In 35-days, Father Christmas will have come and gone, millions of people would have earned the bronze medal, falling short of a myriad of New Years’ resolutions that never got past the 24-hour mark, and all eyes in the poker world will stare towards Melbourne.
But we have one more month to go before 2019 is locked in a vault.
We have Player of the Year’s to herald.
Let’s take a look at the tapestry.
December Tournaments
Three primary events will shape the 2019 Player of the Year (POY) awards.
The World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock & Roll Poker Open.
The World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
The European Poker Tour Prague.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock & Roll Poker Open
There is one event that will attract North American High Rollers, and that’s the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller: Mon & Tue 2-3 Dec.
It’s the first time an event of this magnitude has appeared on the schedule. In 2015, Jason Mercier defeated a field of 83-entrants to win the $517,187 first prize, and in 2016, Ben Tollerene defeated a field of 21-entrants in a $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $459,228.
Of interest, Sean Winter finished third in 2015, and second in 2016. Winter currently sits second in the Global Poker Index (GPI) POY race and fifth in the Poker Central’s equivalent.
World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Five Diamond World Poker Classic runs at the same time as the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Prague, so it will be fascinating to see where the high rollers believe the value lies.
There are three $25k events and a $100k game. Also, there are five $10k events across all major disciplines – more than enough action to keep players with deep pockets busy.
Here are the highlights.
Dec 9-10: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller
Dec 10-11 $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
Dec 12-13 $10,000 8-Game Mix
Dec 13-14 $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
Dec 15-16 $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
Dec 16-21 $10,000 WPT Five Diamond Main Event
Dec 19-20 $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
Dec 20-21 $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
Dec 21 $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller
The WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic dropped the name of Doyle Brunson from the doorframe in 2014.
Here are the scores on the board since then.
In 2014, Mohsin Charania defeated a field of 586-entrants to win the $10,000 Five Diamond Main Event for $1,177,90, and Andrew Lichtenberger won the 55-entrant $100,000 WPT No-Limit Hold’em Alpha8 event for $1,770,692.
In 2015, Sam Stein conquered a 65-entrant field to win the $122,220 first prize in the $10,400 Pot-Limit Omaha, Kevin Eyster vanquished 639-entrants on his way to capturing the $1,587,382 first prize in the WPT Five Diamond Main Event, and Fedor Holz defeated the 45-entrant $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Alpha8 event for $1,589,219.
The WPT Five Diamond became high roller heaven in 2016. James Romero won the 791-entrant $10,400 Main Event for $1,938,118, Jason Koon defeated a 43-entrant field to win a $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for $412,800, Ankush Mandavia then beat Jason Koon, heads-up, to win a 64-entrant $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for $403,532, and Jan Schwippert took down the 38-entrant $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller for $1,439,274.
Things went a tad insane in 2017 when Justin Bonomo won two $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Rollers for a combined haul of $460,000, Stefan Schillhabel, Keith Tilston, Rainer Kempe and Jason Koon also picked up $25,000 No-Limit High Roller wins. Sergio Aido won a 28-entrant $10,000 No-Limit High Roller, Ryan Tosoc beat Alex Foxen, heads-up, to win the Main Event for $1,958,065, and Dan Smith mauled a 39-entrant $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller to collect $1,404,000.
Last year saw Joshua Ladiness and Sam Soverel win $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha events, Sam Soverel also won a $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, and John Hennigan won a $10,000 Mixed Games event. Manig Loeser, Nick Petrangelo and Seth Davies won $25,000 games. Dylan Linde won the record-breaking 1,001-entrant Main Event for $1,631,468, and Jake Schindler earned $1,332,000 for winning the 37-entrant No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller.
European Poker Tour Prague
EPT Prague has four €10k events, three €25k events, and a €50k game.
Here are the highlights,
Dec 6-7: €10,300 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 8: €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 9-11: €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 11: €10,200 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 12: €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 14: €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 15-17 €10,300 No-Limit Hold’em
Dec 16: €10,300 No-Limit Hold’em
In 2014, Leonid Markin topped a field of 51-entrants to win the €771,360 first prize in a €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller.
In 2015, Rainer Kempe won an 80-entrant €25,500 No-Limit High Roller for €539,900, and Steve O’Dwyer won the 56-entrant €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller for €746,543.
In 2016, Isaac Haxton, Sam Greenwood and Sergi Reixach won €25,000 events, and Leon Tsoukernik defeated a field of 49-entrants to win the €741,100 first prize in the €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller.
In 2017, Igor Kurganov and Albert Daher won €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em events, and Timothy Adams won the €555,000 first prize in the 34-entrant €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller.
Last year, Thomas Boivin and Corentin Ropert won €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Rollers, and Matthias Eibinger took the €653,000 first prize in the €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller.
Here are the current GPI POY and Poker Central High Roller of the Year standings.
Winter has cashed in both the Rock & Roll Poker Open and the Five Diamond event. Stephen Chidwick and Rainer Kempe have made money at the Five Diamond and EPT Prague. Interestingly, Burns hasn’t appeared in the pecking order of any of these events before.
Points accrued at EPT Prague only count for the GPI POY.
Global Poker Index Player of the Year
- Kahle Burns – 3,548.08
- Sean Winter – 3,525.43
- Stephen Chidwick – 3,428.36
- Rainer Kempe – 3,421.86
- Manig Loeser – 3,327.95
Poker Central High Roller of the Year
- Sam Soverel – 2,820
- Cary Katz – 2,000
- Ali Imsirovic – 1,685
- Stephen Chidwick – 1,580
- Sean Winter – 1,300