This is yet another time of the year when the vibes of Poker fills the online atmosphere with one of the most awaited Poker tournament nearing by. It is the Annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship sponsored by NBC. This is the fourth time that the event is going to take place.

Professional players of the online world are currently keeping track of their mailboxes for the invitation that the officials of NBC issue for the tournament. It is a 64 player tournament. According to the acquired sources, more than 20 invitations have already been issued. The invited players are amongst the topmost in the world and the event is recognized as a test of the skills of everyone involved.

The names included in the invited list are not a surprise and has a collection of winners of WSOP Championship. Names like Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, Scotty Nguyen, Chris Ferguson, Jerry Yang and Jamie Gold. Paul Wasicka and Ted Forrest, who have been champions of the previous editions of the event, have also been amongst the invitees. Again, bracelet holders of WSOP including Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow, Barry Greenstein, Annie Duke, Antonio Esfandiari and Howard Lederer.

The names in the first group of invited players also include Gavin Smith, Jonathan Little (Fiery Justice), Erick Lindgren (all WPT winners). Little is having its first invitation from the Heads-Up event of NBS. He, along with Brian Townsend (sbrugby), is representing the awareness that NBC is having towards the popularity and skill of players from online world.

There is a second-time invitation given to Shannon Elizabeth (actress), who was a semifinalist last year. Her invitation in the previous edition was highly criticized in the previous edition. However, her performance made her inclusion in the current edition, a certainty.

Although this event is recognized as the one that allows the best in the world to get an opportunity for competing against each other, it also has made some controversial inclusions in its previous editions with numerous celebrity and industry players. Jerry Buss (owner of LA Lakers), James Woods (Actor), David Chesnoff (attorney from Las Vegas) and similar other inclusions have drew fire from poker fans.

For the next set of invitees, there has been no guarantee. However, it is tough to imagine that NBC will conduct the event without its champion from the first edition, Phil Hellmuth. He is also 11 – time bracelet winner of WSOP and a WSOP Champion. Again, the coming list might also include names like TJ Cloutier, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Carlos Mortensen and Huck Seed. All of these names have been a part of the event in all its previous editions.

The one name that everyone will be dying to see in this tournament is the current Champion of WSOP Heads-Up tournament, Dan Schreiber (rekrul). Although a newcomer in the world of B&M, he has delivered the goods for the online world.

Edition of the coming event will begin from Feb 29th 2008 and end on Mar 2nd 2008 at the Caesars Palace of Las Vegas.

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