It was hard for a casual poker viewer to find it unless you watched NBC 24/7, but apparently the “Heads-Up Poker Challenge” was good enough for renewal. This is the first modern poker game on one of the six major broadcast networks, with CBS deciding not to air their poker in December. Caesars Palace new poker room in Las Vegas will host the 2nd tournament in March, with a decade absense of poker from the casino. According to the article, the show got huge ratings for NBC, as poker junkies saw Phil Hellmuth defeat Chris “Jesus” Ferguson for the top prize.

The show’s high production values have also helped gather the best poker players on the planet. Hellmuth and Ferguson have confirmed they are returning. Joining him will be stars like Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, and Daniel Negreanu. The tournament will feature a 64 player single-elimination style format similar as in the NCAA, with 63 pros and one randomly selected amateur who qualified online.

Source: OPN