No small number of fierce competitors were up for the 2012 Player of the Year title at the European Poker Awards– in fact, the competition has been deadly all around, with names of major players appearing in every category. Even though very few of the players could actually attend the EPAs this year because they were playing in the Aussie Millions (while the Paris location of the EPAs at the Aviation Club de France was convenient for any players hanging out in Europe between European Poker Tour events, it was a bit out of the way for those in Melbourne, playing in the largest tournament happening at the time), awards were still given out, usually to proxies who had been sent to the awards in the stead of their friends and fellow players.
Individual Poker Player Awards
Player of the Year: Sam Trickett
Sam Trickett took the Player of the Year title, snatching it away from fellow nominees Pius Heinz, Eugene Katchalov, Andrey Pateychuk, Jake Cody, and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier– all of whom one could argue are the best players of the last year. Trickett is an English specialist in high-stakes games (which explains why he was in Australia for the tourney there and had to send PokerStrategy blogger Barry Carter to pick up his award there), and his massive wins in last year’s Aussie Millions (first place in the 100,000 No Limit Hold’em, which brought a little over $1.5 million, and second in the 250,000 Super High Roller No Limit Hold’em, which added another $1.4 million to his bankroll) and the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event in Cannes (first place again for another $1.36 million) made him this year’s winner.
Best Tournament Performance: Pius Heinz
It would be a crime to send Pius Heinz away empty-handed after his WSOP Main Event win (after all, he took home $8.72 million dollars there). This German’s performance in the largest poker event of the year earned him the Best Tournament Performance title.
Rookie of the Year: Andrey Pateychuk
Pateychuk may not have taken Player of the Year, but he claimed the well-deserved Rookie of the Year title. With a strong and impressive run in the World Series of Poker Main Event, along with first place wins in the EPT San Remo and WPT Prague events (and a sixth place finish in the EPT Prague re-entry), saying that Pateychuk has had a good year is a massive understatement. It’s truly hard to believe that Pateychuk appeared on the poker scene only a year and a half ago, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.
Europe’s Leading Lady: Natalia Nikitina
Russia’s Natalia Nikitina beat out fellow nominees Liv Boeree and Victoria Coren of England, Nesrine Kourdourli and Barbara Martinez of France, and Cecilia Pescaglini of Italy. Pescaglini finished second in the World Poker Tour event in Malta in September, while Martinez took the WSOP Europe Ladies’ event in Cannes.
Internet Player of the Year: Ilari ‘Ilari FIN’ Sahamies
Ilari Sahamies took the Internet Player of the Year title away from Ireland’s Jude Ainsworth, Viktor Blom of Sweden, France’s Rui Cao, and England’s Chris Moorman.
Lifetime Achievement: Jesse May
American Jesse May was also up for the Poker Personality award, a title that fits him perfectly, because Jesse May has personality and he has it in spades. He’s been one of the fundamental voices of poker, appearing on television and tournaments as a commentator as well has having a past poker career. He’s frequently called “The Voice of Poker,” and this year, he is honored with the Lifetime Achievement award for his contributions to the game.
Rob Gardner Memorial Award for the Poker Personality of the Year: Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier
France’s Grospellier beat out two very vocal poker celebrities– Jessie May and Tony G– for the Poker Personality of the Year award. While the category was full of solid nominees, it seems almost like the EPAs were giving Grospellier a consolation prize for his loss in the Lifetime Achievement category, because while Grospellier is a poker icon, he’s not really known for his personality– at least not to the extent of several of the other nominees.
Winners were announced in two other EPA categories this year:
- Best European Event of the Year: WSOP Europe Cannes
- Poker Staff Person of the Year: Warren Lush (international public relations department at bwin.party)