Another iconic poker show and competition is set to come back this fall, as PokerGO and PokerStars announced their partnership on a new edition of National Heads Up Poker Championship, its first since 2013.
The iconic poker show saw some of the best poker players of the Poker Boom era battle it out in a single elimination style tournament from 2005 to 2013, with poker legends like Phil Hellmuth, Huck Seed, Erik Seidel, and Mike Matusow all winning the prestigious event over the years.
Now, the National Heads Up Poker Championship is back and stronger than ever, with the likes of World Series of Poker Main Event champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, Phil Galfond, Shaun Deeb, and Doug Polk headlining the initial lineup.
Return of an Iconic Poker Tournament
PokerGO President Mori Eskandani commented on the return of the National Heads Up Poker Championship, saying: “The National Heads-Up Poker Championship helped define the golden era of televised poker. We’re proud to partner with PokerStars to bring back a truly iconic brand and share it with a new generation of fans.”
Indeed, Heads Up Championship was one of the most prestigious events of the year between 2005 and 2013, with some of the game’s biggest names going head to head in a series of heads up matches, all backed by a $25,000 buyin fee.
The original event was sometimes criticized for having a relatively shallow structure, which reduced the skill edge and oftentimes left matches down to a simple coin-toss.
Yet, the list of champions clearly shows that this was a tournament in which cream rose to the top, as the likes of Hellmuth, Ferguson, Seed, Seidel, and Matusow all captured the title once.
The 2025 edition will be the first since 2013, when the tournament was last played and won by Mike “The Mouth” Matusow himself.
Legends of the Game RSVP
In their original press release, PokerGO and PokerStars announced a number of players who have confirmed their participation in this year’s National Heads Up Poker Championship.
The list is made up of some of the game’s biggest legends like Erik Seidel and Chris Moneymaker, both members of the Poker Hall of Fame, “new school” players like Shaun Deeb, Doug Polk, Liv Boeree, Jason Koon, and Phil Galfond, and the 2025 WSOP Main Event and PPC Champion Michael Mizrachi.
Beyond the pros, the organizers also confirmed participation of mainstream celebrities such as Nick Wright, stand-up comedian Rob Riggle, TV personality Rob Mariano, and NFL player Richard Seymour.
The tournament will feature a 64-player format, which means there are plenty of seats open, and surely plenty of interested parties as well.
Poker legends like Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow will likely be looking to win their second title in the event, while young heads up specialists will look to secure a spot in what they might consider to be a soft competition.
On top of that, we expect to see quite a few additional celebrities added to the roster, including some who have appeared on poker TV shows in the past.
High rollers like Alan Keating, Santosh Suvarna, or Rob Yong could all appear on the roster before the event is played out and aired, although information on further participants still remains undisclosed.
Two players who have confirmed their participation via social media are Victoria Livschitz and Kasey Lyn Mills, both familiar names in the world of poker.
Watch It On Peacock, PokerGO, and PokerStars
Earlier this year, PokerGO announced it was acquiring the National Heads Up Poker Championship brand from NBC, along with all the existing footage of previous events.
However, the 2025 edition of the tournament will initially stream of Peacock, one of NBC’s online streaming platforms, before being released on PokerGO and PokerStars channels at a later date.
The initial episodes are expected to show up on Peacock in the fall this year, although the exact number of episodes and their schedule are yet to be announced.
Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming National Heads Up Poker Championship, including the full list of participants, the tournament format, and the exact release dates as they become available.
