Strip Poker: Hooman Nikzad Wins NBC Heads Up Seat

In this "Strip Poker" series, Card Player covers the Las Vegas poker scene — on The Strip and around the city.

The only live qualifier into the 2008 NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship (NHPC) took place this weekend at Caesars Palace

in Las Vegas, and Hooman Nikzad was awarded the coveted seat.

Pros and amateurs alike made up the 79-player-deep field. Because the event is limited to 64 players, the invitation-only tournament cannot possibly re-invite all previous players, so many big-name pros put up the $500 buy-in to get another chance at the NHPC title.

It came down to Nikzad and Carl Cox heads up for the seat. Eventually, Nikzad outlasted Cox for the first-place prize, worth a $20,000 seat and $1,000 in cash. Cox was compensated for his second-place finish with nearly $10,400.

Nikzad is joining the elite group of players taking part in the 2008 NHPC. Festivities kick off Thursday, Feb. 28 with a pairing party at PURE Nightclub. Nikzad could draw any player from the impressive roster, including anyone from three-time NHPC casher and World Series of Poker champion Huck Seed to NHPC rookie and baseball star Orel Hershiser.

This self-proclaimed pro-amateur enjoys the game in his free time away from his family and business, but he is also a very accomplished player. He has nearly $500,000 in lifetime winnings and recently won a preliminary event during the Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic for almost $265,000. He’s been playing for more  than 15 years and calls two-time WSOP bracelet winner Tom Schneider his close friend. Because of a very sucessful 2007, Schneider is also set to compete in this year’s NHPC. Both Schneider and Nikzad are from the Phoenix, Arizona, area, and the two competitors will have to set friendship aside should they draw one another in a NHPC match.

Watch an interview with Nikzad by clicking here.

To find out more on the 2008 NHPC, or to get information on previous years, click here.

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