The World Poker Tour (WPT) Season 22 has finally declared the Player of the Year, and his name is Yunkyu Song. The native from South Korea and US citizen garnered 2,275 WPT POY points to top all other WPT Season 22 participants; the runner up was Dylan Smith, who finished with 2,150 points, and Eric Afriat with 1,750 points.
Yunkyu Song’s Run Leading to Winning POY
The 25 year old Song’s run for WPT Season 22 didn’t involve him winning any Main Tour titles, but managed to land in at least top 3 in most of the tournaments he participated in. Song managed to win the WPT Prime Playground Championship for $164,251.
Moreover, his final three-table performances during the course of WPT Season 22 were enough to help him secure his WPT POY points. This includes a runner-up finish in the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship in Jacksonville in November for $252,059, a win at the CAD $1,150 WPT Prime Playground event near Montreal, and a final-table effort in the $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship in California, early in the year.
Song’s WPT POY Run Goes the Distance
Song’s eventual 1st place win in the 2024 POY points race wasn’t secured until the year’s final event. Fabian Gumz had a chance to overtake Song’s total by winning December’s WPT World Championship in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Gumz finished 14th, giving Song the honor.
This saw Song in pole position in the points, but there was still the $10,400 WPT World Championship at the Wynn Las Vegas event on Dec. 14. Song had to either cash or hope Dylan Smith, Eric Afriat, and Landon Tice avoided deep runs.
He didn’t cash in the season-ending championship event, and Smith had a puncher’s chance to eke out more WPT points when he managed to reach Day 4 in the 2,392-entrant tournament.
However, Smith ended up in 127th place and didn’t receive enough points to overtake his Player of the Year lead.
Song’s WPT POY win has him join an exclusive club of World Poker Tour POY winners. Previous POY winners include Daniel Negreanu, Anthony Zinno, Jonathan Little, Brian Altman, and many other poker superstars.
That said, no player has won the award multiple times.
WPT CEO Adam Pliska commended Song’s run, noting the 25 year old’s accomplishments by earning points in various events across North America,
“We congratulate the young competitor and look forward to seeing him next season,” Pliska added.
Apart from winning the WPT POY award, Song also wins $15,000 in WPT Passport tickets to be used during the WPT’s Season 23. Meanwhile, runner up Smith and 3rd placer Afriat are awarded with $10,000 and $5,000 in WPT Passport buy-ins, respectively.
The WPT’s 23rd season begins in February, in Southeast Asia, with the WPT Cambodia festival and its $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia championship.
