Player of the Year race heating up at World Series of Poker

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, June 18, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Jeffrey Lisandro opted for buy-ins to the next three World Series of Poker Main Events last year.

Two years ago, Erick Lindgren decided on a specialized Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Lindgren and Lisandro are the last two winners of the World Series of Poker's Player of the Year award, which comes with a customized prize valued at $25,000 to $30,000.

With the 2010 World Series of Poker reaching its halfway point, it's not too early for Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi to start thinking about what he'd request if he takes home the honor.

"I didn't know if we won anything," Mizrachi said. "Well, if I win, I'll take the cash."

Mizrachi is one of five players currently within 20 points of the lead in the Player of the Year standings. He's in fourth with 165 points after making the final table of the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship on Thursday at the Rio.

Mizrachi also won the $50,000 Poker Player's Championship earlier this summer and came in sixth in the Seven Card Stud World Championship. He's won more money than any other player at the 2010 World Series, with earnings of about $1.63 million.

"I'm just trying to stay in the race and in the hunt," Mizrachi said. "My goal is to win bracelets and win a lot of cash."

Achieve that at a faster rate than the thousands of other players at the Rio and Player of the Year honors are bound to follow.

The award, which debuted in 2004, is tracked by a points system that gives players 100 points for winning an event, at least 20 for making the final two tables and at least 10 for making the final three tables. Five points are rewarded for cashing.

"There's always been a tracking of players, but this is a way to put a points system to it and a way to track it," said Seth Palansky, World Series of Poker spokesman. "It's kind of like records in other sports as far as way to gauge who the best player is in this series."

Lisandro, an Italian pro, was the only player to win three bracelets at last year's series, which guided him to the Player of the Year title with 355 points. No one has won multiple titles at this summer's series, but London pro James Dempsey has come the closest.

Dempsey won a $1,500 pot limit hold'em event and came in second in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship. He's the current Player of the Year leader with 180 points.

"It's a true test of time and over the whole summer how guys have done," Palansky said. "It has evolved to where players are competing and finding meaning in it."

Palansky said he knew players treated the award seriously because the few times the World Series made a minor mistake with the standings, they heard about it immediately. The standings are available online and updated frequently.

Along with Mizrachi, three other players who made the Player's Championship final table are near the top — David Baker, John Juanda and Vladimir Schemelev.

Mizrachi said that showed the importance of getting off to a fast start. But, right now, he's only thinking about the finish.

"It would just be something to add to the books," Mizrachi said. "Add it to the credentials."