David 'The Dragon' Pham Takes Over POY RaceJ.C. Tran Knocked Down to Second and Tom Schneider is Close Behind |
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The year is three-quarters of the way through, and with only four more months left in the Card Player Player of the Year (POY) race, the pressure is at an all-time high. The most recent World Poker Tour event, the Legends of Poker, was the factor in the latest POY movement, which includes a new leader.
David "The Dragon" Pham
David "The Dragon" Pham surpassed J.C. Tran by finishing second to Dan Harrington. Pham snagged more than $800,000 and 1,600 POY points. He now has 5,410 points and more than $1.5 million in major tournament winnings this year. He accumulated that money by cashing in 14 events and winning three of them. Although Tran has more than $2.3 million in winnings this year, Pham has made twice as many final tables, at 10.
Pham is no stranger to the Card Player POY race. He won the prestigious title in 2000 and has been a staple on the leader board ever since. In 2004, Pham came in second to Daniel Negreanu. He is looking to become a repeat winner like his mentor, Men Nguyen, a four-time POY winner.
J.C. Tran
Tran is currently almost 1,000 points behind Pham with 4,458. Tran got out to an early lead this year and initially nabbed the top spot back in March. He was on a hot streak and made three WPT final tables in the span of about two months. He finished sixth, second, and, finally, first at the World Poker Challenge in Reno. Coincidently, his biggest nemesis in this year's race, Pham, was also at that final table. He followed that with a preliminary event win at the Five-Star World Poker Classic.
It seemed like Tran would be unstoppable as he was leaps and bounds ahead of second place. Since then, however, he has not added a single point to his POY score, despite four cashes at the World Series of Poker and three at the Legends of Poker. POY points are dependent upon the place finished among other factors, such as number of entrants, buy-in, and prize pool. Unfortunately for Tran, none of his recent cashes were high enough to earn points.
Like Pham, Tran is also a familiar name at the top of the POY leader board. Last year he finished third behind close friend Nam Le and the winner, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.
Tom Schneider
The Legends of Poker main event is also responsible for rocketing Tom Schneider to third place. His fourth place finish was good for 960 points. His amazing run at the WSOP this year also contributed to his total 3,792 POY points. He won two bracelets in the seven-card stud eight-or-better and Omaha/seven-card stud eight-or-better event and also finished fourth in the $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. event. Schneider was named the 2007 WSOP Player of the Year and would love to add another Player of the Year award to his belt.
Jared "TheWacoKidd" Hamby, James Van Alstyne, and Bill Edler
Fourth through sixth place in the race are only a mere 125 points apart. Jared "TheWacoKidd" Hamby sits in fourth place with 3,573 points. Hamby rode a hot streak at the beginning of the year when he won two preliminary events at the Five-Star World Poker Classic, and one at the Mirage Poker Showdown. He followed that with a second-place finished at the televised final table of the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship.
Not far behind are Las Vegas poker professionals, James Van Alstyne (3,480 points) and Bill Edler (3,448 points). Van Alstyne has made six final tables and recently added 528 points to his score for winning the championship event at the Orleans Open.
As for Edler, when he plays a tournament, he really puts his game face on and makes it deep. He has cashed in seven tournaments this year, made five final tables, and, amazingly, finished in high enough positions to add POY points each time.
Jonathan Little, Scott Clements, Robert Mizrachi, and Ted Lawson
The top ten rounds out with Jonathan Little, Scott Clements, Robert Mizrachi, and Ted Lawson, respectively. Schneider proved that even players out of the top ten can finish deep in the right tournament and become a top contender for the elusive title. The WPT will continue to give players a chance to rack up some points with upcoming events like the Gulf Coast Poker Championship in Biloxi, Mississippi, the Borgata Poker Open in Atlantic City, and the Turks and Caicos Poker Classic in the Caribbean. The WSOP Europe will also provide chances for those in pursuit of the Card Player Player of the Year award.
With so many big events left this year, it is still anyone's game. The short margin of points between the top spots combined with the caliber of players within reach of the coveted title will ensure an exciting race to the finish.
To view the entire POY chart, click here.
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