2019 WSOP Player of the Year: Daniel Negreanu Takes Over Lead

October 24, 2019

It has been an exciting few days at the 2019 World Series of Poker Europe where 10 of 15 bracelet events have completed with the €10,350 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event set to start tomorrow. The soon-to-conclude 2019 WSOP Player of the Year race has been one source of that excitement, with two-time WSOP POY Daniel Negreanu having just surged into the lead after the most recent update of the standings last night.

Heading into WSOP Europe it was Robert Campbell leading the race after having been the only player at the 2019 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas to win two bracelets during the summer series.

Campbell maintained the lead during the first few events in Rozvadov, then lost it briefly to 2018 WSOP POY Shaun Deeb who sat at No. 1 for two days earlier this week after picking up cashes in Event #2: €550 Pot-Limit Omaha (where he finished 18th) and Event #7: €1,100 Turbo Bounty Hunter No-Limit Hold'em (where he took 13th).

Campbell regained the top spot on Tuesday, however, thanks to earning three cashes of his own, among them a final table appearance in Event #8: €25,500 Platinum High Roller No-Limit Hold'em where he took eighth. Deeb also added a few more points with a cash in Event #9: €1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha/No-Limit Hold'em Mix to remain at No. 2 behind Campbell through Wednesday.

Daniel Negreanu had been at No. 3 behind those two — just where he began the WSOP Europe — but today he sits at No. 1 thanks to the points he earned from a sixth-place showing in Event #10: €25,500 Mixed Games Championship. He hopes to add a third WSOP POY title to his collection after having won the award in both 2004 and 2013.

2019 WSOP POY Top 10

Here's how the current standings appear as of the morning of Thursday, October 24:

Negreanu is also due more points for having made the money in the yet-to-finish Event #11: €2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha where he finished 20th, his sixth cash of the WSOPE. Negreanu also still has a stack in Event #12: €100,000 Diamond High Roller that continues today and will finish on Friday.

Looking down the current Top 10, two cashes and one final table at the WSOPE have helped this year's $50,000 Poker Players Championship winner Phillip Hui has moved up to No. 4 ahead of Dan Zack at No. 5. Dash Dudley has also elevated to No. 6 after winning Event #2: €550 Pot-Limit Omaha, then cashing twice more.

Chris Ferguson has pushed into the No. 7 spot. The 2017 WSOP Player of the Year continues to collect cashes — by the latest reported tally he now has 22 for the year, one behind the 23 Negreanu has.

Phil Hellmuth has now joined the Top 10 as well after almost earning his 16th career bracelet last night. Hellmuth finished runner-up in the €25,500 Mixed Games Championship won by Besim Hot, Hellmuth's fourth cash at the WSOPE thus far.

Rounding out the current list, Anthony Zinno is at No. 9 with two cashes in Rozvadov. And Asi Moshe is now at No. 10 after winning his fourth career bracelet in the €1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha/No-Limit Hold'em mix.

Sitting just outside the Top 10 at present are Jason Gooch (No. 11), Ismael Bojang (No. 12), Dario Sammartino (No. 13), Joseph Cheong (No. 14), and David "ODB" Baker (No. 15).

About the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year

After changing the way POY points were calculated prior to last year, the WSOP has kept the same formula to determine this year's winner. The formula is "loosely based" on the one employed to calculate WSOP Circuit rankings, with modifiers based on buy-ins and field sizes.

At the time, the WSOP explained the changes had been made "to better reward bracelet winners and players who run deep, while still rewarding consistency." A couple of differences from the pre-2018 system include a bigger gap between points earned from first- and second-place finishes, and min-cashes being worth relatively less than was the case before.

Here's an information sheet provided by the WSOP that provides further details regarding the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year.

During the 2019 WSOP players earned points in 84 of the "open" bracelet events. The WSOP Europe schedule was expanded to 15 bracelet events, with all of them counting toward the Player of the Year except Event #4: €250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold'em.

As noted, we will continue to look in on the POY race periodically until the WSOP Europe concludes on November 4. Meanwhile you can see the entire Top 100 over the constantly updated WSOP Player of the Year page.

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  2019 WSOP WSOP World Series of Poker Daniel Negreanu Robert Campbell Shaun Deeb Phillip Hui Dan Zack Dash Dudley Chris Ferguson Phil Hellmuth Anthony Zinno Asi Moshe

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  Daniel NegreanuPhil HellmuthChris FergusonShaun DeebAsi MoshePhillip Hui