Benjamin Zamani's Lead Is Vulnerable in the Hublot WPT Player of the Year Race

Mar 31, 2017

Heads Up_Benjamin Zamani
Photo:  Season XV Hublot WPT Player of the Year Points Leader Benjamin Zamani

Benjamin Zamani had one of the strongest starts to the WPT season that any player has ever had by final tabling three of the first six events, finishing second, second, and fifth. But he hasn’t cashed in a WPT event since then, and while he still has the lead, it is razor thin at this point.

The biggest reason Zamani’s lead is in jeopardy is Sam Panzica, who has won two WPT titles this season — the WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble and the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star. Panzica is just one min-cash away from passing Zamani for the POY lead.

Behind Panzica is none other than WPT Commentator Mike Sexton, who joined the WPT Champions Club this past November when he won the partypoker.net WPT Montreal. Sexton followed that up with a fourth-place finish at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, which catapulted him into third on the Hublot WPT Player of the Year leaderboard, which can be found here. Sexton can pass Zamani by finishing eighth or higher in this event.

Here are the 12 contenders who can take the lead during this event, though everyone with fewer than 1,500 points will need a victory here to pass Zamani (assuming Zamani doesn’t increase his point total by cashing).

1.  Benjamin Zamani  –  2,500 pts
2.  Sam Panzica  –  2,450 pts
3.  Mike Sexton  –  2,100 pts
4.  Darren Elias  –  1,650 pts
5.  Daniel Strelitz  –  1,450 pts
6.  Igor Yaroshevskyy  –  1,450 pts
7.  James Romero  –  1,400 pts
8.  Daniel Weinman  –  1,400 pts
9.  Pat Lyons  –  1,400 pts
10.  Anthony Spinella  –  1,300 pts
11.  Nathan Bjerno  –  1,300 pts
12.  Ema Zajmovic  –  1,300 pts

Photo:  Sam Panzica has won two WPT titles this season.
Champion Sam Panzica

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