2012 Player of the Year Update -- Antonio Esfandiari Climbs To Sixth

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 Five Diamond World Poker Classic

Ravi Raghavan into 13th place

Raghavan defeated Shawn Buchanan heads-up for the title, sending the Canadian home with $746,502 and 1,750 POY points. This was his third final table of 2012, with a win in a $10,000 turbo six-max no-limit event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Buchanan now its in 26th place in the POY rankings.

Antonio Esfandiari

Esfandiari made the first of his four final tables this year at the WSOP, finishing third in a $3,000 no-limit hold’em shootout for $151,613. He followed that up by winning the biggest buy-in tournament in poker history, the $1 million Big One for One Drop. For the historic win Esfandiari earned the record-breaking $18.3 million first place prize, overtaking the lead on the all-time tournament earnings list. He kept up his winning ways in the fall, emerging victorious in a €1,000 no-limit hold’em event at the WSOP Europe for $163,362. All told, “The Magician” has accumulated 3,330 POY points and $18,990,987 in year-to-date earnings.

Andrew Lichtenberger finished fifth in this event for $234,197 and 875 POY points. This was his sixth final table of the year, bringing his year-to-date earnings to $558,207
and catapulting him into 32nd in the rankings.

World Series of Poker Circuit Atlantic City

Adam Teasdale topped a 616-entrant field in the $1,675 buy-in World Series of Poker Circuit Atlantic City main event at the Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, earning his first gold ring, 840 POY points and $194,000.

This is the aspiring poker pro from Wisconsin’s largest tournament score to date, and his first POY-qualified final table. He defeated Wade Woelfel heads-up to secure the title, sending the Minnesota native to the rail with $120,018 for his runner-up performance.

World Poker Tour Prague

The €3,300 buy in PartyPoker World Poker Tour Prague main event drew 567 entries, building a total prize pool of just over €1.6 million. 26-year-old Marcin Wydrowski of Poland emerged as the winner, taking home €325,000 ($423,957) and 1,260 POY points. Wydrowski is the first Polish player ever to win a World Poker Tour main event.

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

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