2014 Card Player Player of the Year Update -- Cary Katz and Jonathan Gaviao Into Top 20

There was plenty of action this week in the 2014 Card Player Player of the Year race, sponsored by Carbon Poker. Here is a look at the events that most influenced the overall standings over the past seven days:

2014 Bellagio $25K High Roller III

The Bellagio has hosted a series of $25,000 buy-in no-limit high rollers in 2014. On the last day of February, 13 entries were made in the most recent of these tournaments, building a $320,125 prize pool.

Cary Katz, who defeated Joseph Cheong heads-up on Feb. 1st to win the previous running of this event, again came out on top. For his second title of the year Katz earned $208,081 and 420 POY points.

In addition to these back-to-back wins Katz also finished fourth in a $5,300 no-limit hold’em eight max side event at the PCA. That event drew 250 entrants, and Katz earned $67,580 and 408 for his deep run. As a result of his three scores in 2014 Katz now sits in 17th place in the overall POY standings with 1,248 points and $451,730 in year-to-date earnings.

2014 WSOP Circuit Caesars Palace

Christian Pham emerged victorious in the 2014 World Series of Poker Circuit Caesars Palace $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event, a field of 695 entrants to win the lion’s share of the $1,045,500 prize pool and 840 POY points. Pham defeated Jonathan Gaviao heads-up for the title exactly one month after Gaviao came out on top in the WSOP Circuit Tunica main event.

Gaviao earned $132,622 and 700 points for his runner up finish. When combined with the $181,757 and 840 points for his win in Mississippi, Gaviao’s POY point total for 2014 has risen to 1,540. He now sits in ninth place in the overall standings, with year-to-date earnings of $314,379.

Pham’s win moved him into a nine-way tie for 38th place in the overall standings.

2014 Deepstack Extravaganza Main Event

A total of 475 entries were made in the $500,000 2014 Deepstack Extravaganza I $1,600 no-limit hold’em main event, surpassing the guarantee to build a prize pool of $691,600.

In the end Las Vegas resident and 2012 November Niner Jeremey Ausmus emerged victorious, taking home $120,054 and 720 Player of the Year points. This was Ausmus’s second DSE main event win, having won the $2,500 main event in the DSE II last April. This was his first final table of 2014, however, and was enough to catapult him into a tie for 59th place in the overall standings.

Ausmus had to overcome a stacked final table that included the likes of Will “The Thrill” Failla, Samantha Cohen, Seth Berger and Ryan Welch en route to the win.

2014 UKIPT Dublin

A total of 682 entries were made in the 2014 UK and Ireland Poker Tour Dublin €770 no-limit hold’em main event, building a prize pool of $635,984 USD. In the end the last player standing was Kevin Killeen, who took home $120,412 and 840 POY points for the win.

Killeen topped Max Silver heads-up for the win. Silver, who finished ninth in the 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event for $135,400 in January, earned another $73,730 and 700 POY points for his runner-up finish. As a result he now sits in a tie with Shannon Shorr for 34th place in the overall POY standings with 900 points and $209,130 in year-to-date earnings.

Silver has been a dominant presence on the UKIPT, having particularly notable success at this event in Dublin over the years. This was his third time at the event’s final table in four tries, including a win in 2010. He has made eight final tables in UKIPT events in the past four years.

Here is a look at the current top 20 in the POY standings:

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