Seat 5: Dan Smith -- 5,108,000
The chip leader heading into today's EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller final table is none other than young superstar Dan Smith, who continues to smash up the poker world here in 2012.
Back in January, Smith was down under at the Aussie Millions where he won the $100,000 Challenge for A$1,012,000 and the largest win of his career. Prior to that result, Smith had just $628,939 in live tournament earnings. Coming into this event, he's built that up to over $2.8 million — a feat that was clearly ignited by his outstanding result in Melbourne, Australia.
As if winning seven figures in one tournament wasn't enough to show the poker world you're a star, Smith decided to take to the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino EPT Grand Final and win all three of the €5,000 side events within a week's time.
First, he won the €5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Max Turbo for €152,980. Then, he won the €5,000 No-Limit Hold'em for €250,500. Finally, Smith won the €5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Max for €118,000. It's amazing anyone else decided to play the third one with the hopes of beating Smith.
What's more is that Smith's stellar 2012 hasn't slowed down at all. Following his crushing performance in Monaco in May, Smith cashed five times at the World Series of Poker this summer, including a big score in — you guessed it — another $5,000 event. He took third in Event 50: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $368,943. We're now going to pick up our jaw from the floor.
Yesterday on Day 2, Smith stormed to the chip lead in a big way and hasn't given up the reigns since, although his close friend Mike McDonald is right on his heels. Entering the final table, Smith's stack sits at 5.108 million and he doesn't look to be slowing down. Fittingly, he was the player to burst the bubble in this event by sending Artem Litvinov home in ninth place.
Combining Smith's result here with his previous ones of 2012, he's virtually a lock to win all player of the year races and awards out there. If he doesn't, someone needs to check the scoring criteria.