2016 Card Player Player of the Year Race Update -- Ari Engel Extends Lead

It was another busy week in the 2016 Card Player Player of the Year race. Here is a look at the events that most impacted the rankings over the past seven days:

2016 WSOP Harrah’s Atlantic City $1,675 Main Event

Robert Kuhn emerged victorious in the 2016 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Atlantic City $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event, outlasting a field of 370 entries to win his first WSOP Circuit gold ring and the $122,098 first-place prize.

The 25-year-old poker pro from Barnesville, Ohio also scored 600 Player of the year points for the win.

Current POY race leader Ari Engel finished fourth in the event for $40,937 and 300 POY points. This was his sixth final table of the year, with two titles won. Engel took down the Aussie Millions main event in in January for $1,120,000 and 2,280 POY points. Just last week won his eighth WSOP Circuit gold ring in a prelim at this festival, topping a field of 123 entrants in the $580 buy-in no-limit hold’em event to move into a tie for second place on the all-time WSOPC titles with Chris Reslock.

Engel now sits 500 POY points ahead of second-place occupant Anthony Gregg in the POY standings with 3,046 total points and $1,206,260 in year-to-date earnings.

2016 WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino $1,675 Main Event

A total of 756 entries were made in the 2016 WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event, building a prize pool of $1,134,000.

In the end the lion’s share of that went to none other than Antonio Esfandiari, who defeated a tough final table full of accomplished players to win his very first WSOPC gold ring, the $226,785 first-place prize and 912 POY points. This was his first final table finish of the year, but this win alone was enough to catapult ‘The Magician’ into
61st place in the overall Player of the Year standings.

Esfandiari defeated 2006 World Series of Poker main event champion Jamie Gold heads-up for the title. The Los Angeles local earned $139,820 and 760 points for his deep run.

POY contender Bryn Kenney finished sixth in this event for $44,395 and 304 points. This was Kenney’s eighth final table finish of the year, the most of any player in 2016 so far. With 2,054 total points and $2,524,637 in year-to-date earnings Kenney has climbed to the fifth-place spot on the Player of the Year leader board.

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

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