Eight players returned on Sunday to quarterfinal seats in NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship, each with three wins already, halfway to the title and its $500,000 payday. The day’s lineup was formidable, including Daniel Negreanu, former WSOP ME champions Phil Hellmuth and Huck Seed, Sam Farha, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Vanessa Rousso, David Williams, and last-minute replacement entrant David Oppenheim, who acquitted himself well here. At the end of a lightning Day 3, it was Huck Seed who emerged with the title.

Huck Seed

Rousso’s blitz through poker’s legends gained her even more respect. Her seat at the final table put her in the history books. Though she couldn’t take down the championship, she still proved her place in the poker world. For her efforts, she will take home $250,000. Seed will go with $500,000 more in his pocket.

Huck Seed became the only player to cash in all five years of the championship on Day 2, and moved past 2008 champion Chris Ferguson to set the best overall lifetime record in the event (18-4) with his performance in the finals.

Congratulations to all the winners.