National Heads-Up Champs Enjoys Small Screen Success
The viewing figures for the tourney suggest the poker phenomenon continues
Friday 13th April 2007
On 8 April 2007, the NBC TV network aired the first episode of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship with overnight ratings stats seeming to support the notion that the poker phenomenon is still very much alive.
The episode earned an overall 1.7 rating with a 5 share – in layman’s terms this apparently equates to a 15 percent increase on the 2006 numbers. In certain markets, the local numbers were even higher.
The episode featured two first round matches: Mike Matusow playing Daniel Negreanu and Jennifer Tilly against Jamie Gold. Gold and Matusow advanced to the next round. The programme will continue to air on the next six consecutive Sundays in April and May.
Filmed in Caesars Palace Poker Room from 2 to 4 March 2007, the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship is viewed by many as an important date on the poker calendar which attracts the 'who's who' of the poker world.
With a unique, single-elimination, bracket-style format which is modelled on US-style college basketball tournaments, the Championship features 64 of the world's best poker players competing in a series of heads-up Hold’em matches.
Players include defending champion Ted Forrest and 2005 and 2006 runner-up Chris Ferguson. Also completing will be Johnny Chan, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, and Greg Raymer, and many more.
On 8 April 2007, the NBC TV network aired the first episode of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship with overnight ratings stats seeming to support the notion that the poker phenomenon is still very much alive.