National Heads-Up Poker Championship
Not all the battles were on TV
The action was cutthroat at Caesars, but all the infighting didn't take place on the green felt. It was hot and heavy behind the scenes, too.
Several top pros suggested that the Heads-Up Championship should be seeded much like the NCAA basketball tournament. And others were upset that they were snubbed when "their" slots were given to celebrities and "more popular" players.
Some pros felt the field did not represent the best 64 players in heads-up poker, with some coveted slots instead going to celebrities and controversial newer players for the sake of TV. Some notable names left off the list included Phil Gordon, John Phan, Hoyt Corkins, David "The Dragon" Pham, Max Pescatori and accomplished young guns like Mike Gracz and John D'Agostino. NBC Sports instead invited Celine Dion's husband Rene Angelil, L.A. Lakers' owner Jerry Buss and actor James Woods. All are serious players, but none have stats or card credentials to rival those who were left off the "A-list."
Young phenom John Phan was originally selected, but received a call only a week before saying that he was no longer invited.
After taking it on the chin in some poker publications and on popular poker blogs, NBC Sports responded with a press release stating, "Since there is no universal standard for the way poker players are ranked, The National Heads-Up Poker Championship invitational process combines several factors, most of which require the judgments of experts who are affiliated with the tournament. The 64-player format of the event, a key component to its popularity, does not allow for inclusion of literally hundreds of professional players who are worthy."
The omission of top players wasn't the only matter irking the participants. Phil Hellmuth had an issue with the format of the tournament. "The problem with heads-up tournament is it's not seeded," he said.
Hellmuth had to play Men the Master in the first round in 2005, while Daniel Negreanu drew a less fearsome foe: L.A. Laker's owner Jerry Buss. Last year, Hellmuth was scheduled to play Chip Reese in the first round. Reese is often mentioned as one of the best players in the world. Rumors suggested that NBC tweaked the pairings at the last minute to get Hellmuth to play Reese. Only a week prior, the two jawed back and forth during the first day of action at Bay 101's Shooting Stars tournament before Reese collected a $5,000 bounty for busting Hellmuth. In true Hellmuthian fashion, the "Poker Brat" snagged one of the hundred-dollar bills and signed it for Reese. It read:
"Chip, You're a lucky son of a bitch. Phil Hellmuth."
By way of explanation, the executives at NBC stated that they chose not to seed because several players objected to the notion. "The idea of trying to seed them was very, very difficult," said Jonathan Miller, senior vice president.
One observer said the event should be called an invitational, not a championship. But there is one fact no one is disputing: it is a very compelling event to watch.
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