Rounding Out The Top Ten

Perhaps it is fitting that Chris Moorman finished runner-up in the Player of the Year race, because he had as good a year on the live tournament circuit as one can have without winning a title.

The British pro cashed for just under $2.3 million in POY qualifying events this year, with four substantial final-table finishes. Moorman started his year off by making the final table at the Aussie Millions main event, eventually finishing seventh for $174,244 and 600 POY points.

Moorman picked up some more momentum with two huge final tables at the World Series of Poker, finishing third in a $2,500 six-max no-limit hold’em event for $271,800 and 1,200 points and then just weeks later a runner-up in the massive $10,000 six-max no-limit hold’em championship event for $716,282 and 2,000 points. The largest score of Moorman’s year and career came at the WSOP Europe €10,000 main event. Moorman navigated the 593-player field all the way down to heads-up, finishing second for $1,101,520 and 2,000 more points.

Oleksii Kovalchuk had a breakout year on the tournament circuit, with an impressive three titles. In February, he took down the Russian Poker Tour Kiev main event for $123,456 and 828 points. At the WSOP, Kovalchuk took home his first bracelet, $689,739 and 1,800 points for a win in a $2,500 no-limit hold’em six-handed event. Earlier this month Kovalchuk also took down the Italian Poker Tour Nova Gorica main event for $217,407 and 1,152 points.

In addition to his three titles, the Ukrainian pro also made two additional final tables, including a third place finish in the Partouche Poker Tour €8,500 main event for $518,246 and 1,600 more points.

Young German pro Marvin Rettenmaier made an impressive 13 final tables in 2011, the most of anyone on the live tournament circuit this year. It was that incredible level of consistency that drove Rettenmaier up the ranks, despite having fewer earnings than some of his fellow POY top-ten finishers.

In all, Rettenmaier cashed 25 times this year, with 13 final tables and two titles. In February Rettenmaier topped a 567-player field in the France Poker Series Paris Finale main event, earning $332,470 and 1,440 points. Rettenmaier also won the Grand Poker Series main event, beating a 235-player field for $54,713 and 576 points.

Sam Stein had a career-best year on the live circuit in 2011, improving on his $784,325 in earnings and 26th place finish in the POY race in 2010. Much like last year, Stein made five final tables. This time around, he was able to break through and win his first major title, by taking a WSOP $3,000 pot-limit Omaha event. In addition to his first bracelet, the victory earned him $420,802 and 1,440 points.

The American pro had a number of other big scores as well, starting his year off with a seven-figure score in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event, finishing fourth for $1 million and 1,500 points. He also finished third in the WSOP $10,000 pot-limit hold’em championship and runner up in a Five Diamond World Poker Classic $1,000 event at Bellagio. Stein rounded out his year with a win in an EPT San Remo €10,000 no-limit hold’em eight-max event for $223,000.

Jason Mercier continued to prove why he is one of the most respected tournament players in the world. He had another impressive year on the tournament circuit, accumulating more than $2 million in earnings garnered from winning three titles and making nine final tables.

The 25-year old pro earned his second WSOP gold bracelet with a win in the WSOP $5,000 pot-limit Omaha six-handed event for $619,575 and 1,920 points. Mercier also executed the rare feat of a title defense by winning the 2011 NAPT Mohegan Sun bounty shootout event. This time around Mercier earned $246,600 and 480 points for the win. His final title came in the $100,000 High Roller at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Mercier beat out 23 of the world’s top players to earn $683,000 and 432 points.

Elio Fox achieved the rare feat of winning the title at each of the three final tables he made, including his enormous $1.9 million score for winning the 2011 WSOPE main event, which also netted 2,400 points.

The New York pro also took down the Bellagio Cup VII $10,000 main event for $669,692 and 1,320 points, as well as a Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III $1,590 event for $87,192 and 600 points.

Galen Hall was one of the many players to cement their Player of the Year contender status in the very first month of the year. Hall topped the 1,560-player field in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event to earn $2.3 million and 3,000 in points, which catapulted him into a lead for much of the first part of the year.

Hall was not content to settle for one result. He followed up his PCA win with a final table finish in the EPT Grand Final €30,000 high roller, finishing seventh for €57,500. The very next week, Hall made the $25,000 buy-in WPT Championship final table, where he finished third for $589,355 and 1,056 points.

Eugene Katchalov made seven final tables in 2011, including wins in the PCA $100,000 Super High Roller for $1.5 million and in a WSOP $1,500 seven-card stud event for his first gold bracelet.

In addition to his two huge titles, Katchalov also had a shot to win the prestigious poker “Triple Crown” this year. With a WPT title from 2007 and his WSOP bracelet win this year, Katchalov came incredibly close to joining the elite group of Triple Crown winners when he made the final table of the EPT Barcelona main event. He eventually finished in the third for $453,812 and 1,280 points.

Pius Heinz topped a 6,865-player field to become the first ever World Series of Poker Main Event champion from his home country of Germany. For his efforts the young pro earned $8,711,956 and 3,600 POY points, respectively the largest first prize and POY point awarded this year. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in Heinz being the leading money winner for the year.

Heinz was no one-hit wonder in 2011, however. He also took down a side event at the EPT Barcelona, topping a 105-player field to earn $25,140 and 264 POY points. Heinz also made a third final table, finishing seventh in a $1,500 WSOP no-limit hold’em event for $83,286. All told, a great year for the young German, and now reigning world champion. ♠