It was announced earlier this week that the crème of the European poker community will descend on the Aviation Club de France in January for the eleventh installment of the European Poker Awards.
The Aviation Club, one of the top poker destinations in the world, will serve as host of the awards ceremony on January 25 during the Euro Finals of Poker. Hosted by 2010 EPA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Nic Szeremeta, the EPA’s will crown the best players of 2011 in several different categories. A select, eight person committee will determine who takes home the top honors that are offered.
The categories that the committee will have to consider present some challenges, as there were tremendous performances across the board by European players. Those categories include Player of the Year, Internet Player of the Year, Leading Lady of the Year, Rookie of the Year, the Best Poker Event of the Year, Best Tournament Performance, the Gardner Memorial Award for the Poker Personality of 2011, Casino Staff Person of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The committee will meet in private prior to the awards ceremonies to determine the victors in each field. After discussion and review of appropriate materials, the committee will vote via a “blind ballot,” meaning that no one on the committee will know what another member voted. After the voting has been completed, the Chairman of the committee will announce that a winner has been chosen and seal that name in the appropriate envelope; those envelopes will not be opened until the night the EPA’s are handed out.
For Player of the Year, there are several interesting choices. While many might look at Germany’s Pius Heinz as a likely candidate after his victory at the World Series of Poker Championship Event in November, there are other candidates who may have eclipsed him over the entirety of the year. The United Kingdom’s Chris “Moorman1” Moorman has had an outstanding year with seven cashes that include a runner up finish in the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 Six Handed World Championship and another runner up finish at the WSOP Europe Main Event.
Another player from the U. K., Sam Trickett, also would have to be in consideration for the award. Among his nine cashes from 2011 were unprecedented performances at the Aussie Millions $100,000 High Roller event (which he won) and the $250,000 Super High Roller event (where he placed second). He also notched a victory at the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event in Cannes, where he took home €1 million. His total take for the 2011 poker season? Slightly more than $4.5 million!
Heinz may well have to settle for “Best Tournament Performance” for his WSOP Championship Event victory!
The other intriguing award may well be the Best Poker Event of the Year. Tournaments in the United Kingdom, such as the European Poker Tour and World Poker Tour stops, may get some notoriety, but the switch of venue for the World Series of Poker Europe to Cannes, France, may have an impact on the voting. Also possibly in the running are the EPT event in San Remo, Italy and the WPT stop in Barcelona, Spain.
The 2010 version of the awards was dominated by English players. For his dual championships on the EPT and WPT tours, Jake Cody was voted as the Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year. For his outstanding play at the WSOP Europe in 2010, James Bord took home the Outstanding Tournament Performance award, while Liv Boeree picked up the Leading Lady of the Year honors for her EPT San Remo championship.
Past honorees at the EPA include Russia’s Vitaly Lunkin, France’s Antoine Saout, Bruno Fitoussi and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Italy’s Jeff Lisandro and Germany’s Sandra Naujoks.
