Note:  This is an encore presentation of Match 33

Viewers of NBC’s Poker After Dark are in for a special treat this week, as the show introduces another new format that will definitely appeal to the many fans of heads-up action.  In a special double elimination match, the four previous winners of NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship will each put $50,000 on the line and compete not only for bragging rights but also for the $200,000 winner-take-all first place prize.

Competing are the 2005 winner Phil Hellmuth, 2006 champion Ted Forrest, 2007 victor Paul Wasicka, and 2008 champ Chris Ferguson.  These four players are extremely well-known in the poker community, have huge fan bases, are among the top 35 live tournament money winners of all time, and possess extraordinary abilities to put their opponents on hands.

In the NHPC’s inaugural year, Phil Hellmuth defeated Men “The Master” Nguyen, Paul Phillips, Huck Seed, Lyle Berman, Antonio Esfandiari, and Chris Ferguson to lay claim to the 2005 Championship and the $500,000 first place prize money.  Forrest defeated Erik Seidel, Chad Brown, Ernie Durack, Sam Farha, Shawn Sheikhan, and Chris Ferguson to capture the title and cash in 2006.

In 2007 it was Wasicka’s turn to hoist the trophy, as he defeated Eli Elezra, Joe Hachem, T.J. Cloutier, Nam Le, Shannon Elizabeth and Chad Brown  in that order.  Chris Ferguson, runner-up in both 2005 and 2006, finally shed the bridesmaid’s label in 2008 by defeating John Juanda, Gavin Smith, Mike Matusow, Jonathan Little, Phil Ivey, and runner-up Andy Bloch to bring his record in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship to an unprecedented 16-3 over the course of 4 years. This represents a win rate of an astounding 84%.

The initial pairings were decided by a random draw on the set before the match took place.  The opening match will see Paul Wasicka against Chris Ferguson, while the second match will be Ted Forrest against Phil Hellmuth.  Again, this is a double elimination format, so losers of the first match are certainly capable of coming back and winning the tournament by not losing another match.

Fans will get to see plenty of hands during the week, and as such the show offers an excellent opportunity to see the different styles and strategies of some of the best heads-up players in the world as they compete in one of the most difficult of all poker formats.  Those looking to improve their heads-up play will definitely not want to miss this week, as the show is highly instructional as well as entertaining.  After all, Phil Hellmuth is playing!

Brief profiles of all four players follow.  The match will begin airing on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 a.m., December 22, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot.  A special program called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, December 27, at 1:00 a.m., right after Saturday Night Live.  This show will feature Leeann with a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews.  Viewers can also watch the match at www.nbcsports/msnbc.com/poker.

Ferguson, Chris:
· Nicknamed “Jesus” and one of poker’s most recognizable players
· World Series of Poker Champion in 2000 and owner of five WSOP bracelets
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $7.42 million, and ranks 17th on the all-time money list
· Runner-up in both the 2005 and 2006 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and the winner in 2008, bringing his record in this event to an unprecedented 16-3
· Earned a Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA in 1999, and is a former ballroom and swing dance instructor

Forrest, Ted: 
· 2006 National Heads-Up Champion
· Winner of five WSOP bracelets, and of the WPT’s 2007 Bay 101 Shooting Stars tournament
· Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $5.51 million, and ranks 34th on the all-time money list
· Possesses an extraordinary ability to put his opponents on hands
· Has engaged in numerous prop bets over the years, including running a marathon on the hottest day of the year in Las Vegas to win $7000

Hellmuth, Phil:
· Known as the “Poker Brat,” a name he now embraces, and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in July 2007
· 1989 World Champion, and won his 11th World Series bracelet in 2007, making him the first and only person in history to do so
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $10.72 million, and ranks 4th on the all-time money list, despite never having a cash for more than $755,000
· Now has more World Series cashes (69) and has made more WSOP final tables (41) than any other player in history
· His fame has given him the opportunity to be involved in many businesses on the side, and he is highly acknowledged as the game’s best self-promoter

Wasicka, Paul: 
· Nicknamed “KwickFish” and winner of the 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship
· Finished 2nd in the 2006 World Series of Poker Championship Event
· Career tournament winnings in excess of $7.52 million, and ranks 16th on the all-time money list
· Deeply spiritual, he considers he was blessed with the ability to play poker
· Estimates he played thousands of hands a day online for two years while honing his skills

Dennis Oehring serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for the firm POKER PROductions.  Statistical information courtesy of The Hendon Mob database.  Photos courtesy of Stephanie Moore.