Card Player POY Update -- Stein Regains The Lead

Here is a look at the Card Player Player of the Year movement from Oct. 5-12. Be sure to check back each Wednesday for another update from the world of tournament poker.

European Poker Tour London

The European Poker Tour London festival is is the books. The series played host to 30 events, with buy-ins ranging from as low as £300 all the way up to the £20,000 high-roller.
Two key players in the 2011 Player of the Year race had good showing in event no. 12, a £2,000 no-limit hold’em tournament that drew 189 players, creating a $573,085 prize pool.

Sam Stein, who briefly fell to second place in the overall standings, has regained the lead by finishing seventh in this event for $21,257 and earning 171 POY points. He now leads Marvin Rettenmaier by a mere 63 points.

Matthew Waxman also climbed the leader board as a result of his eighth-place finish, for which he earned $15,474 and 114 POY points, which were good enough to move him into fifth position in the current standings.

The £5,000 main event drew 691 players, creating a prize pool of £3,351,350. The eventual champion was German pro Benny Spindler, who took home £750,000 and 1920 POY points, moving him into 37th place in the overall POY standings. Spindler finished runner-up at the EPT Grand Final high-roller earlier this year, earning $469,017 and 360 POY points.

American Steve O’Dwyer was the runner-up, earning £465,000 and 1600 POY points, which were good enough to move him into 20th place in the current standings. O’Dwyer has made six final tables so far this year, with a win in a $5,000 no-limit hold’em event at the Bellagio Cup VII this summer for $259,452.

The £20,000 high-roller event was won by Philipp Gruissem, who less than a month ago took down the EPT Barcelona high-roller event for €234,500. This time around the young German earned £450,000 for outlasting the field of 75 players and defeating a tough final table that included Olivier Busquet, who finished fourth for £171,200, and Sam Trickett, who earned £68,800 for a seventh place finish.

World Series of Poker Europe

Like so many indie films, the World Series of Poker Europe is making its debut this year in Cannes, France. The massive poker event has moved from London, and is being held for the first time at the Majestic Barrière Casino. The series features nine events, including a €10,400 no-limit hold’em main event.

Already three bracelets have been awarded. The first event, a €2,680 six-handed no-limit hold’em event was won by Guillaume Humbert of Switzerland. Humbert earned €215,999 and 1296 POY points for coming out on top of the 360 player field.

Australian Andrew Hinrichsen emerged victorious from the 771 player field in event #2, a €1,090 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament. For his win Hinrichsen was awarded 960 POY points.

Steve Billirakis, who at one point held the record for youngest WSOP bracelet winner, took down event no. 3, the €5,300 pot-limit Omaha tournament. Billirakis topped a 180 player field to take home his second bracelet, the first prize of €238,140 and 864 POY points, moving him into 100th place in the overall standings.

Other notable players to make the final table include November Niner Eoghan O’Dea and Sam Trickett. Trickett, fresh off his final table at the EPT London high-roller, finished fourth for €77,642 and 432 POY points, moving him into a tie for 95th place in the overall rankings. Trickett has cashed for $3,341,914 this year already, and is the chip leader heading into the Partouche Poker Tour final table which resumes in November. As it stands now, Trickett needs a top-two finish there to move into the top ten in the Player of the Year race.

Bellagio’s Festa al Lago Classic

The Bellagio’s Festa al Lago Classic tournament series is nearly complete, as all events have concluded barring the $5,000 no-limit hold’em championship, which is currently underway. The event is re-entry, meaning that players were welcome to buy in as many times as they would like after being eliminated, up to the start of the ninth level. There were a total of 228 entries, building a first place prize of $350,000.

A few notable names had deep finishes in the preliminary events, including Bryan Devonshire, who bested a 637-entrant field in event no. 1, a $330 no-limit hold’em tournament and won $37,089 and 480 POY points. Justin Young, Ryan Welch and Scott Clements all had runner-up finishes in separate $500 buy-in preliminary events.

Card Player Publisher Barry Shulman took down event no. 11, a $1,080 buy-in event that attracted 163 players. For his win Shulman was awarded $50,597 and 384 POY points.

World Series of Poker Circuit Southern Indiana

A total of 313 players entered the $1,500 buy-in main event at the World Series of Poker Circuit Horseshoe Southern Indiana, creating a total prize pool of $455,415. After three days of play, it was 56-year-old Robert Castoire who took home the title and the $107,023 first place prize. Castoire also earned 744 POY points for the win, moving him into 181st place in the overall standings for 2011.

Looking Ahead

There a couple of big chances to pick up POY points over the next week. Internationally, the World Series of Poker Europe is continuing in Cannes.

Stateside in Las Vegas, the Festa al Lago Classic will come to a conclusion on Oct. 14. In Reno, the Fall Pot of Gold tournament series is continuing at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, with 52 total events. The $1,600 Deepstacks Poker Tour main event begins on October 15th.

The Fall Poker Classic is continuing at the Canterbury Park Racetrack & Card Club in Shakopee, Minnesota. The $1,100 main event begins on Oct. 15.

In Florida, the 2011 Isle Open is place at the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach from Oct. 9-28. The series will play host to 10 events, including a $2,200 main event that starts October 21st.

A Look At The Standings

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