Tournament Trail

Aussie Millions, and First 2009 WPT and EPT Events Award Major Points
By Ryan Luchessi

So far, four major tournaments have awarded Card Player 2009 Player of the Year (POY) points. The top three spots on the leader board still belong to the first-, second-, and third-place finishers at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure: Poorya Nazari, Anthony Gregg, and Benjamin Spindler. Fourth place is held by the newly crowned champion of the Aussie Millions no-limit hold'em main event, Stewart Scott. Scott became the first Australian to win the event, and he took home $2 million AUD (almost $1.4 million) after topping a field of 681 players. Tied in fourth place with Scott is the winner of the PokerStars European Poker Tour stop in Deauville, Moritz Kranich. The young German won the €5,300 no-limit hold'em main event, beating a field of 645 players. The sixth spot on the leader board belongs to the winner of the World Poker Tour Southern Poker Championship, Allen Carter. Carter banked $1 million for his victory in the $10,000 WPT championship event in Biloxi, Mississippi.

A collection of the top finishers at the events in Australia and France took over three of the four remaining top 10 spots on the leader board. Aussie Millions runner-up Peter Rho took home $1 million AUD (almost $700,000) and is tied for seventh place. The second-place finisher at Deauville, Arnaud Esqeuvin, won €495,400 and 1,600 points, which ties him for seventh place. And EPT Deauville third-place finisher Tristan Clemencon grabbed the 10th-place position, winning €284,800 and 1,280 points. Clemencon has already made appearances at three final tables in 2009. He finished in third place in the $1,405 closing tournament of the Euro Finals of Poker, and in ninth place in the $2,810 gold championship event of the same tournament.

Alexandre Gomes rounds out the top 10 in ninth place.


Further Afield - A Quick Peek Outside the Top 10

While almost every spot near the top has gone to players who have done well in the four major events that began the year, there are POY contenders who are putting together an early run in 2009 via less-heralded avenues. Jordan Smith won a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event at the Borgata Winter Open that attracted a field of 484 players. He won $119,228 and 960 points. He could follow in the footsteps of other Borgata-bred POY contenders like Vinny Pahuja and Allen Bari if he continues his success in 2009 at this landmark Atlantic City property.

Another player who's off to a hot start in 2009 is David "Devilfish" Ulliott. He has already won two tournaments in 2009 - a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event at the PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship for 312 points and $46,330 in prize money, and the Euro Finals of Poker $7,000 diamond championship for 480 points and $199,022 in prize money. He was not done, however, after becoming the only player to win two tournaments in January; he also finished 23rd at the EPT Deauville. Ulliott racked up 792 points for the month, putting him in 33rd place, but if he continues his hot start, he could top his 2007 total of 3,446 points.


International Players Performing Well Early in 2009

The early contenders in the 2009 POY race are evidence of the increased international presence that the game of poker now enjoys. Six countries are represented in the top 10, with the United States leading the way with three representatives (Gregg, Carter, and Rho), but both Germany (Spindler and Kranich) and France (Esquevin and Clemencon) bring two representatives to the table. Canada (Nazari), Australia (Scott), and Brazil (Gomes) all have one top contender. Could this be the first year that a non-North American player wins the award?


Upcoming POY Events: March Madness

March will feature another flurry of activity on the tournament circuit during a short two-week stretch. Major tournaments will be held in Las Vegas, Northern California, and Atlantic City in the U.S., and in Germany and Uruguay abroad. Thousands of POY points will up for grabs on three continents. Here is a look at the schedule for those events: