South Korea native and US citizen Yunkyu Song has been honored by the World Poker Tour as the Player of the Year for the WPT's recently completed Season 22.
Song topped all WPT participants during 2024 by logging 2,275 WPT POY points, outdistancing POY runner-up Dylan Smith (2,025 points) and Eric Afriat (1,750 points).
The 25-year-old Song secured the WPT's top annual honor on the strength of three final-table finishes in 2024, including a win at the CAD $1,150 WPT Prime Playground event near Montreal and a runner-up showing at the WPT bestbet Scramble in Florida. Song's third final-table effort came in the $3,500 WPT Rolling Thunder Championship in California, early in the year. Those three finishes accounted for 2,150 of Song's Season 22 points, with two minor cashes in other WPT championship events completing his year's total.
Honor in doubt until WPT World Championship's late stages
Song takes over as the WPT's reigning POY from Ren Lin, who dominated the WPT's Season 21 while establishing himself as one of the game's top tournament players. Song's triumph in the 2024 POY points race wasn't secured until the year's final event, as Fabian Gumz could have overtaken Song's total by winning December's WPT World Championship in Las Vegas. Gumz, however, finished 14th, giving Song the honor.
“It is amazing to see the ledger of Yunkyu’s accomplishments throughout the year, earning points in so many different events across North America,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “We congratulate the young competitor and look forward to seeing him next season.”
Song wins $15,000 in WPT Passport tickets to be used during the WPT's Season 23. Smith and Afriat claim $10,000 and $5,000 in WPT Passport buy-ins. respectively. The WPT's 23rd season begins in February, in Southeast Asia, with the WPT Cambodia festival and its $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia championship.
Photos courtesy of World Poker Tour/Alicia Skillman
