The $25k buy-in NLHE Heads-Up Championship got underway on the opening day of the 2011 World Series of Poker on Tuesday, and attracted a field of precisely 128 players –which likely had tournament officials doing cartwheels and back-flips as logistically this is the perfect number for a bracket-style tournament.

32 of the original entrants made it through to Day 2 of the event yesterday, and after two rounds of play we are down to just eight players who will play down to the final two during Thursday’s action, followed by the final match on Friday.

Here is a look at the Elite Eight matchups for Thursday:

•    Jake Cody vs. Anthony Guetti
•    Gus Hansen vs. Matt Marafioti
•    Eric Froehlich vs. Nikolay Evdakov
•    Yevgeniy Timoshenko vs. David Paredes

On the line is the $851,192 that will go to the winner, with each of the final eight players guaranteed a very healthy payday of $138,852. The eight players eliminated during the Sweet Sixteen all received $67,436, including Tom Dwan, Richard ‘nutsinho’ Lyndaker, and last year’s Heads-Up Champion John Duthie:

•    Tom Dwan — $67,436
•    Steve Billirakis — $67,436
•    John Duthie — $67,436
•    Olivier Busquet — $67,436
•    Richard Lyndaker — $67,436
•    Kunimaro Kojo — $67,436
•    Mikhail Smirnov — $67,436
•    Jonathan Jaffe — $67,436

The most anticipated matchup on Thursday has to be between Gus Hansen and online star, and brash-talker, Matt Marifioti. But don’t sleep on Eric Froehlich (my pick to win it all)!

Tags: 25k, Champion John, Doing Cartwheels, Elite Eight, Final Match, Gus Hansen, Jaffe, John Duthie, Kojo, Matchup, Matchups, Mikhail Smirnov, Opening Day, Paredes, Perfect Number, Steve Billirakis, Sweet Sixteen, Tom Dwan, Tournament Officials, World Series of Poker

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