As we go to press with this issue, our 11th-annual Player of the Year (POY) race is entering its final month of tournament action, and the sprint to the finish is as close as a preflop coin flip. Running neck and neck in that sprint is the man on the cover of this issue, Jonathan Little, who is just a stride (actually, 138 points) behind POY leader David "The Dragon" Pham. And hot on their heels are Scott Clements (third), Bill Edler (fourth), and J.C. Tran (fifth). See this issue for the story of Little's big year of tournament success in 2007.
Whether it's one of these five players or someone back in the pack, the winner of the race will be among an elite group of players who have claimed Player of the Year honors. The previous 10 POY awards have been won by six players: Men "The Master" Nguyen (four-time winner), T.J. Cloutier (two-time winner), Hieu "Tony" Ma, David "The Dragon" Pham (currently seeking his second POY title), Daniel Negreanu, and Michael Mizrachi.
How elite is this group? Consider the following: Their combined lifetime tournament winnings are more than $42 million, they collectively hold 19
World Series of Poker bracelets, and they have won a total of 212 tournaments (Nguyen alone has won an astounding 82).
Take a closer look at these players' impressive track record stats:
Will Pham become a two-time POY winner, or will another tournament star join this elite group's ranks as the seventh member of the "Player of the Year Club"? Whatever happens, it's going to be fun to see who emerges from the stretch run to become the
Card Player 2007 Player of the Year.
On a final note, the
Asia Pacific Poker Tour (
APPT)
Asian Poker Open in Macau was concluding as we went to press. This event, the first-ever poker tournament on Chinese soil, was the largest poker tournament ever held in Asia. Look for a special feature on poker in Macau in the next issue.
Merry Christmas … and may at least one of your poker gifts be pocket aces.
