The 2025 WSOP series is building toward an electrifying finish - not only is the Main Event champion soon to be crowned, but the Player of the Year battle is reaching fever pitch. Once again, the POY race has shaped up to be a classic, shifting gears after Benny Glaser’s early domination as familiar heavyweights Martin Kabrhel and Shaun Deeb joined the hunt down the stretch.
The Decisive Week
The final week of the 2025 WSOP features 15 remaining events, each with the potential to shake up the Player of the Year leaderboard. For those who need a refresher, the POY champion doesn’t just earn a custom trophy and a seat to next year’s Main Event - the winner’s name and face will also be permanently displayed at Horseshoe and Paris casinos during every future WSOP festival.
All eyes are currently on seven-time bracelet winner and 2018 POY Shaun Deeb, who seized the lead after a recent victory in the prestigious 100.000$ PLO High Roller. Just days later, Deeb also claimed the runner-up spot in the 1.000$ NLHE event, adding another 532 points to his tally and widening the gap. He now holds a 565-point advantage over second-place Benny Glaser.
But Glaser still has a major edge - so far, he’s posted just six ITM finishes, and the best ten results count toward the Player of the Year leaderboard. That means every new ITM will boost his total, while Deeb has already locked in his top ten finishes. For Deeb to add further points, he’ll have to score higher than his lowest standing result, currently worth 108.53 points.
Martin Kabrhel, sitting third for now, faces a similar scenario: he trails Deeb by 829 points but has only nine ITM results logged, three of which are modest min-cashes that he can readily improve on as the week progresses.
So what’s your prediction? Can Deeb hold on and secure the POY title for the first time in seven years? Will Benny Glaser capitalize on his impressive start to the series after picking up two bracelets early on? Or could the ever-unpredictable Martin Kabrhel swoop in and take everyone by surprise?
WSOP POY 2025 Standings as of July 10, 2025:
Sources – WSOP, PokerNews, PokerStrategy