Lamb, Katchalov Win End of Year Poker Honors

Ben Lamb was awarded the 2011 Card Player Player of the Year award, capping off a year in which he was also the World Series of Poker’s Player of the Year. Lamb cashed five times at the WSOP, including finishing in 3^rd place at the WSOP Main Event.

Lamb had an interesting tournament poker season. In fact, outside of those five cashes at the WSOP, Lamb did not cash in a single event during the year. But his WSOP performance was strong enough to put him near the top of the rankings in virtually every rankings system.

Lamb’s lack of cashes outside of the WSOP isn’t as shocking as it might appear, given his propensity for playing in high-stakes cash games. Still, as the Player of the Year award was awarded solely for tournament play, it was hard to imagine it could be won by a player who cashed just five times all year. But with those cashes coming in such prominent events – along with the Main Event, Lamb also finished 8^th in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship – and including a win in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship event. Lamb won a total of just over $5.3 million during tournament play in 2011, making him the 4^th-winningest player of the year and dwarfing his previous career tournament earnings.

However, Lamb didn’t sweep the year end awards, as various publications use different formulas to determine their winners. Over at Bluff Magazine, it was Eugene Katchalov who took down the Player of the Year title. Katchalov, like lamb, won his first ever WSOP bracelet this year, winning a $1,500 Seven Card Stud tournament. He also won events at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and finished the year with over $2.5 million in total winnings.

Both players were narrow winners in their respective rewards. Lamb finished just ahead of Chris Moorman, while Katchalov held off Bertrand “ElkY” Grospelier in an even closer race.

Not surprisingly, both players finished rather well in the standings for the other award as well. Katchalov finished in 9^th in the Card Player rankings, while Lamb was third in the Bluff standings.