It really has been madness so far this March, nowhere more so than in the 2016 Card Player Player of the Year race. The past week saw several big events wrap up that resulted in major changes to the POY leader board. Here is a look at the events that most impacted the rankings over the past seven days:
WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star $7,500 Main Event
The 2016 World Poker Tour Bay 101 Shooting Star $7,500 no-limit hold’em main event a record field of 753 entries in 2016, creating a $5,346,300 prize pool. Stefan Schillhabel emerged victorious in the end, with the student from Dueseldorf, Germany taking home his first WPT title, the $1,298,000 first-place prize and 1,824 Card Player Player of the Year points for the win.
This was Schillhabel’s first final table of the year, but the massive turnout and sizable buy-in of the event meant that it was enough for him to climb into tenth place in the overall standings for the time being on the back of this win alone.
Schillhabel was far from the only player to make a move near the top of the POY leader board as a result of this event. Runner-up Adam Geyer earned $752,800 and 1,520 points for his first final table finish of the year, enough to see him move into 20th place in the standings.
Third-place finisher Bryan Piccioli scored $493,350 and 1,216 points for his deep run. This was his third final table of the year and as a result he now occupies the 12th place position in the rankings.
Anthony Gregg finished seventh for $138,720 and 456 points at his sixth final table of the year. The EPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event runner-up finisher now has $983,175 in year-to-date earnings and 2,546 total points, enough to move him into second place in the rankings.
Connor Drinan finished eighth for $102,760 and 304 points. Like Gregg, this was his sixth final table of 2016. He now sits in eighth place in the overall rankings with 1,872 points and $2,038,127 in cashes on the year. Since the start of 2015 he has cashed for over $6.6 million in live tournaments.
Bay 101 Shooting Star $25,500 High Roller
World Series of Poker main event champion Joseph McKeehen was plenty accomplished before he took down the biggest event in the world last year. Although he could have taken it easy in the wake of winning over $7.6 million, he instead has hit the road and continued his momentum with a number of impressive scores in the early months of 2016.
McKeehen has made five final tables already this year, including a runner-up finish in the PCA $100,000 buy-in super high roller event for $1,220,480 and 500 POY points. He also finished fourth in the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open $3,500 main event for another $249,267 and 720 points.
His most recent score came in the $25,000 high roller at the Bay 101 Shooting Star festival in San Jose, CA. McKeehen topped a field of 17 players to win $156,966 and 420 points. The win catapulted McKeehen into seventh place in the rankings with 1,892 points and $2,038,127 in year-to-date earnings.
Eureka Poker Tour Rozvadov Main Event
In 2015 Ivan Luca burst onto the live tournament scene, making nine final tables and winning two titles including his first WSOP gold bracelet.
He seems intent on bettering that incredible performance in 2016, as he has already made six final tables and won two titles this year. The Argentinian kicked things off with a third-place finish in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $50,000 high roller event and then followed that up a win in a smaller side event in the Bahamas.
Most recently Luca topped a field of 682 players in the Eureka Poker Tour Rozvadov €1,100 no-limit hold’em main event, capturing the title after making a deal heads-up against his very own girlfriend, Maria Lampropulos. For the win Luca earned $115,805 and 840 POY points.
With 2,046 points and $854,269 in earnings so far in 2016 Luca now sits in fifth place in the standings.
WSOP Circuit Bally’s $3,250 High Roller
A total of 101 entries were made in the 2016 WSOP Circuit Bally’s $3,250 no-limit hold’em high roller event, building a prize pool of $303,000.
Igor Kurganov, who seems to play any tournament that features both the phrase “high roller” in the description, emerged victorious in the end. For the win the German poker pro secured his first WSOP Circuit gold ring, the $99,899 top prize and 360 POY points.
This was his fourth final table and second title of the year, having won a $5,300 prelim at the PCA in January. As aresult he has moved into 19th place in the POY standings with 1,650 points and $705,305 in earnings so far on the year.
Kurganov now has more than $10.1 million in lifetime live tournament earnings.
Here is a look at the current top 20 in the POY standings:
| Rank | Player | POY Points | Earnings |
| 1 | Ari Engel | 2,614 | $1,148,102 |
| 2 | Anthony Gregg | 2,546 | $983,175 |
| 3 | Steve O’Dwyer | 2,454 | $2,856,705 |
| 4 | Dietrich Fast | 2,210 | $1,006,680 |
| 5 | Ivan Luca | 2,046 | $854,269 |
| 6 | Tony Dunst | 1,900 | $700,000 |
| 7 | Joseph Mckeehen | 1,892 | $1,694,493 |
| 8 | Connor Drinan | 1,872 | $2,038,127 |
| 9 | Samantha Abernathy | 1,840 | $448,532 |
| 10 | Stefan Schillhabel | 1,824 | $1,298,000 |
| 10 | Michael Watson | 1,824 | $728,325 |
| 12 | Bryan Piccioli | 1,816 | $612,440 |
| 13 | David Peters | 1,812 | $3,553,082 |
| 14 | Dzmitry Urbanovich | 1,752 | $640,093 |
| 15 | Bryn Kenney | 1,750 | $2,480,242 |
| 15 | Chance Kornuth | 1,750 | $1,150,224 |
| 15 | Mike Shariati | 1,750 | $656,540 |
| 18 | Jason Wheeler | 1,704 | $429,603 |
| 19 | Igor Kurganov | 1,650 | $705,305 |
| 20 | Adam Geyer | 1,520 | $752,800 |
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