Player of the Year Update -- Faraz Jaka and Michael Mizrachi Climb

The World Series of Poker Europe series is having a huge impact on the 2012 Card Player Player of the Year race, sponsored by Lock Poker. The main event is still ongoing and is could make a big impression, but here is a look at the players who made the biggest moves this past week in Cannes:

WSOP Europe Event 3 – €5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha

Roger Hairabedian outlasted a tough field of 97 to win the third event of the €5,300 buy-in pot-limit Omaha tournament. For the win the Frenchman was awarded his first WSOP gold bracelet and the €142,590 first-place prize. This was his ninth career title, bringing his lifetime tournament earnings to more than $2.7 million.

Third place finisher Michael Mizrachi earned €62,749 and 288 POY points for his fifth final-table finish of 2012, and as a result climbed to 12th place in the overall POY standings. The three-time bracelet winner won his second WSOP Poker Players Championship title in the prestigious $50,000 buy-in event this summer. This most recent score has brought “The Grinder’s” year-to-date tournament earnings to $2,026,379.

WSOP Europe Event 4 – €3,250 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout

Giovanni Rosadoni was the last man standing in the €3,250 no-limit hold’em shootout. The Frenchman overcame a tough final table full of notable pros to capture his first WSOP gold bracelet and €107,614.

Four players at the table have moved into the top 100 in the POY race as a result of this final table. Runner-up Dan O’Brien climbed to 69th place in the overall standings after scoring $85,609 and 360 POY points. This was O’Brien’s third final table finish of the year.

Third-place finisher John Monnette moved into 31st place in the rankings after scoring $62,018 and 288 points. Monnette had won his second bracelet at the WSOP this summer, and this most recent deep run marked his fourth final table of the year.

Oleksii Kovalchuk finished fourth for $45,776 and 216 points, catapulting him into 25th place in the standings. Kovalchuk has made four final tables this year as well, winning a WSOP $2,500 Omaha/seven card stud eight-or-better event and the Italian Poker Tour San Remo main event.

Sixth place finisher Paul Guichard earned $26,305 and 144 points, moving him into 42nd place in the overall POY rankings on the back of a big runner-up finish in the European Poker Tour Deauville main event.

WSOP Europe Event 5 – €10,450 Mixed Max – No-Limit Hold’em

Jonathan Aguiar emerged victorious in the €10,450 buy-in mix-max no-limit hold’em event. Aguiar defeated Brandon Cantu heads-up to capture his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet, also snagging €258,047 and 540 POY points in the process.

Some other POY competitors made moves in this event as well. Semi-finalist Faraz Jaka scored $110,667 and 360 POY points for his deep run, catapulting him into seventh in the overall standings. This was Jaka’s sixth final table of the 2012, and brought his year-to-date earnings to $1,009,964.

Quarterfinalist Marvin Rettenmaier earned $54,064 and 225 POY points as well, maintaining his third-place spot in the rankings and increasing his earnings to $1,926,855 for the year with three titles and seven final tables.

Here is a look at the top twenty of the 2012 POY race:

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