Heads Up Poker: NBC Gets It Right

In 2005, NBC came up with a new twist on televised poker tournaments. Instead of the conventional “ring game” (six or eight players), they got it down to head-to-head competition in the NBC Heads - Up Poker Championship. Head-to-head competition takes place in conventional tournaments when all but two players have been eliminated and these two face off against each other. It is usually the most dramatic part of the event.

So instead of doing all the boring stuff of getting to the final two, NBC cut to the chase. They invited 64 players to come and play head-to-head and only head-to-head until the last two came together for the tension-filled finale. And the format is getting great reviews from both the pros and the viewing public.

They borrowed the concept from basketball, of course, with this exception: the players were unseeded.

The greats of poker were invited and former World Series of Poker champs bumped heads with each other. Celebrities like James Woods and Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss also competed.

As play wound down, two World Series of Poker champs, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000) and Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth (1989) were still in the hunt. So was the player widely regarded as the tournament's most dangerous foe in TJ Cloutier, one of the most consistent winners over the years, and the youngest millionaire on the World Poker Tour, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari.

Hellmuth knocked out Esfandiari and Ferguson bested Cloutier, setting up a battle of World Series of Poker champs. In one critical hand, Jesus pulled out an unlikely save, a “bad beat” for Phil. The Brat fell off his chair in agony, but went on to win for a $500,000 first prize. Ferguson pocketed $250,000.

In 2006 the now tried-and-true format led to 64 more invitees clashing against each other. The final table saw Ted Forrest and Chris Ferguson stacking their chips in anticipation of a tough game. Chris, doomed to be the bridesmaid for a second year in a row, fell to Ted and pocketed another $250,000. Forrest took home $500,000.

With so much poker on TV, producers are scrambling to find interesting formats. They tend to get cutesy: poker tournaments have been held underwater in the Caribbean and in an ice palace in Finland.

TV is challenged to come up with something new: something the players and fans will like.

NBC got it right with the National Heads - Up Poker Championship.

© 2006 Murphy James