NBC has recently announced some of the criteria they will use in selecting the players they will invite to next year's National Heads-up Poker Championship. The criteria they've set forth will not only create a tough field for their event, but also gives a good indication of which events and accomplishments the poker world seems to most treasure.

Just a few of the criteria for next year's event includes:

-Past NHUPC winners
-Recent WSOP Main Event winners
-Defending EPT Grand Final Champion (assuming they're 21)
-Bluff, Card Player, and All In magazines, Players of the year
-Defending WSOPE Main Event Champion (assuming They're 21)
-Single year Multiple Bracelet Winners during the 2008 WSOP
-WPT Player of the Year

In announcing these guidelines for picking players in advance, NBC seems to be setting up the NHUPC to have a Tournament of Champions flavor, for all the players with the biggest accomplishments from the previous year. This could lead some to speculate, however questionably, that the winner of the NHUPC is therefore, the best tournament player of that year. A belief which could transform the NHUPC, from a popular, fun invitational tournament, into a highly prestigious must-win event, for any player that is out to prove that they are truly the best of the best.

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