2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Cada and seventh place finisher Phil Ivey will headline the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship field. Play gets underway on March 5th at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
After weeks of speculation as to which players would comprise the field of 64 in the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, tournament officials tossed out seven confirmed participants on Tuesday. Cada became the youngest WSOP Main Event winner ever last year at the tender age of 21, defeating logger Darvin Moon heads-up. A self-proclaimed heads-up specialist, Cada will have his work cut out for him in the talented field at Caesars.
Cada took 11th in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller event during the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), banking $51,000. His win in Las Vegas in November was worth $8.5 million and he instantaneously hit the television circuit, appearing on programs like the “Late Show with David Letterman” and ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Ivey returned to the GSN franchise “High Stakes Poker” for Season 6, which began airing on Sunday night on the cable station. In the recent Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge in Melbourne, Ivey’s spectacular results continued, as he finished as the runner-up for $553,000. By virtue of finishing second to Dan Shak, Ivey became poker’s all-time tournament money leader, with $12.8 million in winnings. He is a sponsored pro of Full Tilt Poker.
Also headlining the National Heads-Up Poker Championship field is Huck Seed, who owns the top overall record in the annual event at 18-4. Last year, Seed defeated Vanessa Rousso to take down the title and is the only player to have cashed in every running of the heads-up event. In 2009, Seed also defeated Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, Gus Hansen, Glen Corny, David Oppenheim, and Sammy Farha en route to victory.
In 2005, Seed fell to UB.com front man Phil Hellmuth in the round of 16 before reaching the Final Four one year later. In 2007, Team PokerStars Pro member Humberto Brenes trumped Seed in the round of 16. In 2008, Seed fell to Full Tilt Poker pro Andy Bloch in the semi-finals. Seed is one of the top names in all of poker and a force to be reckoned with in a heads-up format. The poker pro commented in a press statement, “It takes a lot of skill and mental toughness to get through a field of such exceptional players, but I look forward to defending my title and trying to win it again.”
Jon Miller, Executive Vice President of NBC Sports, commented in a press release distributed by network officials on Tuesday, “We’re excited to bring this annual tradition back to Caesars Palace. The National Heads-Up Poker Championship’s compelling poker action has become a must-see for the casual and hardcore poker fan alike.” Hellmuth, who won it all in 2005, will return to the felts this year. He made waves last year by facing off against World Poker Tour (WPT) host Mike Sexton in the first round and Tom “durrrr” Dwan in the third round.
Daniel Negreanu, Rousso, and Chris Ferguson will also return to the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. The festivities kick off on March 5th and conclude on the 7th. “Poker After Dark” hostess Leeann Tweeden will once again serve as a sideline reporter during the tournament, while Craig Hummer and Ali Nejad will provide commentary.
On March 4th, the combatants will assemble at the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace for a special draw party. The web hosting service GoDaddy sponsors the tournament, which will air on NBC according to the following schedule:
April 18th: Noon to 1:00pm ET
April 25th: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 2nd: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 9th: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 16th: Noon to 2:00pm ET
May 23rd: Noon to 3:00pm ET