The highly anticipated National Heads-Up Poker Championship already has its first-round matchups set for its 2026 edition, and the lineup does not disappoint. With 64 players each contributing US$25,000, the tournament re-establishes itself as one of the most attractive formats on the circuit.
After its successful return in 2025 following more than a decade of absence, the event organized by PokerGO aims to consolidate its revival with a roster full of historic figures and current high-stakes protagonists. The goal is clear: win six consecutive heads-up matches and lift one of the most prestigious trophies in modern poker.
The inevitable focus is on Sam Soverel
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Sam Soverel Was The Champion In 2025
But 2026 brings new ingredients. Heavyweights who were absent last year return to the arena, such as Phil Hellmuth
Among the highlighted first-round matchups, the clash between Hellmuth and Josh Arieh stands out, a battle of experience and contrasting styles. Meanwhile, the legendary Erik Seidel
The action will be recorded at the PokerGO Studio and initially broadcast on Peacock, before reaching the official PokerGO platform.
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Here you can see the complete brackets, with a clear absence of Latin grinders:
Spades Bracket – Round 1
- Liv Boeree vs. Jeremy Ausmus
- Tom Dwan vs. Randy ‘3Coin’ Sadler
- Cary Katz vs. Steven Jones
- Jimmy D’Ambrosio vs. Kirk Brown
- Turbo Nguyen vs. Shaun Deeb
- Andrew Pacheco vs. Jesse Lonis
- Erick Lindgren vs. Eric Persson
- Luis ‘Brazil God’ Rizental vs. Doug Polk
Clubs Bracket – Round 1
- Victoria Livschitz vs. Chris Hunichen
- Phil Laak vs. Chino Rheem
- Josh Arieh vs. Phil Hellmuth
- Ben Lamb vs. Jared Bleznick
- Andrew Robl vs. Keith Lehr
- Randall Emmett vs. Robbi Jade Lew
- Sam Soverel vs. Kasey Lyn Mills
- Daniel Negreanu vs. Dan Sepiol
Hearts Bracket – Round 1
- Scott Seiver vs. Justin Young
- Jeff Platt vs. Sam Laskowitz
- Igor Kurganov vs. Phillip Frankland Lee
- Kristen Foxen vs. Ryan Bartlett
- Vinny Lingham vs. Matt Hanks
- Jeremy Becker vs. Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates
- Gabriel Andrade vs. Darin Feinstein
- Seth Davies vs. Sean Winter
Diamonds Bracket – Round 1
- Nick Schulman vs. Sam Kiki
- Matthew Wantman vs. Kelly Lucas
- Alan Keating vs. Jeff Gross
- David ‘ODB’ Baker vs. Jason Mercier
- Marius Gierse vs. Vanessa Selbst
- Alex Foxen vs. Erik Seidel
- Nicholas Rigby vs. Dan Shak
- Brandon Steven vs. Justin Gavri
Complete Brackets
Source: Cardplayer.com