Card Player Player of the Year points were up for grabs in four different states this past week at the following events: the L.A.Poker Classic in California, the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza in Nevada, the Midwest Regional Poker Championships at Caesars Indiana, and the Oklahoma State Championship of Poker at Cherokee Casino. Most eyes turned to the West Coast where the poker world has gathered for the LAPC at Commerce Casino. That is where the most 
POY points were awarded this past week.
Men “The Master” Nguyen had what may prove to be the most productive week of the year as he made two final tables, cashed three times for a total of $129,188, and won a total of 480 POY points. Although these were all in small events, they were enough to take Nguyen to second place on the POY leader board, just a mere 488 points behind the current leader Michael “Timex” McDonald. To read more about Nguyen and his moneyball approach to tournament poker, click here.
While The Master was able to jump up four spots in the POY leader board top 10 this week, his protégé David “The Dragon” Pham was also able to jump up one position from ninth place to eighth place. The Dragon took fourth place at the LAPC in the $1,500 no-limit hold’em event that Nguyen won. Pham took home $21,350 and 240 POY points for the finish, which was enough to help him leapfrog the current ninth-place holder, Alexander Kostritsyn. A year-long chase could be developing between the mentor and protégé early on, as both men look to add to their multiple POY titles.
POY Weekly Update: Quick Hits
- Max Pescatori won the $1,000 limit hold’em tournament, event No. 15, at the LAPC to take home $42,320 and 360 POY points.
- Raymond Davis took fifth place in the popular $300 rebuy no-limit hold’em tournament, event No. 17, at the LAPC, where he took $31,415 and 200 POY points. There were 765 entrants in this event and an astounding 1,220 rebuys.
- Vivek “Psyduck” Rajkumar won the $2,500 buy-in no-limit hold tournament, event No. 18, at the LAPC, taking home $113,425 and 612 POY points. Also placing high in this event were Dutch Boyd, who finished in third place, taking home $44,550 and 408 POY points, and Toto Leonidas, who finished in fourth place, taking home $34,420 and 306 POY points. Also, Brandon Cantu finished in sixth place, taking home $22,270 and 204 POY points.
