Note:  This is the final airing of Match 14

Only 17 players in history have won 5 or more World Series bracelets, and only 14 are still alive.  This week, 6 of these poker superstars who together have won 45 bracelets battle it out for the $120,000 winner-take-all prize in a match that makes for must-see television.

And what a lineup it is!  Phil Hellmuth, who won his record-breaking 11th World Series bracelet in 2007, headlines a stellar group of players that includes Doyle Brunson (10), Erik Seidel (8), T.J. Cloutier (6), Chris Ferguson (5), and Layne Flack (5).  These players have accumulated lifetime tournament winnings of nearly $44 million dollars!

This will be the first appearance on Poker After Dark for both Cloutier and Flack, giving viewers the opportunity to see the playing styles of some other players not before seen on PAD.  At the time this show was filmed, Ferguson was the only player to have a PAD title under his belt.

Brief profiles of all six players follow.  The match will begin airing late night Monday at 2:05 a.m., April 21, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot.  A special program called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, April 26, at 1:00 a.m., right after Saturday Night Live.  This show will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews. 

As usual, all 6 players put up $20,000 and will compete for the $120,000 winner-take-all first prize.  Viewers will especially enjoy the heads-up battle for the title.

Doyle Brunson:  (Seat 1)
· At the age of 74, perhaps the greatest player of all time, and is the author of several books, including Super System and Super System II
· Back-to-back World Series of Poker Champion in 1976 and 1977
· Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $5.36 million, and ranks 28th on the all-time money list
· Owner of 10 WSOP bracelets, tied for 2nd with Johnny Chan
· Had the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic renamed the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in his honor in 2007

Layne Flack:  (Seat 2)
· Nicknamed “Back to Back” for winning consecutive poker tournaments several times since 2002
· Winner of five WSOP bracelets and one WPT invitational event
· Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $3.49 million
· Described by Phil Hellmuth as a “no-limit poker genius”
· Possesses a reckless and fearless style at the table combined with great hand reading skills

Phil Hellmuth:  (Seat 3)
· Known as the “Poker Brat,” a name he now embraces, and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in July 2007
· 1989 World Champion, and won his 11th World Series bracelet in 2007, making him the first person in history to do so
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $10.07 million, and ranks 3rd on the all-time money list, despite never having a cash for more than $755,000
· Had another stellar World Series of Poker in 2007, and now has more World Series cashes (63) than any other player in history
· Is now involved in 18 separate business, and is highly acknowledged as the game’s best self-promoter

Chris Ferguson:  (Seat 4)
· Nicknamed “Jesus” and one of poker’s most recognizable players
· World Series of Poker Champion in 2000 and owner of five WSOP bracelets
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $6.65 million, and ranks 16th on the all-time money list
· Runner-up in both the 2005 and 2006 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and the winner in 2008, bringing his record in this event to an unprecedented 16-3
· Earned a Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA in 1999, and is a former ballroom and swing dance instructor

Erik Seidel:  (Seat 5)
· Originally a tournament backgammon player, cut his teeth playing poker at New York’s Mayfair Club, as did Howard Lederer, Steve Zolotow, and others
· Has won eight WSOP bracelets, and won his first WPT title at the 2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic
· Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $9.01 million, and ranks 8th on the all-time money list
· Finished 2nd in the 2008 Aussie Millions main event, a payday worth nearly $880,000
· Played in 9 single-table satellites prior to the 1988 WSOP main event, his first WSOP, and lost them all, but bought in directly and finished 2nd to Johnny Chan

T.J. Cloutier:  (Seat 6)
· Learned to play poker while serving in the U.S. Army
· Winner of six WSOP bracelets, but has not won the main event
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $9.30 million, and ranks 7th on the all-time money list
· Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006
· Has co-authored several books on poker along with 1983 WSOP champion Tom McEvoy

Dennis Oehring serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for the firm POKER PROductions.   Statistical information courtesy of The Hendon Mob player database.