Season XVI of the World Poker Tour wrapped up the 2017 leg of its season with the conclusion of WPT Five Diamond from Bellagio. Not only was nearly $7.9 million awarded from the event, but plenty of Hublot WPT Player of the Year points were dished out to the 81 competitors who finished in the money.
Earning the most Hublot WPT Player of the Year points was Ryan Tosoc, who won the record-setting WPT Five Diamond. In addition to taking home almost $2 million in first-place prize money, Tosoc scooped up 1,400 points in the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race. Tosoc has no prior cashes on the WPT this season, but his total of 1,400 moved him into second place on the Hublot WPT Player of the Year leaderboard behind only Art Papazyan.
Alex Foxen, the player Tosoc defeated in heads-up play, earned 1,200 Hublot WPT Player of the Year points and is currently third in the race. Foxen is tied with Guo Liang Chen and Jay Lee with 1,200 points apiece, but Foxen holds the tiebreaker of most money earned. Chen is in fourth place and Lee is in fifth place following the Season XVI WPT Five Diamond Main Event.
Two more players from the Season XVI WPT Five Diamond final table vaulted their way into the top 10 on the Hublot WPT Player of the Year leaderboard. Mike Del Vecchio, a WPT Champions Club member and third-place finisher from Bellagio, earned his second cash of the season and his finish was worth 1,100 points. He now has 1,150 total and is in sixth place overall. Sean Perry finished in fourth place at Bellagio in the WPT Five Diamond Main Event and was also making his second cash of Season XVI. His fourth-place result earned him 1,000 points and he now has 1,050 total to move into eighth place.
Hublot Season XVI WPT Player of the Year Top 10 (as of December 14, 2017)
1st: Art Papazyan – 2,400 points
2nd: Ryan Tosoc — 1,400 points
3rd: Alex Foxen — 1,200 points
4th: Guo Liang Chen – 1,200 points
5th: Jay Lee – 1,200 points
6th: Mike Del Vecchio — 1,150 points
7th: Josh Kay – 1,100 points
8th: Sean Perry — 1,050 points
9th: Zachary Donovan – 1,050 points
10th: Gregory Weber – 1,000 points
Papazyan’s lead comes from his two World Poker Tour victories in Season XVI. Papazyan first won the Season XVI WPT Legends of Poker Main Event before he went on to win the Season XVI WPT Maryland at Live! Casino Main Event. Both victories were worth 1,200 points in the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race.
Although Papazyan does have a sizable lead, he’s not gone three WPT Main Tour events without finding a cash and his lead has been cut from 1,200 points to 1,000 points. Just as the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race has in past seasons, this one could very well come down to the wire, and Papazyan has reason to look over his shoulder with at least seven more WPT Main Tour events on the schedule for Season XVI.
Next up for the WPT Main Tour is the WPT European Championship in Berlin, Germany. The full festival runs January 5-15, 2018, and will be kicked off with WPTDeepStacks Berlin. Between the WPTDeepStacks Berlin €1,500 Main Event and the WPT European Championship €3,300 Main Event, there are €1.5 million in guaranteed prize pools.
After Berlin, the World Poker Tour heads to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, for the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open. Similar to the WPT European Championship, the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open festival kicks off with the WPTDeepStacks Hollywood $1,100 Main Event, and this event has a $1 million guaranteed prize pool. The WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 Main Event runs January 19-24 and features a $2 million guaranteed prize pool.
For more information on upcoming events on the World Poker Tour, and to stay up to date on the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race, keep it locked right here to WPT.com.
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