WSOP Revamps The POY Formula For 2018 After Player Feedback

As the World Series of Poker (WSOP) draws near, the WSOP has made a surprise announcement and confirmed that it will be revamping its Player of the Year (POY) points system which poker players around the world have welcomed.

Following the controversial POY win for Chris Ferguson last year, the WSOP has decided to scrap the ROI-based 2017 POY formula that they only rolled out last year.

The 2017 formula was not popular with many players since it was not like the years-old 2011 POY system that awarded points based on player field size and buy-in price.

In a statement, the WSOP said,

In response to player feedback, WSOP has adjusted the formula to better reward bracelet winners and players who run deep, while still rewarding consistency. The formula is loosely based on the highly successful points system that has been used on the WSOP Circuit for many years…with modifiers based on the buyin and number of entries

This meant that players who win and run deep in bigger buy-in tournaments like the $10,000 Main Event will be rewarded more generously than min-cashes in larger fields. This kind of system has been rallied by many poker pros like two-time POY winner Daniel Negreanu, who argued that these higher-roller and bigger buy-in events draw in more professional players and create a more competitive game—thus, they should be rewarded differently.

2018 POY To Have New System

This year, points for all included events in the POY race will be calculated differently, depending on the buy-in price of the event and the number of entrants. Those who will be playing at the 2018 WSOP at the Rio and the WSOP Europe in King’s Casino can monitor their points via the point calculator available on the WSOP website.

One of the biggest differences in the 2017 and 2018 calculators is the ratio of points awarded for those who win the tournament compared to those who finish with a min-cash. In 2017, points for the Main Event were at an 8.16:1 ratio while points for the $10,000 PLO/8 were 3.25:1. This year, ratio of points will always be roughly around 20:1, which means bigger points for the winners and those who run deeper in the tournament.

Some of the highlights of the new 2018 POY system include the awarding of points to all those who cash at The Giant and the PLO Giant. Those who play in heads-up and shootout events are also awarded via the round they are eliminated, meaning that everyone who is eliminated in the same day will be awarded the same points. Multi-flight events featuring Day 1 payouts and re-entries will only award points once, despite the opportunity for multiple cash-outs.