27-year-old poker-whiz Michael Lindgren has been crowned the WPT's first ever Player of the Year. Lindgren, a resident of Las Vegas, was presented with a Crystal Cup at the Bellagio this week, in honour of his prolific performances at the World Poker Tour and Grand Prix de Paris this year. Lindgren has netted $1.5 million in prize money by winning the tour's PartyPoker Million and Ultimate Poker Classic.
Lindgren entered and won a $162 satellite tournament on
PartyPoker.com, which earned him a spot on his triumphant
PartyPoker Million cruise in March. He also won the $500,000
at UltimateBet.com's Ultimate Poker Classic in Aruba on
the WPT's stop there in October, as well as $60,568 for
fifth place at the Aviation Club de France.
'I feel totally blessed,' says Lindgren. 'I'm just a really
competitive guy and poker satisfies my competitive nature.'
The runner-up to the title was Paul Phillips, also of Las Vegas, who won the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic and finished second at The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. | 
