The World Poker Tour (WPT) has officially announced Yunkyu Song as the Season XXII WPT Player of the Year.
With this announcement, Bin Weng is no longer the reigning champion. Weng had an unforgettable poker season in 2023, which included winning the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and finishing fourth at WPT Choctaw.
However, he was unable to replicate that level of success in 2024, opening the door for other top contenders to make their move — and in the end, no one could surpass Yunkyu Song.
A Breakout Year for Yunkyu Song
The race for the WPT Player of the Year title rarely ends before the final month of the season, and last year was no exception.
When the WPT World Championship kicked off on December 14, 2024, at Wynn Las Vegas, Yunkyu Song was already in the lead.
However, he needed either to cash in the event himself or hope that Dylan Smith, Eric Afriat, and Landon Tice would fail to make deep runs.
Although Song did not cash in the season-ending championship, tension mounted when Smith advanced to Day 4 of the massive 2,392-player field. Fortunately for Song, Smith was eliminated in 127th place, falling short of the points needed to overtake him in the Player of the Year standings.
Final WPT Player of the Year standings
Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
1 | Yunkyu Song | 2,275 |
2 | Dylan Smith | 2,150 |
3 | Eric Afriat | 1,750 |
4 | Landon Tice | 1,700 |
5 | Zak VanKeuren | 1,550 |
6 | Dan Stavila | 1,525 |
7 | Josh Reichard | 1,425 |
8 | Travis Endersby | 1,400 |
9 | Michael Wang | 1,325 |
10 | Jim Casement | 1,200 |
Dylan Smith earned $662,200 by winning the WPT Seminole Rock ’N Roll Poker Open, and added another $230,000 for finishing 5th in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship. This marked his second consecutive year surpassing $1 million in live tournament earnings. Smith concluded the WPT season with 2,150 points—just short of Song’s 2,275—but remained a formidable contender. Eric Afriat finished third with 1,750 points, followed closely by Landon Tice with 1,700 points.
Although Yunkyu Song did not capture a Main Tour title in Season XXII, he secured victory in the WPT Prime Playground Championship, earning $164,251. He also finished runner-up in the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship in November, adding $252,059 to his winnings. During that final table, Afriat had held a commanding chip lead early on, and had he maintained it, he might have claimed the Player of the Year (POY) title himself.
With this achievement, Song joins an elite group of WPT Players of the Year, a club that includes poker greats such as Daniel Negreanu, Anthony Zinno, Jonathan Little, and Brian Altman. To date, no player has ever won this honor more than once.
Red Dragon Poker APP Officially Launched
The long-established tournament brand Red Dragon Cup has now released its own app — “Red Dragon Poker.”
The Red Dragon Cup is a well-known Asian poker brand with a strong reputation across the region. Originating in Macau, it quickly became one of the most influential poker events in Asia. Red Dragon Poker tournaments regularly attract players from all over the world, offering massive fields and impressive prize pools.
For those interested, we highly recommend downloading the “Red Dragon Poker” app to join more exciting tournaments.