This Week in Poker -- July 2 – 9

Check out CardPlayer.com every Friday for a weekly wrap-up of the news from the live poker tournament trail.

Card Player Player of the Year Update

The Card Player Player of the Year Race is brought to you by Bodog

1: Thomas Marchese — 4,442
2: Sorel Mizzi — 3,862
3: Jeffrey Papola — 3,420
4: Dwyte Pilgrim — 3,376
5: Mike Beasley — 3,320
6: Frank Kassela — 3,264 (pictured right)
7: Valdemar Kwaysser — 3,190
7: Miguel Proulx — 3,190
9: Tomer Berda — 3,072
10: Allan Baekke — 3,000
10: Harrison Gimbel — 3,000

This Week in Poker

The price of admission in the top 10 on the Card Player Player of the Year leader board continues to rise thanks to the concluding weeks of the 2010 World Series of Poker.

Three new names joined the top 10 this week thanks to strong WSOP performances. Chief among them is Frank Kassela, who built on his two bracelet victories during the summer of 2010 when he made his third final table at the Rio in event No. 52 ($25,000 six-handed no-limit hold’em). He fell just short of the third title, cashing in third place for $556,053, but the 912 points he collected for the victory give him 3,264 points overall, good for sixth place in the current race.

His two bracelet victories, in event No. 15 ($10,000 seven-card stud eight-or-better world championship) and event No. 40 ($2,500 razz) garnered him 1,020 points and 1,332 points respectively. Kassela will ultimately have to continue his summer rush if he wants to chase down the current POY leader Thomas Marchese (4,442 points), but no one has done a better job in Vegas this summer than Kassela.

The other two rookies in the top 10 were late additions. Miguel Proulx was the runner-up to Daniel Alaei in one of the biggest tournaments of the summer, event No. 55 ($10,000 pot-limit Omaha world championship). Proulx took home 1,750 points, which paired quite nicely with the 1,440 he was awarded for winning his first bracelet in event No. 28 ($2,500 pot-limit Omaha) a few weeks earlier. His total of 3,190 points put him in a tie for seventh place with Valdemar Kwaysser.

The final addition to the top 10 was Tomer Berda, who won the last preliminary event of the summer, event No. 56 ($2,500 no-limit hold’em). That gave him 1,800 points to add to the 1,272 he already possessed thanks to previous cashes this year at the WSOP and European Poker Tour Grand Final. His total now stands at 3,072 points (ninth place overall).

WSOP Bracelet Winner POY Breakdown

Event No. 52 ($25,000 six-handed no-limit hold’em): Dan Kelly – 1,368 points
Event No. 53 ($1,500 limit hold’em shootout): Brendan Taylor – 960 points
Event No. 54 ($1,000 no-limit hold’em): Marcel Vonk – 1,440 points
Event No. 55 ($10,000 pot-limit Omaha championship): Daniel Alaei – 2,100 points
Event No. 56 ($2,500 no-limit hold’em): Tomer Berda – 1,800 points

Headlines:

WSOP – Dan Kelly Wins $25,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Event
WSOP – Huck Seed Wins Tournament of Champions
WSOP – Daniel Alaei Wins Third Bracelet
WSOP – Main Event Field Second Largest Ever

Looking Ahead

World Series of Poker

Event Schedule

Bellagio Cup VI

Event Schedule

Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III

Event Schedule

Related Articles

Robl Leads WPT $100K Super High Roller Final Table

Tom Marchese Reflects On Down Tourney Year

WSOP Main Event: Day 1D Recap

Most Viewed Articles