The lineup for 2009 National Heads Up Championship revealed

• Author: Qid
• Filed under: Chris Ferguson, High Stakes News, Poker, Poker Tournament, poker tv
• Date: Feb 25,2009

Fifth annual NBC National Heads Up Championship is going to take place at Caesars Palace Las Vegas on March 5-8. The lineup will include many familiar poker names and for the first time also few lucky qualifiers!

Oh my god! Jesus is the defending champion!

This year event organizers came up with a list of criteria who would be automaticly qualified. Following 19 players received their invitation through the criteria, or actually, Huck Seed would’ve qualified twice and John Phan thrice. Here are the players who are qualified because of their previous merits:

Previous four NHPC champions: Chris Ferguson (2008), Paul Wasicka (2007), Ted Forrest (2006), Phil Hellmuth (2005)
Previous two NHPC runners-up: Andy Bloch (2008), Chad Brown (2007)
Defending NHPC semifinalists: Huck Seed, Phil Ivey
Four consecutive years of cashing in the NHPC: Scott Fischman, Huck Seed (2)
Previous three World Series of Poker Main Event champions: Peter Eastgate (2008), Jerry Yang (2007), Jamie Gold (2006)
Defending WSOP Championship runner-up: Ivan Demidov
Multiple WSOP bracelet winners in 2008: John Phan
Defending WSOP Player of the Year: Erick Lindgren
Defending WSOP Heads-Up champion: Kenny Tran
Defending World Series of Poker Europe champion: John Juanda
Reigning World Poker Tour Player of the Year: Jonathan Little
Reigning European Poker Tour Grand Final Monte Carlo champion: Glen Chorny
Reigning Card Player magazine Player of the Year: John Phan (2)
Reigning Bluff magazine Player of the Year: John Phan (3)

The NHPC lineup once again includes the who’s who of the poker world, flavored with few celebrities and amateur qualifiers. The lineup is truly amazing as the players have collectively won 14 World Series of Poker Championships, 119 World Series of Poker bracelets, 27 WPT open titles, and amassed more than $290 million in live tournament winnings, and of course millions and millions more playing online!

Following list of players will be playing this years event:

1. David Benyamine
2. Andy Bloch
3. Chad Brown
4. Doyle Brunson
5. Johnny Chan
6. Don Cheadle
7. Glen Chorny
8. Allen Cunningham
9. Ivan Demidov
10. Annie Duke
11. Tom Dwan
12. Peter Eastgate
13. Eli Elezra
14. Antonio Esfandiari
15. Sam Farha
16. Chris Ferguson
17. Scott Fischman
18. Layne Flack
19. Ted Forrest
20. Brad Garrett
21. Jamie Gold
22. Clonie Gowen
23. Barry Greenstein
24. Gavin Griffin
25. Bertrand Grospellier
26. Joe Hachem
27. Gus Hansen
28. Jennifer Harman
29. Phil Hellmuth
30. Orel Hershiser
31. Jeffrey Ishbia (Caesars qualifier)
32. Phil Ivey
33. John Juanda
34. Gabe Kaplan
35. Phil Laak
36. Howard Lederer
37. Erick Lindgren
38. Jonathan Little
39. Mike Matusow
40. Dario Minieri
41. Chris Moneymaker
42. Daniel Negreanu
43. Scotty Nguyen
44. David Pham
45. John Phan
46. Greg Raymer
47. Vanessa Rousso
48. Ilari Sahamies
49. Huck Seed
50. Vanessa Selbst
51. Erik Seidel
52. Mike Sexton
53. Gavin Smith
54. Jennifer Tilly
55. J.C. Tran
56. Kenny Tran
57. Paul Wasicka
58. David Williams
59. Jerry Yang
60. Leon Yanovski (online qualifier)
61. Caesars qualifier
62. Online qualifier
63. Online qualifier
64. Online qualifier

Source: NBC