Shorr Makes Final Table, Stays in POY Race

Don't count Shannon Shorr out of the Card Player Magazine Player of the Year race just quite yet. In fact, this year's race is so tight, it would be foolish to count out any of the players crowded at the top of the leader board, even though the year's just about over.

Shorr stayed in the race by adding another 450 points to his total yesterday by finishing fourth in the $5,000 event at the Bellagio World Poker Classic. He also earned another $71,520 for his bankroll. He now has 4,926 points.

Shorr still sits in fourth place on the POY leader board, but is only 1,064 points away from taking the lead from Michael Mizrachi (5,989 points). Mizrachi has held onto the top spot for most of the year after he had a spectacular two weeks in February. Shorr has also been in the top 10 for just about the entire year, and would take over the top spot with a win in the $15,000 championship event that starts Thursday.

But depending on how Mizrachi fares in the championship event, all three players sitting right under him have a chance to take the lead with only a few weeks left in the tournament year.

Nam Le vaulted to second place last week after adding 750 points by making two final tables (third and eighth) at Bellagio events. With 5,215 points, Le is only a sixth-place finish or better in the $15,000 event from taking the lead (again, that is if Mizrachi doesn't add any more points to his total).

Right behind Le is J.C. Tran, with 5,170 points. Like Le, he can snatch the lead from Mizrachi by doing extremely well at the $15,000 event. Le already won the $2,000 event last week to add 920 points and another $266,822 to his bankroll. Behind Tran is Shorr.

The race has been so tight, a win in the $15,000 event could conceivably give any of the players with 4,100 points or more the 2006 Player of the Year award. They are Jeff Madsen (4,568), Davis Daneshgar (4,392), and John Huang (4,177).

The $15,000 event, which is called the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic, starts Thursday. CardPlayer.com will have live reports of all the poker action, as well as videos reporting on the event. Be sure to check back often as to not miss a thing.

And also click here to visit CardPlayer.com's Player of the Year page.

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