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Robert Campbell Leads Player of the Year Race Heading into 2019 WSOP Main Event

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The race for the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year is as tight as we’ve ever seen it. There are several players with a legitimate shot to win Player of the Year and the top three players are separated by less than 250 points.

Robert Campbell is the present overall leader but several big names are still in contention, including the 2018 Player of the Year, Shaun Deeb. One player that some fans wish was not in contention is 2017 Player of the Year Chris Ferguson. He is presently 10th going into the WSOP Main Event.

Robert Campbell Takes POY Lead Into Main Event

Aussie pro Robert Campbell had never won a WSOP bracelet prior to the 50th World Series of Poker. This summer, he’s won two bracelets and has the overall lead for Player of the Year heading into the WSOP Main Event.

Campbell has 3079.31 points on the strength of seven cashes that include three final tables and a final table bubble. He won the $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball on June 13th and then took down the $10k Stud 8 or Better Championship on June 30th.

Right behind Campbell is Dan Zack who has 2920.76 points. Zack has 11 cashes during the series with three final tables and a victory in the $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Event. Zack finished fourth in the $10k Razz and 5th in the $2,500 Stud 8/Omaha 8 Event.

Third overall is Phillip Hui. Hui has nine cashes this series with three final tables and a final table bubble. He won the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship for his largest career score and is in striking distance of the POY title.

2018 Player of the Year Shaun Deeb is fourth overall with 2458.48 points. He’s cashed 13 times this summer with two final tables, including a runner-up finish in the $10k Dealer’s Choice Championship. Deeb has work to do but still has plenty of time to make up ground.

Anthony Zinno is fifth overall with 2443.22, thanks to the strength of his second career bracelet win in the $1,500 PL Omaha Hi-Lo Event. He’s cashed nine times this summer and has three final tables. He finished runner-up in the $1,500 Stud Event and was on the third-place team in the $1,000 Tag Team Event.

Chris Ferguson Lurks in 10th Place

The last player that some want to see in the top 10 of the Player of the Year rankings is six-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris Ferguson. Jesus has cashed 16 times this summer with three final table appearances. His best finish was in the $10k Razz where he finished third.

Many fans feel Ferguson should have a lifetime ban for his involvement with Full Tilt Poker, yet after returning to the World Series of Poker, he’s been one of the most solid performers on the felt. Ferguson is a cashing machine and is always a threat to go deep. We would not be surprised to see him gain ground in the final events and be a top contender going into the WSOP Europe in October.

Players of the Year a Marathon – Not a Sprint

The WSOP Main Event is just the 73rd event of the 2019 WSOP. There are still 17 events to play this summer left to play with the final event kicking off on July 15th. Also, there’s still the 2019 World Series of Poker Europe to contend with.

The Player of the Year race runs through the WSOP Europe, so the fact that Robert Campbell leads heading into the Main Event looks impressive, but it may not mean much in a few weeks. First, Campbell is a mixed game player primarily, putting him at a disadvantage over other players.

Next, only a handful of players atop the POY leaderboard tend to go to the WSOP Europe. Shaun Deeb was the only player to do so last year, and he locked up his title while in Rozvadov. Chris Ferguson is one player who will likely make the trip to Europe and if he is near or at the top of the leaderboard heading into Europe, he could join Daniel Negreanu as the only players to win two WSOP Player of the Year titles.

Photo Credit  – PokerNews.com

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