Bodog Beat

Poker pro John Phan captured the 2008 CardPlayer Player of the Year award over the weekend. (Bodog Beat Image)

Heading into the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, poker pro John Phan held the lead in the 2008 CardPlayer Player of the Year points race with only a few players in position to possibly catch him. When the last one of those players, Michael Binger, busted out in 67th place, Phan's place was secured in the history books and this award was added to his resume.

Over the course of this year, Phan has amassed $2,101,766 in prize money and reached eight high-profile final tables, winning three of them. Those three wins included his first World Poker Tour title at the WPT Legends of Poker back in August, his first WSOP bracelet in the $3,000 No Limit Holdem event and then another WSOP bracelet a week later in the $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event.

Phan now has more than $5.3 million in career earnings and this whole host of accloades under his belt in just over 10 years of playing poker professionally. He definitely deserves the award this year as he had one of the sickest runs over the summer that the poker world has ever seen. He joins the ranks of previous winners that include Daniel Negreanu, Men “The Master” Nguyen, David “The Dragon” Pham, T.J. Cloutier and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.