Paul Wasicka's name has not been included in the seventh annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship. It will return to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas next month and the excitement began building this week with the announcement of the 64-player field. Defending champion Annie Duke will join the world’s top pros and a handful of celebrities to compete for a record payday when the event kicks off on March 3.
With the buy-in for the heads-up event increased from $20,000 to $25,000, the prize pool of this year’s bracket-style tournament will be $1.8 million, with the winner receiving $750,000 compared to the $500,000 top prize of past years. Previous champs Phil Hellmuth (2005), Ted Forrest (2006), Chris Ferguson (2008), and Huck Seed (2009) will all be in attendance. Paul Wasicka, who won the event in 2007, was not included in this year’s lineup.
Other pros in the field include Patrick Antonius, Doyle Brunson, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, and Peter Eastgate, who just returned from a short-lived retirement. Several players received automatic entries based on their performances in 2010, such as James Bord (WSOP Europe Main Event winner), Nicolas Chouity (EPT Grand Final winner), Faraz Jaka (WPT Season 8 Player of the Year), Tom Marchese (2010 CardPlayer Player of the Year), and Sorel Mizzi (2010 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year).