The National Heads-Up Poker Championship will return for the first time in over a decade, with new episodes premiering exclusively on Peacock in the fall of 2025. The event is presented by PokerStars and produced by PokerGO. Following the Peacock debut, the tournament will become available to stream on both PokerGO and PokerStars at a later date.

This is the first edition of the tournament since 2013. It will also be the first to take place under PokerGO’s ownership, after the company acquired the rights and archived content from NBC Sports earlier this year.

Format and Buy-In

The tournament will maintain its signature single-elimination, bracket-style format. A total of 64 players will compete in one-on-one matches, with the field narrowing through elimination rounds until two finalists remain. The final match will be played as a best-of-three series. The buy-in for the 2025 edition is $25,000.

Confirmed Participants

The list of confirmed players as of the official announcement includes professional poker players, celebrities, and content creators. Names announced to date include:

• Michael Mizrachi – 2025 WSOP Main Event Champion
• Jason Koon – High-stakes poker professional
• Liv Boeree – Poker pro, scientist, and television presenter
• Chris Moneymaker – 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion
• Erik Seidel – Poker Hall of Famer
• Doug Polk – Three-time WSOP bracelet winner and poker content creator
• Phil Galfond – Online legend and founder of Run It Once
• Shaun Deeb – WSOP Player of the Year and multiple bracelet winner
• Bryce Hall – Social media influencer and entrepreneur
• Richard Seymour – Former NFL Pro Bowler and accomplished poker player
• Nick Wright – Sports analyst and commentator
• T.J. Lavin – BMX athlete and host of MTV’s The Challenge
• Rob Riggle – Actor, comedian, and former Marine
• Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano – Reality TV star and Survivor champion

More celebrity participants are expected to be announced.

History of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship originally aired on NBC, beginning in 2005. It ran annually until 2011, returned for one season in 2013, and then went on hiatus until the current revival. The show featured one-on-one poker matches and drew top professionals as well as well-known personalities.

• The 2005 champion was Phil Hellmuth, who defeated Chris Ferguson in the final.
• In 2006, Ted Forrest won the tournament, with Chris Ferguson again finishing as runner-up.
• Paul Wasicka won the 2007 edition, beating Chad Brown.
• Chris Ferguson claimed the title in 2008, after previously finishing second in both 2005 and 2006.
• Huck Seed won in 2009, defeating Vanessa Rousso.
• Annie Duke won the 2010 tournament, defeating Erik Seidel.
• Erik Seidel returned in 2011 to win the title, defeating Chris Moneymaker.
• The 2012 event did not take place.
• In 2013, Mike Matusow won the championship, beating Phil Hellmuth in the final and earning $750,000. Hellmuth received $300,000 for his runner-up finish.

Throughout the show’s history, the tournament took place in Las Vegas. The 2005 season was held at Golden Nugget, and later seasons were hosted at Caesars Palace. Commentary for the NBC broadcasts was provided by Matt Vasgersian and Ali Nejad. Nejad is now affiliated with PokerGO.

Statements from Organizers

Mori Eskandani, President of PokerGO, stated that the National Heads-Up Poker Championship helped define the golden era of televised poker. He said PokerGO is proud to partner with PokerStars to bring the show back and share it with a new generation of fans.

Francine Watson, Associate Director of Content & Creative Services at PokerStars, described the return of the show as an exciting way to reignite interest in poker. She sees the event’s ability to appeal to both poker enthusiasts and broader audiences through its combination of celebrities and professional players.

PokerGO and PokerStars

PokerGO produces more than 100 days of live poker content annually and operates a video-on-demand library of poker events. PokerStars, one of the world’s most popular online poker sites, has dealt over 200 billion hands. The company is owned by Flutter Entertainment plc (LSE: FLTR; NYSE: FLUT).