PLAYER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

All players who finish in the money in HPT Main Events earn points towards becoming the tour's Player of the Year. Last year's POY race came down to the wire with Minnesota's Aaron Johnson (pictured above with TD Jeremy Smith) needing to final table the Championship Event to overtake Ossama Estafanous for POY honors.

In impressive fashion, Johnson did indeed final table. He ended up in sixth place to win HPT's Season XIV Player of the Year. In even more impressive fashion, Johnson also went on to win MSPT's Player of the Year.

The HPT Player of the Year earns a $10,000 package to use for Main Event buy-ins the following season. He/she also gets complimentary hotel accommodations at up to six stops.

Though Johnson isn't in the field today, past Player of the Year Aaron Massey is. There are also several POY hopefuls in play today. Mike Sabbia and Nick Pupillo are both inside of the Top 10 of the current year's standings. Sabbia finished second here in East Chicago back in January. Pupillo won an event at Golden Gates Casino in February.

Click HERE for more information on POY, including full current standings.