POY: World Series of Poker Reshuffles Rankings

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POY: World Series of Poker Reshuffles Rankings

Paul Oresteen | July 28, 2010

Frank Kassela's hot run in the WSOP puts him in the running for POY.

As expected, the World Series of Poker drastically reshuffled the 2010 BLUFF Player of the Year rankings. Though you’ll find the usual suspects - Sorel Mizzi, Thomas Marchese and Carlos Mortensen - at the top of the rankings, the rest of the top 30 has been remade from some strong performances at the World Series of Poker.

Sorel Mizzi is still the man to beat for the POY title, he still holds a 525 point lead over second place Marchese. To put that lead in perspective, 525 points would be good enough for 20th place in the rankings. No player has ever held this big of a lead at any point in the four year history of the BLUFF rankings. Mizzi did tack on another 111 points at the Series with three cashes, including one final table in a $1,500 Seven-card Stud event.

Marchese added another 130 points to his score after a final table finish in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em Championship and a 24th place finish in the $5,000 Six-handed NL Hold’em event. But that wasn’t nearly enough to cut into Mizzi’s lead. Marchese has already had one of the best rookie years in recent memory and he will have to continue his staggering results for the rest of the year to hope to have a chance.

Frank Kassela’s name couldn’t be found in any previous rankings, but after two bracelets, 3rd place in the $25,000 Six-handed NL Hold’em event and six overall cashes Kassela is in fourth place. He already was awarded the WSOP POY award and will playing the circuit the rest of the year.

No discussion about the WSOP would be complete without mentioning Michael Mizrachi. He was no where near any discussion for POY, but then he won the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, final tabled two more Championship events and punched his ticket for the November Nine and nothing seems out of reach for “The Grinder.” First place of the Main Event is worth 675 points, which would put Mizrachi within one tournament cash of catching Mizzi.

Chris Bell, Men Nguyen, Matt Keikoan, David “Bakes” Baker, Richard Ashby, John Juanda and Robert Mizrachi all reached the rankings after strong WSOP performances. Players are so tightly grouped in the top 50 that 15th place Kevin MacPhee only has 135 points more than 50th place Liv Boeree.

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