NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship Will Not Take Place in 2014
Earlier this week, rumors surfaced that the NBC National Heads-Up Championship would not take place in 2014, and earlier today Mori Eskandani of Poker PROductions confirmed the news to PokerNews.
"NHPC will not be on calendar this year," Eskandani said. "But I have good reason to believe that the future of the series will be bright."
Thanks to its 64-player bracket format, the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship has proven a hit on both TV and among poker fans. After a one-year hiatus in 2012 — a consequence of Black Friday — the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship returned in 2013. The $20,000 buy-in event ran from Jan. 24-26, 2013 at Caesars Palace, the same venue where the event was held from 2005 through 2011.
The National Heads-Up Poker Championship is mostly an invitation-only event featuring 64 of the world’s top poker players and celebrities. Phil Hellmuth won the inaugural event in 2005, while Mike "The Mouth" Matusow won last year's event. Interestingly, Matusow defeated Hellmuth in the finals to add his name to the list of former champions.
| Year | Winner | 1st Prize | Runner-Up | 2nd Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Phil Hellmuth | $500,000 | Chris Ferguson | $250,000 |
| 2006 | Ted Forrest | $500,000 | Chris Ferguson | $250,000 |
| 2007 | Paul Wasicka | $500,000 | Chad Brown | $250,000 |
| 2008 | Chris Ferguson | $500,000 | Andy Bloch | $250,000 |
| 2009 | Huck Seed | $500,000 | Vanessa Rousso | $250,000 |
| 2010 | Annie Duke | $500,000 | Erik Seidel | $250,000 |
| 2011 | Erik Seidel | $750,000 | Chris Moneymaker | $300,000 |
| 2012 | --event not held-- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2013 | Mike Matusow | $750,000 | Phil Hellmuth | $300,000 |
The National Heads-Up Poker Championship is produced by Poker PROductions, the same company that produces the World Series of Poker for ESPN.
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