The World Poker Tour (WPT) has officially announced the winner of its Season 22 Player of the Year race and it is none other than the South Korea native Yunkyu Song. The 25-year-old US citizen had an incredible year, topping all WPT participants during 2024 and ending the recently completed Season 22 with 2,275 POY points to claim the prestigious title.
Song had a close competition with Dylan Smith who got the chance to topple Song during the season-ending $10.4k tournament WPT World championship event. Fortunately for Song, Smith exited the event in 127th place for $29,500, failing to earn enough points to overtake Song.
Smith, who won the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N Roll Poker Open for $662k and finished 5th in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship for $230k, racked in over $1 million in live tournaments cashes for a second year in a row. He ended the World Poker Tour season with 2,150 points, finishing runner-up to Song, who wrapped up the year with 2,275 points. Eric Afriat finished in third place with 1,750 points, while Landon Tice rounded out the top three spots, ending with 1,700 points.
Yunkyu Song’s Journey To WInning 2024 WPT Player of the Year
Although Song did not win a Main Tour title during Season 22, he did win the WPT Prime Playground Championship for $164,251. The live poker crusher also notched up a runner-up finish for $252,059 in the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship in November this year. Song’s third notable final-table score of $105k came in the WPT Rolling Thunder Championship in California in March, 2024. These power-packed performances along with other cashes accounted for his 2,150 points, propelling Song ahead of his other crushers to win the coveted POY title.
2024 WPT Player of the Year Final Standings
| Place | Player | Points |
| 1 | Yunkyu Song | 2,275 |
| 2 | Dylan Smith | 2,150 |
| 3 | Eric Afriat | 1,750 |
| 4 | Landon Tice | 1,700 |
| 5 | Zak VanKeuren | 1,550 |
| 6 | Dan Stavila | 1,525 |
| 7 | Josh Reichard | 1,425 |
| 8 | Travis Endersby | 1,400 |
| 9 | Michael Wang | 1,325 |
| 10 | Jim Casement | 1,200 |
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Sources: WPT & PokerNews
