National Heads-Up Poker Championship Returns this Fall

After more than a decade, the $25,000 buy-in National Heads-Up Poker Championship is set to return this fall. Presented by PokerStars and produced by PokerGo, episodes of the show will exclusively premiere on NBC’s streaming channel Peacock. Recently-minted World Series of Poker Main Event champ Michael Mizrachi joins Jason Koon, Liv Boeree, Bryce Hall, former NFL star Richard […]

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Jul 31, 2025 - 06:20
National Heads-Up Poker Championship Returns this Fall

After more than a decade, the $25,000 buy-in National Heads-Up Poker Championship is set to return this fall. Presented by PokerStars and produced by PokerGo, episodes of the show will exclusively premiere on NBC’s streaming channel Peacock.

National Heads-Up Championship
Jason Koon, Michael Mizrachi, and Liv Boeree will all compete in the 2025 National Heads-Up Championship this fall.

Recently-minted World Series of Poker Main Event champ Michael Mizrachi joins Jason Koon, Liv Boeree, Bryce Hall, former NFL star Richard Seymour, Chris Moneymaker, Erik Seidel, Doug Polk, Phil Galfond, Shaun Deeb, Nick Wright, T.J. Lavin, and Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano as confirmed participants.

“The National Heads-Up Poker Championship helped define the golden era of televised poker,” said Mori Eskandani, President of PokerGO. “We’re proud to partner with PokerStars to bring back a truly iconic brand and share it with a new generation of fans.”

No word yet on whether Michael “the Mouth” Matusow will defend his National Heads-Up Poker Champion title. He won the last contest that took place in 2013.

The made-for-broadcast event started in 2005 and was first won by Phil Hellmuth. Chris Ferguson was the runner-up to Hellmuth and next’s years champion, Ted Forrest. Paul Wasicka, who finished second in the 2006 WSOP Main Event to Jamie Gold, won in 2007.

A year later, Ferguson would finally break through and be the last of 64 players for his only National Heads-Up Championship title. He beat Andy Bloch heads-up.

Huck Seed then beat Vanessa Rousso heads-up in 2009. Annie Duke was the 2010 champ — she beat Eric Seidel heads-up a year before he won the thing in 2011. There was no series in 2012.

The event is single-elimination until it reaches the final two when it turns into a best-of-three.

“Bringing back shows like the National Heads-Up Poker Championship is one of the most exciting ways to reignite interest in poker,” said Francine Watson, Associate Director, Content & Creative Services for PokerStars. “With a mix of celebrities and top pros, it’s the kind of event that draws in poker enthusiasts while appealing to the masses.”

The pokerati anticipated the return of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship after PokerGo purchased the rights to show from NBC earlier this year. While it will first appear on Peacock, episodes will eventually find their way to PokerGo’s and PokerStars streaming sites.

In the past, once all 64 players are confirmed, a draft party took place in Las Vegas where players and insiders partied as they found out who they would face in the first round. Here’s hoping PokerGo and PokerStars brings it back and broadcasts it, because it always was a banger (I still dream about those Wagu sliders).

The actual dates for the event and when it will premiere have not been released.