The 2019 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the last chance for players to accumulate points for the WSOP Player of the Year (POY) title. The WSOPE festival is in full swing at King’s Resort in Rozvadov and will conclude on November 4. The tournament features a total of 15 bracelet events, the majority of which have already been awarded and all but one will count towards the POY race.
POY Recap
The POY rankings have seen a number of changes over the past couple of weeks as action unfolded at the WSOPE. Before the European festival kicked off, it was Robert Campbell leading the pack, fresh off from his successful run during the 50th edition of the WSOP in Las Vegas this summer. The Aussie captured two bracelets after taking down Event #33: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw, and Event #67: $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship in July.
Behind Campbell was 2018 POY Shaun Deeb in second place, followed by Daniel Negreanu in third place. When the first few events took place in Rozvadov, Campbell maintained his position before briefly losing it for two days to Deeb who accumulated points after cashing in two events earlier in the festival. Campbell managed to take back the number 1 spot last week when he made it to the final table of the €25,500 Platinum High Roller No Limit Hold’em where he finished eighth.
Latest Rankings
Daniel Negreanu has now taken over the lead after his sixth-place finish in the €25,500 Mixed Games Championship. The former number one on the All-Time Money List also earned points after cashing in two more events — Event #11: €2,200 Pot Limit Omaha, as well as Event #12: €100,000 Diamond High Roller.
Negreanu who is also known as Kid Poker was the winner of the first ever WSOP POY award back in 2004, and won it again in nine years later in 2013. The Canadian poker pro is hoping to collect another WSOP POY title this year.
The shift in rankings sees Campbell at number 2, followed by Deeb at number 3. Philip Hui, winner of the 2019 $50K Poker Players Championship is at number 4, just a little over 500 points behind Deeb. Hui has cashed in three events thus far at the 2019 WSOPE. Following Hui at number 5 is Daniel Zack who also had a series of deep runs during this summer’s WSOP in Vegas, including a first-place win in the $2,500 Limit Mixed Triple Draw.
Moving up to the number 6 spot is Australian poker pro Kahle Burns, who managed to book two major victories at the 2019 WSOPE in a week — he won his maiden bracelet in the €25,500 High Roller and just days after, he also triumphed in the €2,500 Short Deck event to capture his second bracelet. His move up the rankings has pushed Dash Dudley to number 7. Dudley has scored three cashes at King’s so far, including a first-place victory in the €550 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Handed event.
Currently sitting at number 8 is Chris Ferguson who also cashed in three events at this year’s WSOPE, among them a 9^th place finish in the €1,650 Pot Limit Omaha/No Limit Hold’em Mix event. The six-time WSOP bracelet winner is aiming to win POY for the second time around, after receiving the award in 2017.
Phil Hellmuth now takes the 9^th spot after falling short of capturing his 16^th bracelet in the €25,500 Mixed Games Championship where he finished runner-up to Besim Hot. Hellmuth also previously finished third in another mixed-game event at King’s. Rounding out the Top 10 is Anthony Zinno, who is less than 30 points away from Hellmuth. The Boston native finished in the money in two WSOPE events so far this year.
Among the players sitting just outside the Top 10 are Asi Moshe (11), Ismael Bojang (12), Jason Gooch (13), Dario Sammartino (14), and Joseph Cheong (15).
Previous WSOP POY Winners
To win the WSOP POY title, the player must collect the highest points awarded across WSOP tournaments throughout the year.
Some of the previous winners include Jason Mercier (2016), Mike Gorodinsky (2015), George Danzer (2014), Greg Merson (2012), Ben Lamb (2011), Frank Kassela (2010), Jeffrey Lisandro (2009), Erick Lindgren (2008), Tom Schneider (2007), Jeff Madsen (2006), and Allen Cunningham (2005).