Is Anyone Hotter Than Steve O’Dwyer?

Nearly nine years ago, at the World Poker Tour Championship, Steve O’Dwyer was looking for action. Not at the poker tables though, he wasn’t there to compete against the tournament greats, he was just a simple reporter looking for breaking stories and working pro bono for a friend of his who had a poker site. He liked the game but wasn’t very good at it. People called him mediocre at best and didn’t pay him much attention.

Fast forward to 2016; O’Dwyer still is under the radar but definitely NOT mediocre. He’s currently on an unbelievable streak taking live poker rankings by storm. How come? Staying humble, constantly working at his game, and hanging around with the right people may have something to do with it. Not giving up and continuing to push are also other important factors of his recent domination.

Talk about change…

$2.87 Million, 6 Final Tables, 2 Wins In 2016… SO FAR

After finishing strong last year with a remarkable Eureka Prague Super High Roller top prize takedown (€746,543), the American started 2016 with a bang; he had a fourth place finish at the WPT Triton Super High Roller just three days into the New Year. He then traveled to Paradise Island where he took down the Poker Caribbean Adventure High Roller and continued his world adventure with a stop at the 2016 Aussie Millions. In the Down Under, he made two final tables and won the $250,000 Challenge.

O’Dwyer also had the opportunity to revisit his roots and make it to the European Poker Tour latest stop in Dublin. There, he was very close to winning two other tournaments: the €1,100 No Limit Texas Holdem Turbo side event (2nd place) and the €2,150 Six-Max Turbo event (4th place).

Overall, in the first two months of 2016, he has seven cashes, six final tables, two big high roller wins and total earnings of $2,874,410. And remember, it’s only February ladies and gentlemen.

His amazing hot streak propelled him to the top of the Global Poker Index (GPI) Rankings ahead of the 2015 GPI Player of the Year Byron Kaverman. He’s also second in the Card Player leaderboard behind only the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event winner, Ari Engel.

Now who’s the reporter and who’s behind that healthy pile of poker chips?

Is Fedor Holz a Real Threat For O’Dwyer?

Indeed, O’Dwyer has the been the player with the biggest stack for most of the way, but German wunderkind Fedor Holz has been breathing down his neck. Holz even managed to steal one away from the American by winning the WPT Philippines Triton SHR and $3,463,500.

Like O’Dwyer, the German finished 2015 strong with a big win in Las Vegas at the WPT Alpha8 HR. In 2016, he has had three final tables - a WPT Philippines win, 4th at a PCA eight-handed turbo side event, and sixth at the Aussie Millions$100,000 - and a very close call at the PCA Main Event where he finished just short of yet another final table (18th).

He may not be as hot as the American-Irishman, but Holz definitely has the edge in the earnings category for 2016 - $3,712,461. In the GPI leaderboard he’s also not that far behind (8th).

All in all, the young German can become a real threat for O’Dwyer as 2016 continues. And you know who’s the other threat Steve might need to pay special attention to? We’re positive Vanessa Selbst knows that answer.

Beware Vanessa Selbst: Dzmitry Urbanovich Is Coming!

Remember the $2 million prop bet Vanessa Selbst made a while ago? Well, as we see more and more of Dzmitry Urbanovich, that particular prop bet becomes more and more interesting.

Prior to 2015, nobody knew that much about the standout Polish poker teen, but he got everybody’s attention after the EPT Malta last year. There he made six final tables and won four events, including the EPT Malta HR. At the EPT 11 Grand Final, Urbanovich won the SHR and cashed in almost €1.5 million. Now he’s ready to make stand in 2016 and climb to the top of the foodchain of the live poker tournament ecosystem.

Urbanovich started the year timidly with a 9th place at the 2016 Aussie Millions Mix-Max side event and no cashes at the PCA. He did provide O’Dwyer with a personal cocktail though, after the American won the HR:

In Dublin however, on his foe’s own turf, Urbanovich got his revenge. He reached the final table three times and won the EPT Main Event for €561,900. With that win, he is very close to passing the $5 million mark in live tournament earnings. And remember, he isn’t even 21, the legal age for playing poker in the US.

The Polishman is seventh on the Card Player 2016 POY leaderboard and climbing the GPI rankings quite quickly (currently 18th). And with the prop bet as a motivation coming into the World Series of Poker this summer, Urbanovich may very well take off to number one.

How do you think Vanessa feels now after she gave him 200-to-1 odds to win three gold WSOP bracelets? Can he do it? Can he top O’Dwyer? Or will the American continue to dominate the leaderboards?