Poker Players for NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship Named

NBC's 5th annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship (NHPC) has just named the sixty four poker players who will compete in the granddaddy of all heads-up poker tournaments at the Caesars Palace Poker Tournament Room in Las Vegas on March 5-8. Celebrities known for their poker-playing prowess and a few amateur qualifiers will join the prestigious ensemble of top international poker players to battle for their share of not only the $1.5 million prize pool, but for the recognition and fame that comes with capturing the coveted title.

The NHPC has been an extremely successful venture for NBC over the years, and this year's tournament promises to be no exception as the field is quite possibly the toughest yet assembled. Last year's champion, Chris Ferguson, will be there to defend his title and attempt to improve upon the success he has experienced in this event that has seen him win 84% of the matches he has played in over the last four years, compiling an unprecedented record of 16-3.

This year's tournament has a strong international flavor, with 15 different countries of origin represented among the 64 players (listed below). And just to underscore the difficulty that each of the players will face in winning six straight matches en route to collecting the $500,000 first place prize, the field has collectively won 14 World Series of Poker Championships, 119 World Series of Poker bracelets, 27 WPT open titles, and amassed more than $290 million in live tournament winnings!

In all, a total of sixteen players will make their debut in this year's championship, including two Caesars Palace qualifiers and four others who qualified online. There will also be five celebrities in the field, four who have played in this event before, and newcomer actor/comedian Brad Garrett.

At the conclusion of the 2008 NHPC, event organizers and NBC executives came up with a list of criteria that would establish automatic qualifiers into this event for the first time ever in 2009. In all, nineteen players received bids to play in this year's event based on these criteria:

Barring any last minute changes, the following is a list of all 64 players. The names of the four amateur qualifiers not listed will be released as soon as they have all been determined, and will be posted on www.nbcsports.msnbc.com/poker. PokerPages.com as well as NBC have in-depth player profiles and past performance records of players participating. Those players with an asterisk (*) by their name are competing in their first NHPC.

The 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship kicks off with a drawing party on the evening of May 5 at the Pure Nightclub located inside Caesars Palace. Opening round play begins March 6, and will continue for three days until the 2009 champion is crowned. NBC will air twelve hours of coverage on six consecutive Sundays beginning on April 12. Craig Hummer joins Ali Nejad this year to provide commentary, while Leeann Tweeden will again serve as the host and sideline reporter. Check your local listings for the exact times in your area.

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