PokerWorks

One of the most popular poker shows on television, NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship , will be back in early 2008 for its fourth season. Names of the first twenty players who were sent invitations to participate have been released.

There are players who are becoming staples on the show, like Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Johnny Chan, Phil Ivey, Antonio Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, and Gavin Smith. Chris Ferguson, two-time second place finisher, will receive another shot at a victory. The 2007 winner, Paul Wasicka, has been asked to return, and Shannon Elizabeth has been invited back due to her impressive run during the most recent season.

First-time invitees include some of the players who have jumped into the poker spotlight in 2007 and made names for themselves with impressive wins and finishes, such as Jonathan Little, Brian Townsend, and Jerry Yang.

All invited players have yet to confirm their attendance, and the rest of the list has not been officially released.

As happened in 2007, the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship will kick off with a pairing party at PURE nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where the participants will find out the names of their initial competitors. The action will then kick off the next day, February 28, 2008 at Caesars Palace. The final match-up will take place on March 2.

The tournament is a series of heads-up matches in a single-elimination, bracket-style format, similar to that of college basketball tournaments. To win the title of heads-up champion, six matches must be won by that player. Details of the structure can be found at www.NBCHeadsUp.com.

*photo courtesy of NBC.Com*