NBC Announces National Heads Up Poker Championship Lineup

February 25th, 2009 | 11:26 am

The lineup of 64 players participating in this year’s NBC National Heads up Poker Championship has recently been released and it is an impressive list made up of some of poker’s most well known players.

In a short 10 days, poker’s own March Madness is set to begin and one of the most anticipated announcements has just been made. The lineup of 64 players who will participate in this year’s NBC National Heads up Poker Championship was just released and it is an impressive list made up of some of poker’s most well known players. Included are 12 former World Series of Poker main event champions, two Academy award nominated actors (Don Cheadle and Jennifer Tilly) and one former professional baseball player (Orel Hershiser, looking for a repeat of his success as an underdog last year).

The National Heads up Poker Championship will run from March 6-8 at none other than Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and will be a bracket style, single elimination heads up tournament that is similar in format to the college basketball championship tournament. The final heads up match is the only match that is not single elimination and the last man (or woman) standing must defeat their final foe in a best of three match up. The winner of the event will pick up an impressive half million dollars and the runner up will take home $250,000.

The first round match ups will be drawn for at the Draw Party at Pure nightclub at Caesars Palace on Thursday, March 5, the day before the championship gets under way. GoDaddy (the sponsor of the event) will have its CEO and founder, Bob Parsons will be in attendance to draw the names.  GoDaddy Girl, Candice Michelle will award the big check and trophy to the ultimate winner on the final day of play, March 8.

Complete story and player list at NBC sports