Yunkyu Song: The Unexpected Hero Who Won the WPT Season 22 Player of the Year Title

The World Poker Tour (WPT) has crowned its Season 22 Player of the Year, and the winner might surprise you. It’s not a household name (yet!), but 25-year-old Yunkyu Song, a South Korean-born, Washington-based pro, has taken the poker world by storm. With 2,275 POY points, he outpaced fierce competitors like Dylan Smith (2,150 points) and Eric Afriat (1,750 points) to claim the prestigious title.

🏆 Congratulations to Yunkyu Song, the Season 22 @WPT Player of the Year!

With five cashes, three top-five finishes, and a @WPTPrime victory at @PlaygroundPoker, the 25-year-old earned his spot atop the leaderboard. 👏

📲 Final results – https://t.co/RN7P3EJbwl pic.twitter.com/pvPCGckIL7

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) January 7, 2025

A Breakout Year

Song entered 2024 as a relative unknown, but that quickly changed. He burst onto the scene in March at WPT Rolling Thunder in Northern California, where his unique table presence – pulling on a black puffy jacket and backpack during all-ins – became a talking point in the poker community. Song had an uncanny knack for building massive stacks quickly, and despite a heartbreaking fourth-place finish in the Main Event, it was clear that a new poker force had arrived.

Throughout the year, Song continued to impress with a string of strong performances. He notched his first major victory in October at the CA$1,150 WPT Prime Playground Championship in Montreal, where he took home $164,251 and a boatload of POY points. Just weeks later, he finished as the runner-up in the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship in Jacksonville, Florida, earning his largest career cash of $252,059. These results, along with his earlier final table appearance at the WPT Rolling Thunder Main Event, accounted for the bulk of his season-ending 2,275 points!

A Close Race to the Finish

But the POY race was far from settled as the season came to a close. Dylan Smith made a late surge, with a victory at the WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship for $662,200 and a fifth-place finish at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Smith’s deep run in the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas kept the race tight, but his 127th-place finish wasn’t enough to overtake Song.

Fabian Gumz, who won the WPT Prime Slovakia Championship earlier in the year, also posed a threat. Heading into the final stages of the WPT World Championship, Gumz needed an outright victory to surpass Song. Despite a commendable 14th-place finish, Gumz fell short, ensuring Song’s victory.

WPT Player of the Year Standings

More Than Just Wins

Beyond his impressive results, Song’s sportsmanship and composure at the table stood out throughout the season. At the WPT bestbet Scramble, his “lucky” jacket became a symbol of camaraderie, with fellow competitor Francis Anderson even borrowing it during an all-in. Song quickly gained a reputation not only as a skilled player but also as a respected and likeable competitor.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska praised Song’s achievements, stating, “It is amazing to see the ledger of Yunkyu’s accomplishments throughout the year, earning points in so many different events across North America. We congratulate the young competitor and look forward to seeing him next season.”

What’s Next for Song?

As the reigning WPT Player of the Year, Song has earned $15,000 in WPT Passport tickets to use in Season 23. The upcoming season kicks off in February with the WPT Cambodia festival, featuring the $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia Championship.

Song now joins an elite group of WPT POY winners that includes poker legends like Daniel Negreanu, Anthony Zinno, and Brian Altman. With over $1.3 Million in live tournament earnings for the year, Song has firmly established himself as one of poker’s brightest young stars. His remarkable 2024 campaign sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting career ahead.

Content & Images Courtesy: World Poker Tour