Sam Trickett, from the UK, received the award for the Player of the Year in the European Poker Awards 2012. The player outlasted other nominees in the same category. One of them was the winner of the Triple Crown title, Jake Cody.

The award ceremony was held at France’s Aviation Club de Paris. Poker professionals from across Europe were honored for their tournament performances in 2011. The top two contenders for the Player of the Year honor were Jake Cody and Trickett. In addition, other well-known players like Bertrand Grospellier, Pius Heinz, Andrey Pateychuk and Eugene Katchalov were also in the nominations. A panel consisting of eight members considered Trickett the most deserving player, for his marvelous performance in 2011.

Trickett Won about $4.5 Million in 2011 Tournament Winnings

Trickett earned a little above $4.5 million through his tournament winnings in 2011. The player grabbed the High Roller championship worth 100k at the Aussie Millions 2011. In the Super High Roller worth $250K, Trickett finished in the second place. The player also won the Main Event of the Partouche Poker Tour held in November 2011. With these significant victories, Trickett outlasted his closest competitor, Jake Cody who has been a bracelet winner of World Series of Poker (WSOP) last year.

Grospellier and Heinz picked up Other Awards

Though Grospellier did not win the Player of the Year title, the player earned another significant award – the Rob Gardner Memorial Poker Personality of the Year. The title of the Best Tournament Performance in 2011 was grabbed by Heinz. He received the honor due to his outstanding performance in the WSOP championship event. The title of the Rookie of the Year was conferred on Pateychuk. He won the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the World Poker Tour championships in 2011.

Europe’s Leading Lady Award won by Natalya Nikitina

Another important category of the European Poker awards is Europe’s Leading Lady. The title was won by a Russian player, Natalya Nikitina. The player’s magnificent performance in the WPT held in Russia fetched the title. Some of the strongest competitors for the award were Victoria Coren and Liv Boeree. In addition, players like Cecilia Pescaglini, Nesrine Kourdourli and Barbara Martinez also competed for the honor.

Jesse May Receive the Life Time Achievement Title

One of the most prestigious categories of the European Poker Awards is the Life Time Achievement. It was received by Jesse May. This is the only category of this year’s European Poker Awards which did not have any nomination. Jesse May’s name was selected by the eight-member panel for his contributions towards poker. The player had impressive skills which he put to use in an array of poker events.

In addition to these honors, quite a few other awards were also handed over during the event. Warren Lush received the honor of the Staff Person of the Year. The player works with bwin.Party. A prestigious title was conferred upon Ilari Sahamies for his contributions as Internet Player of the Year.