Name: National Heads-Up Poker Championship
Age: 20.
Description: An iconic single-elimination poker event that was played every year from 2005 to 2013 (although it missed a year in 2012). 64 players entered and whoever won six heads-up matches was the winner.
Sounds great, but why should I care? Well, it’s back this year. It used to be can’t-miss TV, with some amazing moments like Tom Dwan and Phil Hellmuth getting into it in a memorable bust-up. Then it was canned and became can’t-watch TV, initially because of the crackdown on online poker.
Great, I’m in. Where can I watch it? Hold up — the event’s already wrapped but you need to wait until the Fall to watch it on Peacock in the US. The streaming giant has exclusive rights to show all the episodes.
That rollout sounds very 2013. What happened to the drop-all-episodes-and-watch-right-now attitude of Netflix? Well, it’s not that easy. You wouldn’t want to sit through all 32 first-round heads-up matches live. They’re going to be turned into episodic poker that will hopefully bring some mainstream interest back to the game.
Okay, I can deal with that. Where do I find Peacock outside the US? I’m in the UK. Oh, well, you’re going to need to wait until the episodes move onto PokerGO and PokerStars in Spring, 2026.
Pardon? Yep, sorry. In the meantime, you could look into why VPNs are topping download charts in the UK.
It’s okay, I downloaded one last week. But seriously, what am I supposed to do until September? You can get yourself up-to-date. PokerGO is streaming every season of the National Heads-Up Championship to date, starting this week with 2005. By the time you’ve caught up, it’ll be time to watch the 2025 edition on Peacock.
So, who’s playing this year? Reigning and defending champion, Mike Matusow, Phil Galfond, Michael Mizrachi, Chris Moneymaker, Shaun Deeb, Erik Seidel, Scott Seiver…
Phil Hellmuth? Nope, the Poker Brat did not get an invite.
Tom Dwan? Nope. But Doug Polk is playing, along with Kristen Foxen, Victoria Livschitz and Liv Boeree, and celebs like Rob Riggle, Richard Seymour, Chef Phillip (Frankland Lee) and Nick Wright.
This actually sounds like it could be must-watch TV. What does the winner get? $500,000 — and a spotlight that reaches beyond the poker world. The hope is that this tournament can make poker great again.
Don’t start that... Sorry.
Do say: What a lineup!
Don’t say: Hang on, where are Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey?
