The first match is a clash between the numbers one and two in the standing of the Americas conference. There is only a three point difference between the two teams.
If Olivier Busquet can score a 2-1 win today, the two teams will be tied at the top of the table. If Busquet wins 3-0, the LA Sunset will take over the top spot. Any other score keeps the Montreal Nationals in first place after today's matches.
What can you expect from the Global Poker League today? Every heads-up match will be played over three heats between the same players. They start each heat with 50,000 chips apiece.
Levels last 4 minutes and they will start with 200/400-blinds and an ante of 40. Both players start each heat with an 18-minute game clock. Meaning they have a total of 18 minutes to make all their decisions. If a player runs out of time, he will be put in the so-called 'hot seat'. He then has 4 seconds to act for every decision, if he fails to act, he will automatically fold or check his option.
Winning a heat gives the players team three points for the Global Poker League conference standings. So there is a total of nine points for grabs in every match.
The first battle of the day, is a rematch of the match Marc-André Ladouceur and Olivier Busquet played on may 5th. Ladouceur will be looking for revanche, as he lost two of the three heats in that match.
The manager of the Montreal Nationals only scored three points in that match but knows how to win in this format. He defeated Igor Yaroshevsky 2-1 in his only other heads-up battle in this inaugural season of the Global Poker League.
Olivier Busquet has a fine track record in the GPL heads-up matches. Not only did he score a win against Ladouceur, but he won six of his seven matches. All with a 2-1 score. Felipe Ramos was the only beating Busquet (2-1).
It's the last day of Week 9 of the Global Poker League. After Tuesday's 6-max matches and yesterday's Eurasia heads-up battles, today it's time for the Americas conference.
Like yesterday there are three heads-up matches scheduled for today. At 1pm EDT (7pm CEST), so in about 15 minutes, the action will get underway we this first match.
Olivier Busquet, representing the LA Sunset, will take on, Montreal NationalsMarc-André Ladouceur.
After their three heats, it's time for the battle between the New York Rounders and the Sao Paulo Metropolitans. The Rouders selected Tom Marchese. The Mets' pick is Byron Kaverman.
At 6pm EDT the last match of this week will start. Jonathan Jaffe will play for the San Francisco Rush. He will face Jake Cody from the Las Vegas Moneymakers