NBC’s Poker After Dark is introducing another new format that will call for the attention of many of heads-up action fans, the first week of the new Poker After Dark season featured the first ever cash game format since the show was introduced, and the third week will be a mini Heads-Up tournament featuring four former National Heads-Up Poker champions The four previous winners of NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship will face each other in an unusual double elimination match in which each player will have to put $50,000 and compete for the $200,000 winner-take-all first place prize.

The players called for the competition are the 2005 NHUPC champ Phil Hellmuth, 2006 champ Ted Forrest, 2007 winner Paul Wasicka, and 2008 champion Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. During the first National Heads-Up Poker champions, UltimateBet pro Phil Hellmuth took the victory after defeating Men “The Master” Nguyen, Paul Phillips, Huck Seed, Lyle Berman, Antonio Esfandiari, and Chris Ferguson, achieving the first Heads Up Championship and the $500,000 first place prize money. In 2006, Ted Forrest outlasted Erik Seidel, Chad Brown, Ernie Durack, Sam Farha, Shawn Sheikhan, and Chris Ferguson to capture the title and cash prize.

In 2007, Paul Wasicka defeated Eli Elezra, Joe Hachem, T.J. Cloutier, Nam Le, Shannon Elizabeth and Chad Brown. The latest Champ, Chris Ferguson, second best in both 2005 and 2006, finally won the title in 2008 by beating John Juanda, Jonathan Little, Gavin Smith and fellow Full Tilt Poker pros Mike Matusow, Phil Ivey, and Andy Bloch to set a 16-3 record in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship over the course of 4 years.

Paul Wasicka will confront Chris Ferguson in the opening match, while the second match will see a battle between Ted Forrest and the poker brat, Phil Hellmuth. This is a double elimination format, so no matter if the player loses the first match, players will have the chance to come back and win the tournament. The match will run on NBC late night Monday at 2:05 a.m., and will keep on for five nights at the same time. A special episode called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, August 2^nd, at 1:00 a.m., right after Saturday Night Live. Thie special episode will feature Leeann with a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and player interviews.