NEWS RELEASE

CRITERIA FOR AUTOMATIC INVITATIONS TO 2009 NATIONAL HEADS-UP POKER CHAMPIONSHIP

NEW YORK - April 29, 2008 - Based upon the resounding success of NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship over the past 4 years, the selection committee involved with determining which players are invited has reviewed the fields assembled and decided to implement a list of automatic invitations for upcoming Heads-Up Championships.

Similar in nature to the list of exemptions and automatic qualifiers issued in some other sports, the committee has established a number of different categories ensuring that the players who qualify in each one will receive an invitation to play.
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So how do you deal with all of the players today who just love to gamble at Texas hold’em and seem to always stay in a hand as an underdog to run you down with a lucky card on the turn or river?

That’s what two LuckyDog Poker readers wanted to know in a recent column, one of four fresh articles just posted at luckydogpoker.com.

The other columns:

* Tell the story of Warrant Officer James Morris, the U.S. Army’s first-ever Texas hold’em champ who is wrapping up his year as champion (and qualified again for this year’s main event, giving him a chance to defend his title!)

* Explain how to play the new casino table game called Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker. It’s still hold’em, but with two big differences: You’re only playing against the dealer, and your best strategy includes playing lots of hands you’d muck in a heartbeat in a regular hold’em game.

* Capture the excitement of an Iowa dentist who outlasted a field of 80 players to qualify for the 2008 Army poker championship to be played online worldwide in late May. In victory, Tom Roemer didn’t forget to put the event in perspective against the backdrop of a nation at war.

Just click the links above or scroll down the column list on the right side of the homepage to find the one you wish to read! Enjoy!

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NEWS RELEASE:

4th National Heads-Up Poker Championship airs on NBC starting Sunday

LAS VEGAS — For the fourth straight year, a field of 64 of the world’s elite poker players will go head-to-head in some of the most aggressive poker playing around.

Filmed in Caesars Palace Poker Room Feb. 29 – March 2, the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship is a ‘who’s who’ from the poker world. The Championship features 64 of the world’s best poker players competing in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of no-limit Texas Hold’em) matches to determine who is the best face-to-face poker player in the world.

The tournament has a unique, single-elimination, bracket-style format modeled after college basketball tournaments, except that the finals are a best of three.

Players include defending champion Paul Wasicka; 2006 champion Ted Forrest; and 2005 champion Phil Hellmuth. Also competing will be Chad Brown, Johnny Chan, Allen Cunningham, Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Farha, Chris Ferguson, Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem, Gus Hansen, Phil Laak, Howard Lederer, Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer, Gavin Smith and 2007 World Series of Poker main event champion Jerry Yang, among many others.

Celebrity participants include Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Orel Hershiser and Jennifer Tilly.

First-round matches and air times:

APRIL 13 (NOON - 2PM ET)

NOON-1PM ET (ROUND OF 64 - Clubs)
Chris Ferguson vs John Juanda
Mike Matusow vs Joe Hachem
Patrik Antonius vs Gabe Kaplan
Tom Dwan vs Phil Hellmuth

1PM -2PM ET (ROUND OF 64 - Spades)
Chris Moneymaker vs Jerry Yang
Phil Ivey vs Alisha Kunze
David Williams vs Johnny Chan
Don Cheadle vs Gus Hansen

APRIL 20 (NOON - 1PM ET)

NOON-12:30PM ET (ROUND OF 64 - Hearts)
Paul Wasicka vs Freddy Deeb
Ted Forrest vs Orel Hershiser
Shannon Elizabeth vs Andy Bloch

12:30PM -1PM ET (ROUND OF 64 - Diamonds)
Jennifer Tilly vs Clonie Gowen
Jason Alexander vs Huck Seed
Sam Farha vs Doyle Brunson
Daniel Negreanu vs Michael Mizrachi

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