By Sean Chaffin
After some great poker in the Great White North, WPT Montreal winner Geoffrey Hum is the latest contender in the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race. Hum took home $380,648 and that score slides him into the third-place spot.
While he may have a nice spot in the rankings, earning the top spot doesn’t appear to be on his radar. He works a full-time job back home in Toronto and traveling the tournament trail regularly won’t be in the cards.
“I wish my boss would give me the time off,” Hum told WPT.com after his win. “I love coming to Montreal because it’s close to Toronto.”
Texan Aaron Van Blarcum remains in the top spot with 1,275 points and $491,233 in winnings. He won the WPT Legends of Poker in September and then took 15th at the WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble. WPT Borgata Poker Open winner Donald Maloney remains in second with 1,250 points ($630,651). He moved a bit closer to Van Blarcum after finishing 23rd in Montreal for $14,465.
After the third-place Hum is WPT UK champion Simon Brandstrom in fourth, with 1,200 points ($330,000). Beyond fourth place is a logjam of several players, all with 1,000 points and only separated by winnings. Sliding to fifth is Borgata Poker Open runner-up Uke Dauti with 1,000 points ($410,787).
Gardens Poker Festival winner Roger Teska moves to sixth with 1,000 points ($368,475), followed by bestbet Bounty Scramble champion Josh Adkins in seventh with 1,000 points ($331,480). Other players with 1,000 points and still in the hunt include:
- 8th – Nitis Udornpim, WPT Maryland champion ($319,415)
- 9th – Gueorgui Gantchev, WPT Legends of Poker runner-up ($306,265)
- 10th – Adedapo Ajayi, WPT Montreal runner-up ($261,889)
- 11th – Ryan Mandara, WPT UK runner-up ($221,650)
What Can You Win in the Hublot WPT Player of the Year Race?
As the official timekeeper and official watch of the World Poker Tour, Hublot is once again the presenting sponsor of the WPT Player of the Year award for Season XVIII. The company will be awarding a custom Hublot timepiece to the winner of the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race. In addition, the Season XVIII winner receives $15,000 in WPT tournament buy-in credits and complimentary accommodations at all WPT Main Tour events in Season XVIII.
Prizes will also be awarded for the second- and third-place finishers in the race. The runner-up will receive $7,500 in WPT tournament buy-in credits and third place will receive $2,500 in buy-in credits. Credits can be used in any global WPT event, including the Main Tour, WPTDeepStacks, WPT500, and WPT Special Events.
Next Stop on WPT Main Tour – Seminole Hard Rock
The next stop on the Main Tour will once again be in South Florida for the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open at the Seminole Hard Rock in Fort Lauderdale. The $3,500 event features a $2 million guarantee and should once again make for a great stop with great weather and plenty of action. The $2 million guarantee ensures at least 1,200 points will be awarded to first place.
The WPT closes out 2019 once again at the Bellagio for the historic WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Players can expect a big field and large prize pool in this $10,400 event. Winners of the tournament, which runs from Dec. 16-21, include some big names like Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Eugene Katchalov, and Chino Rheem. Dylan Linde took down the title last season for more than $1.6 million. There should be more of poker’s elite in the field again this year.
Assuming the prize pool tops $4 million, first place in this event could present a new leader in the race with 1,400 points awarded.
As the new year rolls around, the tour heads back to the West Coast for the WPT Gardens Poker Championship. The property is the only WPT-branded poker room in the world and has become a popular stop on the tour – with amazing amenities and a relaxed, comfortable environment. The $10,000 buy-in event runs January 9-13 and should offer a nice poker stop to beat the cold winter temperatures. Plan on heading west for plenty of fun and some great poker action.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.