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Card Player Player of the Year Update: Thomas Marchese Takes the Lead Back

Thomas Marchese Takes Back the Lead at the WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals

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POY Leader Thomas MarcheseThe 2010 World Poker Tour World Poker Finals $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut factored heavily into the Card Player Player of the Year race in early November. Thomas Marchese made his ninth final table of the year and cashed in third place, which was good for $211,759. He was also awarded 960 points, which gives him the top spot in the standings once again, after Dwyte Pilgrim surpassed him in September by winning the Borgata Poker Open WPT main event. Marchese has won $1,998,700 in prize money at POY events in 2010, which tops the $1,074,997 of Pilgrim as well, but Pilgrim has made more final tables with 13 appearances to his credit in 2010.

There are now just 750 points separating these two consistent professionals but considering how often they have run deep into events this year this might not be the last lead change. It appears that the POY race will come down to the final major event of the year, the $10,000 World Series of Poker Circuit Eastern Regional Championship that will take place at the Harrah’s in Atlantic City from December 19-22.

Topping the field of 242 players at Foxwoods was Jeff Forrest, a young poker talent who won the very first WPT event that he played. Forrest was awarded 1,440 points to go with the top prize of $548,752. Only one other player took home a quadruple-digit POY score in the event was Dave Inselberg, who booked $325,608 and 1,200 points as the runner up.

Two other players took home POY awards at the World Poker Finals WPT main event that currently reside in the top 10 in the standings. Sorel Mizzi cashed in seventh place as the final-table bubble boy and he took home 360 points to close the gap between him and Pilgrim. He now sits in third place with 4,397 points and he increased his earnings to $1,451,936. Mike Beasley made a run to the final three tables and cashed for $27,779 in 22nd place, which was good for 36 points and increased his hold on eighth place (3,356 points).

Here is the break down of the prize money and POY points awarded at the WPT World Poker Finals main event final table:

1: Jeff Forrest — $548,752 (1,440 points)
2: Dave Inselberg — $325,608 (1,200 points)
3: Thomas Marchese — $211,759 (960 points)
4: Nikolai Yakovenko — $170,773 (720 points)
5: Keven Stammen — $128,650 (600 points)
6: Mohsin Charania — $104,741 (480 points)