Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk will meet in a $100,000-entry heads-up match in August after the famous frenemies agreed a deal to appear as the latest High Stakes Duel on PokerGO. With the two poker legends going head-to-head at the live felt, will Kid Poker or his conqueror from their online bout of 32 months ago prevail?
Negreanu Announces the Round 2 Match
It’s been a long time since Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk broke the internet during the COVID-19 lockdown to play heads-up for a seven-figure sum. On that occasion, Doug Polk got the better of Kid Poker to the tune of $1.2 million, but what many people might forget is that Negreanu had much the better of the first 200 hands which took place in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA.
Here’s how that initial ‘High Stakes Feud’ was hyped by both men.
Another heads-up match that likely takes a long time to determine a winner starts Wednesday with the first 200 hands of the 'High Stakes Feud' on @PokerGo between Negreanu and Polk. pic.twitter.com/GZUs7eoBjv
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) November 3, 2020
Winning the first 200 hands bode well for Kid Poker’s hopes, but across the other thousands of hands, it was Polk who easily got the better of his opponent, winning the eventual battle for a total result of $1.2 million. Negreanu was chilled about it, but after three years, is looking forward to getting his revenge.
ICYMI: High Stakes Duel 4 Round 2 is coming in August. @RealKidPoker v @DougPolkVids.
? – Find out more about the upcoming match here: https://t.co/UYnDVVWgjU pic.twitter.com/eHedS09cnU
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 28, 2023
What Are the Rules?
The return of High Stakes Duel comes with a slight change to the rules of the game. This is the 2nd round of HSD IV, after Negreanu beat Eric Persson in the first round, and comprehensively, too. Persson immediately turned down the rematch, as the cash game ‘Maverick’ bowed out at the first opportunity.
That means this bout is for $100,000 each rather than $50,000 each. $200,000 is on the line, then, and should Kid Poker win, then he’ll be proclaimed the champion and have access to pulling out that $200,000 as cash – along with the infamous HSD championship belt, something that will surely appeal to the Rocky superfan.
Should Polk win Round 2, then Negreanu will be able to challenge to double the buy-in and play at double the stakes in Round 3. Kid Poker doesn’t have to rechallenge, however, and should he fail to do so within 30 days, then the floor will be open for anyone to challenge Polk to a double-the-bet heads-up match.
Who’ll Win the High Stakes Duel?
The latest clash between ‘DNegs’ and Polk is sure to be a firecracker. Having bested his newest ‘frenemy’ in the online arena, Doug Polk might be a big underdog to win at the live felt, but his heads-up press, along with his WSOP record, should not mean he is to be discounted. Polk, a three-time WSOP bracelet winner is no slouch and in recent years, has shown exactly how good he is at a high-pressure feature table under the lights.
Based in Texas, The Lodge co-owner will come into the bout as a dangerous opponent with very little to lose. He already beat Negreanu for seven figures and will come into the match under less pressure from an expectant public who always put Negreanu under the microscope. Polk knows with near certainty that Negreanu will rechallenge, however, so can almost treat this match as a way to find out how the land lies and how Negreanu will approach a match where the money is on the line. Polk needs to win this bout and the rematch to withdraw what would be $400,000.
When all is said and done, however, this match, which will take place in August at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, is taking place on Negreanu’s home turf of Las Vegas, and in his environment. He may have lost 3-0 in his original High Stakes Duel match against Phil Hellmuth but even the Poker Brat himself would probably admit it wasn’t the whitewash the scorecard displayed.
This potential grudge series, let alone match will air exclusively on PokerGO. Stay tuned to PokerStake for a detailed report on exactly what happens when the lights go down and these two old frenemies cross swords once again.
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