National Heads Up Poker Championship Returns with Increased Prize Fund

The 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship is set to take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from March 3-6. This year’s edition of the annual tournament, which features 64 players competing in a single-elimination bracket of heads-up no limit poker matches, features the largest prize pool in the history of the tournament.

This year’s edition of one of the poker world’s most prestigious heads-up events features a $1.8 million prize pool, up from $1.5 million in previous years. The winner’s prize has been increased to $750,000 from $500,000.

Many of the world’s top players are lined up to compete in the 2011 Championship, including last year’s finalists. The 2010 edition ended with Annie Duke taking first place over Erik Seidel. Also appearing will be recent World Series of Poker Main Event winners such as Jonathan Duhamel and Peter Eastgate, who has otherwise retired from serious poker competition. Other top pros in the field include Chris Ferguson, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, and Doyle Brunson.

However, the field is not just for the game’s biggest names. A small number of seats are reserved for online qualifiers, and traditionally, several celebrities have also been invited to participate.

The drawing for pairings will be held on March 3, with the tournament proper scheduled to take place over three days from March 4-6. Tournament highlights will be broadcast on NBC on Sundays in April and May.

“We are proud to broadcast the National Heads-Up Poker Championship for a seventh consecutive year,” Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and the Versus Network told Card Player Magazine. “You never know what match-ups you are going to get in heads-up. Every year we are amazed with the outcome…when the best of the best battle it out.”

The tournament’s history has proven the format to be a difficult one for even the best heads-up players, as facing off against other top pros means that nobody has a significant edge and repeated deep runs are rare. One player who has seen significant success is Ferguson, who has reached the final three times in the first six years of the tournament, winning it once after losing to Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest in the first two finals ever held.

NBC’s commentary team will be led by Craig Hummer and Ali Nejad, with Leeann Tweeden contributing as the sideline reporter. GoDaddy.com is the presenting sponsor for the tournament.