PokerStars and PokerGO Announce Return of the National Heads-Up Poker Tournament
The National Heads-Up Poker Championship (NHUPC) is set to make a grand return in 2025, after a 12-year hiatus, following an announcement by PokerGO and PokerStars in July 2025. This prestigious, invitation-only tournament will be exclusive to Peacock, an NBC-brand streaming channel, in the fall of 2025.
Originally televised by NBC from 2005 to 2011, the NHUPC was a single-elimination, heads-up no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament featuring top professional players and celebrities. The tournament format divided players into four brackets (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades), with winners advancing through rounds, culminating in a best-of-three final match to determine the champion.
The tournament has a rich history of crowning notable poker professionals. Notable winners from the initial run include Huck Seed (2005), Chris Ferguson (2006), Ted Forrest (2007), Phil Hellmuth (2008, 2010, 2011), Paul Wasicka (2009), and Eric Baldwin (2013).
The 2025 edition is expected to continue this tradition, with sponsorship now by WSOP.com. The full list of players for the 2025 tournament isn't yet available, but it is anticipated that more celebrity names will be joining the ranks. Confirmed players include Jason Koon, Liv Boeree, Bryce Hall, Richard Seymour, Chris Moneymaker, Erik Seidel, Doug Polk, Phil Galfond, Shaun Deeb, Nick Wright, T.J. Lavin, Rob Riggle, and Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano. Michael Mizrachi, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, is also among the players confirmed to compete.
Chris Ferguson stands out as the most successful player in the heads-up tournament, having finished as runner-up in 2005 and 2006 before winning it in 2008. The 2025 NHUPC promises to bring together top poker pros, celebrities, and content creators who enjoy poker, in a high-stakes, classic structure that made it historically one of the premier heads-up poker events.
Following the announcement of the 2025 National Heads-Up Poker Championship (NHUPC) on PokerGO and PokerStars, there's been a wave of casino-and-gambling news regarding the return of this prestigious poker event. As the date for the tournament nears, news outlets are anticipating the comeback of poker games like no-limit Texas Hold'em, with confirmed players such as Chris Ferguson, Erik Seidel, and Michael Mizrachi expected to join celebrities and content creators in the casino-games competition.
