High Stakes Duel II postponed due to “non-player COVID concern”

Hellmuth vs. Negreanu heads-up match rescheduled for March 31

The poker world will have to wait a little longer to see Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu go at it on High Stakes Duel II.

PokerGO announced that High Stakes Duel II is postponed until March 31, due to a “non-player COVID concern.” The Hellmuth vs. Negreanu battle, one of the most anticipated matches produced by poker’s current heads-up craze, was originally slated for March 16.

The extra two weeks might push the hype for the match to even greater heights. The two poker legends have gone back and forth on Twitter and poker media outlets in recent weeks, with Negreanu claiming that Hellmuth is a major underdog in the match.

PokerGO’s No Gamble No Future YouTube program brought on Negreanu and Hellmuth as guests, and the two icons of the game provided viewers with quite a hype show. Among the topics of discussion was Negreanu’s contention that Hellmuth is a 2.5-to-1 underdog against him in the match.

Negreanu’s heads-up No-Limit Hold’em (HUNL) game might be tuned up to its all-time peak going into the battle. An all-time great on the live tournament scene, Negreanu employed a team of world-class HUNL coaches during his 25,000-hand heads-up match against Doug Polk.

That match didn’t go Negreanu’s way, with Polk posting a decisive $1.2 million win. Negreanu showed a new level of HUNL ability, however, that even Polk complimented after the match.

Is Hellmuth a massive underdog against Negreanu?

Hellmuth, on the other hand, stands as a poker legend based on more than three decades of consistent winning in large-field tournaments. The “Poker Brat” lays claim to 15 World Series of Poker bracelets, an all-time record.

High Stakes Duel II marks the second chapter in the PokerGO series. Hellmuth and Negreanu will play a heads-up sit and go for a winner-take-all prize of $100,000.

Regardless of who wins, the losing player retains the option to challenge again in a double-or-nothing rematch for $200,000. The loser of the $200,000 match can then opt to challenge the winner to another match, with $400,000 on the line.

If either player wins three consecutive matches, that player has the option to cash out and end the challenge.

The first round of High Stakes Duel saw Hellmuth take on Antonio Esfandiari. Hellmuth won the first round, and Esfandiari followed up with a rematch request.

Esfandiari ended up losing that match, as well as a $400,000 third-round battle. Hellmuth opted to cash out after that, taking $200,000 profit off of Esfandiari.

High Stakes Duel II is scheduled to air on PokerGO’s streaming subscription platform on March 31 at 8 pm EST.

Looking for ways to brush up on your HUNL skills? Check out Poker.org’s poker hand rankings chart for a comprehensive look at the rules used in most poker games.

Featured image source: Twitter