Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu are days away from settling one of the longest-standing feuds in poker, and fans will get to see the first part of the match on Nov. 4 — live from the PokerGo Studio.
The bulk of the heads-up No-Limit Hold’em challenge will take place online at WSOP.com, but the poker pros have agreed to begin the match on a physical felt as opposed to a virtual poker table. Polk only agreed to the stipulation, he said on Twitter, if fans could view it for free. So, Poker Central obliged and will air the first 200 hands of the $200/$400 cash game competition for free to viewers on the PokerGo app, YouTube, and Facebook.
The first 200 hands are going to be live, for free, on poker go.
The only thing I asked for in exchange for it being live was it to be free to watch. Lets roll! https://t.co/VslfJdarWZ
— Doug Polk (@DougPolkVids) October 30, 2020
Negreanu would clearly prefer to play most, if not all, of the match live. While Polk, an online heads-up legend, wanted to grind it out on the internet, for obvious reasons. They’ve agreed to start it off from the PokerGo Studio in Las Vegas, a minor compromise.
Still, the heads-up match between the feuding pros will mostly take place online, where Polk thrives. They’ve agreed to play at least 12,500 hands of high-stakes NLH, and just 200 of them — or 1.6% — will be dealt at a physical casino. The match could end up at 25,000 hands. That all depends on the decision of the losing player after 12,500 hands have been completed. If the player who is down at that point opts to quit, they have a right to do so. Or, that individual can choose to require another 12,500 hands be played.
Who Will Win — Polk or Negreanu?
The upcoming grudge match could be one for the ages. Or, it could be a total dud with one of the players dominating the action and winning by as much as $1 million or more.
Both Polk and Negreanu admit the match will come down to how well Negreanu plays, not how well Polk performs. That’s because, as they’ve both said, Polk has mastered HU NLH, and is expected to perform at a high level.
If Negreanu expects to keep this match competitive, he’ll need to make adjustments and improve throughout the match. If he doesn’t, he’s likely to be out a significant amount of money.
