Head to head: A profile of the World Heads Up Poker Championships

Whether you’re taking a stroll down La Rambla, being mesmerized by the modernist architecture of Antoni Gaudi or enjoying tapas in a street café Barcelona is one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities.

Home of the Nou Camp, one of the world’s largest football stadiums, host of the 1994 Olympics and the capital of the fiercely independently-spirited region of Catalonia, the sun-drenched rejuvenated city sits proudly on Spain’s east coast.

So where could be better to pull up a chair and enjoy some of that famous Spanish sun, sea, sangria – and poker!

Poker? Yes! On top of its already spectacular list of attractions this year Barcelona is hosting the World Heads Up Championship.

Starting on June 13th 128 of the world’s best poker players will be battle it out over six days to be crowned World Heads Up Champion – and pocket 100,000 Euros.

And what’s more, that winner could be you! For around $5 you could reign in Spain, become a World Champion – and top up your sun tan and bank balance at the same time! (Now we at the Big Slick know that sounds too good to be true. But it is! Full details are at the bottom of this article.)

The World Heads Up Championship started at Vienna’s Concord Card Casino in 2001 when 75 of the world’s best players, including legends such as World Series of Poker winners Amarillo “Slim” Preston and Phil Hellmuth Jr, duelled it out.

The format was simple. Win your game and you go through. Lose and you’re out. The action was fast, the bluffs big and eventually French star Bruno Fitoussi triumphed over Amarillo Slim in a titanic final game.

2002 saw newcomers Roy “the Boy” Brindley and Russian Kirill Gerasimov play out the final. Anyone who’s seen Gerasimov play in the televised World Poker Tour coverage will know the Russian appears to bluff more than he breaths and he took the title with a display of truly aggressive poker.

The following year the format changed and players knocked out in the early stages had the chance to rebuy. The title crossed the Atlantic for the first time with American “Miami” John Cernuto winning.

This year the tournament reverts to its original freeze out format and the 128 entrants will be playing out for over a quarter of a million Euros in prize money – with payouts to the top 16.

The move to Barcelona means it will be the first time the tournament hasn’t been played in Vienna’s Concord Card Casino. The venue this time is Casino Barcelona – Spain’s leading gaming venue.

To claim the title a player will need to win seven straight heads up games against some of the best players in the world.
So, could it be you in Seventh Heaven, with a stack of cash in the bank and the title of World Heads Up Champion next to your name? Here’s what you need to do…

How to play in the World Heads Up Championship with Victor Chandler Poker

There’s a chance to win you way to Barcelona every Saturday on Victor Chandler Poker at 20:15GMT in our super satellite. The buy-in is $45 + $4.50 and it is a rebuy tournament.

Alternatively you can play in one of the $5.50 + $0 satellites into the super satellite which are now running 24/7.

The winners of the super satellites pick up a package worth $3,500 each, including a buy in to the main event in Barcelona – and a tasty $700 to help cover travel and accommodation costs. You’ll need your own sun lotion!