.”
If you missed the match, you can check out the top 5 hands below, to get a flavor of just how exciting the High Stakes Duel format is…
Back to the Negreanu versus Hellmuth match-up, and there now appears to be a real edge between the pair – their friendship turning rather sour in recent weeks.
That began when Phil bad-mouthed Daniel’s play in his $1.2million loss Grudge Match against Doug Polk, and Kid Poker immediately hit back with a challenge…
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? https://t.co/ac9KVpwuaO
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) February 10, 2021
Negreanu attacking Hellmuth’s tournament record
What followed saw Negreanu launch a lengthy attack on Hellmuth’s tournament record, tweeting: “I took a deeper dive into @phil_hellmuthtourney record. For a guy who thinks he can beat $25k and higher buy in events against the world’s best players, the record doesn’t show any such thing.”
Hellmuth was quick to respond: “Believe I only played 30-40 High Roller tourneys in my life: winning money at One Drop AND SHRB! I won over $10 million in cash games ($2.2m last 15 months).
He added: “I don’t disrespect today’s players; I’m not saying I am better. But, some sure disrespect my play w small sample size.”
That all led to a $200k bet, with Negreanu laying odds of 2-1, that Hellmuth couldn’t show a profit over fifty of the Aria’s $25k buy-in Super High Roller tournaments.
With Negreanu claiming he was justified in attacking Hellmuth – “he came at me unprovoked” – the to-and-fro had other top-name players chiming in on the feud. First up, highstakes tournament crusher Jason Koon…
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) March 8, 2021
Doyle Brunson stepping in
…followed by the granddaddy of all poker legends…
I have always said I like @phil_hellmuth over ANYBODY in a large field hold em tournament at the WSOP. GTO hasn't changed my opinion. How can you not respect this man's game?
— Doyle Brunson (@TexDolly) March 8, 2021
…and including a poker fanatic who has won more money on bets than all of them put together, Haralabob Voulgaris, who was less than complimentary about the public squabbling…
https://twitter.com/haralabob/status/1370173505967325186?s=20
Meanwhile, Hellmuth seemed to be getting rather fed up with the verbal tennis himself. Therefore, he was tweeting out at Daniel: “I also said, in the same breath/same interview, that you are a great poker player, that I bet on you!
He added: “I didn’t like how you played in one match? Yep. So you attack my legacy, my lifetime achievements, w lies? Because I criticized you in one match? Not cool. Get over it. I’m done.”
When the High Stakes Feud does eventually kick off, it now looks likely to rival the intensity of the Negreanu-Polk Grudge Match, and we’ll bring you all the best of the action on and off the table as it progresses.
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