2008 NBC NATIONAL HEADS-UP POKER CHAMPIONSHIP SATELLITES BEGIN FRIDAY

Satellites begin Friday, February 1, for the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship held at Caesars Palace Poker Room. Your golden ticket to a half million dollars and poker immortality begins with a $70 buy-in sit-n-go. Additionally, there will be $140 SnG’s awarding two seats. Win one of these and your next stop will be a seat in in the championship satellite slated for February 17 at 2:00 PM. Even if you don’t win an SnG satellite you can get a seat in the championship satellite with a $540 buy-in.

The championship satellite winner will walk away with a $20,000 entry into the National Heads-Up Poker Championship where they will join 63 of the world’s best poker players and go head-to-head over three days until only one remains. The NBC National Heads-Up Poker Champion pockets $500,000 and will be featured on NBC television over seven consecutive Sundays in April and May, 2008.

The NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship begins Thursday, February 28 with a Draw Party held at PURE Nightclub located next to the Poker Room at Caesars Palace. The four bracket single-elimination tournament shares the same format as the college basketball championship. Heads-Up matches begin Friday, February 29 and continues through the final championship best of three match on Sunday, March 2.

Past champions include Phil Hellmuth 2005, Ted Forrest 2006, and 2007 defending champion Paul Wasicka. Well known poker pro Chris “Jesus” Ferguson was first runner up in both 2005 and 2006. This year the 2007 WSOP Main Event winner, Jerry Yang, will be included with the 64 starters. The NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship is the one tournament noted for drawing the biggest names in poker and offering fans an opportunity to watch close-up as poker history is made. Free spectator seating will be on a first come, first serve basis.