Player of the Year Update -- Schwartz And Cheong Make Moves

Notable pros made some big scores around the globe this week on the poker tournament trail. Here is a look at the ones that made the biggest impact on the 2012 Card Player Player of the Year race, sponsored by Lock Poker.

World Poker Tour bestbet Jacksonville Fall Poker Scramble

A total of 477 players turned out for the second running of the 2012 WPT bestbet Jacksonville Fall Poker Scramble $3,500 no-limit hold’em main event, building a prizepool of $1,526,400. Noah Schwartz entered his fourth career WPT final table with 43 percent of the chips in play, and was able to convert sizable lead into his first ever WPT title.

For the win the Florida native earned $402,970 and 1,080 POY points, moving him into 17th place in the overall POY standings. This was Schwartz’s fourth final table of the year, with a sixth-place finish in the EPT Grand Final high roller, a fourth-place showing in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic main event and a win in a $5,000 pot-limit Omaha prelim at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. All told, Schwartz has garnered year-to-date earnings of $1,076,035.

Schwartz topped a tough final table en route to victory, outlasting Lee Markholt (6th – $61,819), Hans Winzeler (4th – $106,848) and Byron Kaverman (2nd – $236,592).

Asian Championship of Poker Macau High Roller

The 2012 PokerStars ACOP Macau came to a close this past weekend, with one of the most action filled events of the series, the $250,000 HKD ($32,256 USD) no-limit hold’em high roller. A total of 39 players turned out, building a prizepool of nearly $1.2 million USD. Australian pro Jonathan Karamilikis emerged victorious, scoring $478,292 and 420 POY points for the win.

Jeffrey Rossiter, also from Australia, finished runner up for $286,949. Earlier in the series Rossiter took down the ACOP warm up event for $229,277. With a total of five final tables and these two huge scores under his belt, Rossiter climbed to 48th in the POY rankings.

Coming in fourth was none other than Joseph Cheong, who just last week finished third in the ACOP warm up as well. His two final tables in Macau have earned nearly $240,000 and a total of 810 POY points.

All told, Cheong has made seven final tables this year, with to-date earnings of $1,062,822. As a result of his consistent success throughout the year, Cheong has moved into fourth place in the overall POY standings with 3,590 points.

2012 Heartland Poker Tour Las Vegas

The Heartland Poker Tour pulled into Las Vegas for its latest $1,650 no-limit hold’em main event. A total of 286 entrants turned out, building a $408,840 prize pool. James Carroll came out on top, earning $104,253 and 456 POY points. This was the young poker pro’s 22nd career title, but his first live main event win.

Carroll had plenty of tough competition to deal with on the way to the title, including 2012 WSOP bracelet winner Randy Ohel, who finished fifth for $25,144. This was Ohel’s third final table of the year, and as a result he has moved into 121st place in the POY standings.

Other notables who made deep runs include Dan Alspach (6th – $20,238), Eric Froelich (11th – $9,199), and Allyn Jaffrey Shulman (20th – $3,271).

Here is a look at the top twenty in the POY race:

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