John Phan Wins Card Player 2008 Player of the Year Award

All of us at Card Player would like to congratulate John Phan for winning the 2008 Player of the Year (POY) award.

Phan nearly won the title back in 2005, when Men Nguyen rallied late in the year to edge him out and capture his record fourth POY title. Phan finished just 176 points shy of Nguyen that year. Despite having many of poker's toughest players on his heels, Phan did not get lapped this year.

Phan took the lead in the POY race when he won the WPT Legends of Poker tournament in late August. His impressive World Series of Poker, where he won two bracelets, put enough distance between himself and the rest of the pack that no one was able to chase him down this time.

Phan told Card Player TV that the award is like a dream come true for him, and that it took a ton of commitment and dedication to remain consistent for the entire year. "For the last four or five years, I tried so hard but could not win a bracelet," Pham said. "It's just so hard. I told myself this year that I would put in 200 percent, and it finally came through."

Phan finished the year with 14 cashes, totaling $2,075,323. He made eight final tables and won three major events. He now has $5,371,996 in career tournament winnings. Next issue, we'll take an in-depth look at the race, and talk to Phan and all of the players who made it a long, hard-fought battle.

In this issue, we look at one of the most successful players to emerge from the online generation. Tom "Durrrr" Dwan has created a stir amongst all online poker diehards for his massive wins, wild swings, and fearless play for the better part of the past two years. Dwan, who is only 22 years old, worked a $30 bankroll up to millions. He is now one of a handful of players who are often found on Full Tilt Poker battling in $500-$1,000 no-limit hold'em and other huge-stakes games. Dwan has won the respect of the game's elite and has developed a reputation for his active and ingenious approach to all poker disciplines. Learn more about Dwan's rapid rise on Page 56.