Ferguson goes heads up with Bloch for title

By Jeff Haney

Sunday, March 2, 2008 | 6:32 p.m.

It's Chris Ferguson against Andy Bloch in the final round of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesars Palace. The best-of-three match is scheduled to begin shortly at Caesars.

Ferguson ousted Phil Ivey in the semifinals, and Bloch got past Huck Seed. Ivey and Seed each earned $125,000. The winner will receive $500,000 with $250,000 going to the runner-up.

This is Ferguson's third trip to the final table in the tournament's four years. He lost to Phil Helmuth in 2005 and to Ted Forrest in 2006.

Ferguson won a relatively short match this afternoon against Ivey when Ivey went all-in with an open-ended straight draw, but Ferguson's pocket 8s held up.

Bloch and Seed played a longer match with both players exhibiting more deliberate styles. On the deciding hand Bloch, holding ace-queen, put Seed all-in with pocket 9s. The flop came 5-6-2 and the turn was another 6, but the ace of clubs on the river clinched the match for Bloch.