Michael Phelps Not Playing NBC National Heads Up

All right, so a couple of days before the pictures were published of him smoking a bong, we were going to break the news that Michael Phelps was set to play in the 2009 NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship.

Then the aforementioned photos of Michael Phelps smoking a bong were published, and now his "handlers" won't let him even come to Las Vegas for paid speaking engagements, or even worse bang slutty cocktail waitresses. So let's just say the announced field is lacking poker player/Olympian Michael Phelps and acknowledge we won't be seeing him around for awhile.

On the card this year are far more Euros, including Bertrand Grospellier, 12 year-old fem phenom Dario Minieri, Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies, Glen Chorny (Canadian but whatever), 2008 WSOP Main Event champ Peter Eastgate, and Ivan Demidov.

For the first time ever the NBC National Heads-Up will have a lesbian contestant in Vanessa Selbst. Not a lesbian but one half of the best lesbian scene in a movie ever (well in a non-hardcore-porn movie at least), Jen Tilly is back on the line-up.

Not making it on the list this year is Dancing with the Stars' Shannon Elizabeth. However, Celebrity Apprentice's Annie Duke will of course be present. 

Finally, Huck Seed is again playing and again our perennial pick to win it all. One time Huck. One time.

Look at the full line-up here.