Poker Writer
The National Heads-Up Championship released the bracket for its long-awaited return to Peacock and PokerGO. The series kicks off this fall, and last night’s bracket draw reveals some big matchups, most notably Jesse Lonis vs. Kristen Foxen. There are also some notable absences from the lineup.
Hype has been growing since the return of the series was announced earlier this week, after a 12-year hiatus. That announcement included several big names—Michael Mizrachi, Chris Moneymaker, Liv Boeree, Erik Seidel, and Jason Koon—as confirmed participants.
All told, 64 players will duke it out head-to-head in the tournament, which is presented by PokerStars.
Here is the full bracket for the National Heads-Up Poker Championship presented by @PokerStars, premiering on @Peacock later this year before becoming available to stream on PokerGO and PokerStars. pic.twitter.com/iFmnW1H1iQ
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) August 1, 2025
Negreanu and other fan favorites missing
While there are many big names in the tournament, the three most prominent of all are nowhere to be found.
Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Phil Ivey are all conspicuously absent. Negreanu’s absence is perhaps unsurprising, due to PokerStars’ involvement. Despite having served as the face of PokerStars for many years, he is now the primary ambassador for its chief rival, GGPoker. Hellmuth and Ivey are not affiliated with either site, though Hellmuth has a deal with BetRivers Poker, and Ivey with the World Poker Tour.
Perhaps more surprising is that GPI #3-rated Alex Foxen is sitting the tournament out while his wife, Kristin, is in.
The bracket is set up similarly to March Madness, with a single-elimination 64-team draw. Instead of four different regions, the matches leading up to the semi-finals are grouped by card suit: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs. The tournament will play out over three days, and the eventual winner will go home with $500,000.
Matchups to watch
With the bracket now set, speculation about players’ odds can begin. Certainly, Lonis has better chances to win the Heads-Up Championship than he did the Main Event, which he busted early and shortly after betting on himself at 500-1 to win. However, his draw didn’t help his chances, pitting him against the formidable Foxen in the first round, and potentially Bryn Kenney in the second.
Phil Galfond might have had the best luck of the draw. He won’t have to face anyone in the GPI Top 1000 until at least the third round, when he might run into Maria Konnikova. His region, “Spades,” is arguably the weakest of the four overall. Doug Polk is also in good shape as a heads-up specialist in a bracket full of players whose strengths lie elsewhere.
Each region is named after one of the four suits in the deck and each region has a top headliner matchup and honorable mentions.
Hearts Region
Headliner
- Jesse Lonis vs. Kristen Foxen is easily the best matchup of the entire 1st round. Lonis tops the GPI and had a great WSOP this summer despite failing to make it deep in the Main Event after betting on himself. He faces off with the #1 ranked woman in the world in Foxen, who has had a slew of winnings this year as well.
Honorable Mention
- Mike Matusow vs. Stephen Chidwick will make for an interesting contrast of styles. Known as “The Mouth,” Matusow is the tournament’s defending champion from 2013 and one of the most talkative players in poker, both at the table and away from it. He’s squaring off against one of the quietest players around in Chidwick, who only recently opened up on X to explain why he has generally preferred to keep a low profile.
Diamonds Region
Headliner
- Shaun Deeb vs. Alan Keating sees the controversial 2025 WSOP Player of the Year winner square off against a highly confident opponent. Keating immediately began setting up side bets on his performance after the bracket was drawn.
At dinner last night after the @PokerGO $25K heads up draw, @Mister_Keating started a bidding process where everyone in the room could bet on themselves to win the tournament at the negotiated price and also bet on/against other players
Fast forward to the end — Keating now can…
— Ryan Feldman (@TheRyanFeldman) August 1, 2025
Honorable Mention
- Cary Katz vs. Josh Arieh was the last matchup announced in the draw ceremony and will see the owner of PokerGO—which is streaming the event—square off against a recent WSOP bracelet winner.
Spades Region
Headliner
- Erik Seidel vs. Andrew Robl sees the 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Seidel faceing off against cash game specialist and PokerGO studio regular Robl.
Honorable Mentions
- Matt Berkey vs. Richard Seymour may be lop-sided, but should be interesting. High-stakes cash game player Berkey will play against one of the tournament’s celebrity guests: NFL Hall of Famer Seymour, former defensive lineman for the New England Patriots.
- Kasey Lynn Mills vs. Esther Taylor are two of just seven women in the tournament, and the only ones facing another woman in their opening match. WSOP Circuit ring winner “Poker Mama” Mills will try her luck against Taylor, who finished third in this year’s WSOP Poker Players Championship.
Clubs Region
Headliner
- Brian Rast vs. Ren Lin sees the highly entertaining Chinese high-roller Lin taking on a Poker Hall of Famer in Rast.
Honorable Mention
- Erick Lindgren vs. Jason Koon will be a generational battle as the decidedly old-school pro Lindgren will test his experience against the high-rolling Koon.
