We’re not even halfway through the 2019 World Series of Poker, but there’s already a runaway lead in the race for the Player of the Year. Dan Zack is ahead of the competition by a longshot with 1754.40 points so far, with Isaac Baron in second place with 1396.76.
While the Player of the Year title doesn’t offer any additional prizes for the winner, it’s a highly coveted bragging right. Some very high-profile players have won this title in the past, including Jeffery Lisandro (2009), and Daniel Negreanu (2004 and 2013).
How Is the WSOP Player of the Year Determined?
There are some very complex calculations at play to determine how the WSOP Player of the Year is determined. All open bracelet events of the 2019 year are included in the race. So, players who took part at the WSOP Europe in Rozvadoz and those who played in the WSOP in Las Vegas are eligible to win.
Based on where players place in each event and how many runners are in that competition, they are assigned a number of points. To illustrate how points are earned, take a look at this table which compares the points assigned in the $600 PLO (2,700 runners) event versus the point allocation in the $1,500 Millionaire Maker (8,800 runners):
| $1500 Millionaire Maker | $600 PLO | |
| 1st | 1363 | 1039 |
| 2nd | 681 | 519 |
| 3rd | 613 | 467 |
| 4th | 545 | 415 |
| 5th | 511 | 389 |
| 6th | 477 | 363 |
| 7th | 409 | 312 |
| 8th | 375 | 286 |
| 9th | 341 | 260 |
| Next 20% | 273 | 208 |
| Next 30% | 136 | 104 |
| Next 50% | 68 | 52 |
Will Still Be a Tight Race
There are still six dozen events left in the World Series of Poker, but Zack could maintain his lead if he continues to take down the other runners. If you take a look at the previous WSOP Players of the Year, you’ll notice that their total tournament earnings vary.
For example, Greg Merson won the title in 2012 with $9.7 million total while Chris Ferguson won in 2017 with just $428,000. With many more events to come, Zack can keep accruing points and end up as this year’s winner.
Zack’s most likely competitors for the title of Player of the Year are Ben Heath and Femi Fashakin. Both players have one their first bracelets this year, in the $50,000 NHLE High Roller and The Big 50, respectively. However, they are still quite a few points behind.
So, I won’t say “it’s anyone’s game” just yet. With a 400-point lead, Zack does seem to be the most promising player in the running for the Player of the Year in the 2019 World Series of Poker.
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