Pete Chen Named 2014 Asia Player of the Year
The 2014 Asia Player of the Year (APOY) race has come to an end, and Taiwanese poker pro Pete Chen has officially captured the title. The 26-year-old will see his named etched on the APOY legacy trophy and he'll also be awarded a one-year sponsorship to PokerStars Asia special events.
Chen’s victory came after amassing 5,691 points – second most for a APOY recipient. He also set a record for the largest margin of victory, coming in 1,714 points ahead of runner-up Ka Cheong Wong (3,977 points).
Chen made seven final tables this season and notched one win back in August when he took down the HK$2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack at the Macau Poker Cup 21 (MPC). All told, Chen won HK$1,383,511 (USD $178,411) during the season, moving him into 14th on the APOY all-time money list.
Here’s a look at the APOY winners dating back to the award’s inception in 2009:
| Year | Player | Country | Points | Winnings (HKD) | Final Tables | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Pete Chen | Chinese Taipei | 5,691 | $1,383,511 | 7 | 1 |
| 2013 | Jian Yang | China | 3,922 | $2,040,100 | 3 | 2 |
| 2012 | Yosuke Sekiya | Japan | 4,191 | $1,002,600 | 6 | 1 |
| 2011 | Hung-Sheng "Shaq" Lin | Chinese Taipei | 6,278 | $1,272,690 | 10 | 1 |
| 2010 | Bryan Huang | Singapore | 3,166 | $594,050 | 6 | 1 |
| 2009 | Kitty Kuo | Chinese Taipei | 4,752 | $601,045 | 3 | 1 |
Speaking of the all-time money list, Steve O’Dwyer’s win in the Asia Championship of Poker Super High Roller vaulted him to the top of that leaderboard. Meanwhile, Team PokerStars Pro Celina Lin has the distinction of being the APOY’s most decorated player with 12,434 lifetime points, 26 final table (also a record), and four victories, which puts her in a five-way tie for most titles in Official APOY events.
Here’s a look at the all-time APOY winners:
| Rank | Player | Country | Points | Earnings (HKD) | Final Tables | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celina Lin | China | 12,434 | $2,661,571 | 26 | 4 |
| 2 | Hung Sheng "Shaq" Lin | Chinese Taipei | 12,379 | $2,376,930 | 23 | 3 |
| 3 | Raiden Kan | Hong Kong | 12,332 | $3,781,019 | 25 | 2 |
| 4 | Alexandre Chieng | China | 8,909 | $3,526,610 | 19 | 2 |
| 5 | Chen An Lin | Chinese Taipei | 8,506 | $1,256,740 | 14 | 4 |
| 6 | Sparrow Cheung | Hong Kong | 8,313 | $1,732,745 | 23 | 4 |
| 7 | Justin Chan | Hong Kong | 7,877 | $1,247,675 | 16 | 1 |
| 8 | Tetsuya Tsuchikawa | Japan | 7,836 | $1,563,650 | 15 | 4 |
| 9 | Aaron Hung-Chang Lin | Chinese Taipei | 7,427 | $869,268 | 18 | 2 |
| 10 | Devan Tang | Hong Kong | 7,293 | $5,855,850 | 9 | 2 |
The 2015 Asia Player of the Year race will begin on Dec. 17, 2014 at the Beijing Cup and conclude next year with the 2015 ACOP from Oct. 30-Nov. 15.
For more information visit www.PokerStarsLIVEMacau.com.
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