We may have to start calling this the year of Seidel.

The 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship (NHUPC), after three jam packed days of poker, wrapped up at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas yesterday with a familiar NHUPC face as its new champion.

Erik Seidel, the 2010 NBC NHUPC runner-up, bettered his position this year by one spot, claiming the NHUPC title and a- biggest ever- cash prize of $750,000.

Seidel outlasted a total field of 64 players in this single elimination bracket style competition, and personally eliminated not only Andrew Robl, Vanessa Selbst, Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman and Allen Cunningham, but also 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker, who also made it all the way into the heads-up finals.

The $300,000 runner-up prize for this year’s NHUPC is the largest score for Moneymaker since winning the $2.5 million that accompanied his 2003 WSOP title, however Seidel’s three-quarters of a million dollar prize, wasn’t even the largest amount he’s won this year. 

With this most recent score, Erik Seidel, can now claim 2011 live winnings in excess of $4.3 million, and an all-time live earnings total above all others; even above Daniel Negreanu’s, the previous All Time Money List leader.  Along with his 8 WSOP bracelets, Seidel now also has over $14.5 million in lifetime live tournament cashes- including both open events and invitationals.

For more information on this most recent Seidel triumph, check out the weekend’s updates available at PokerNews.com.