The POY standings are based on a formula developed by Tourney.com. The only modification is to multiply the number of points by 10 to make the values meaningful in the smaller buy-ins found in home games.

Their site gives a full explanation of the formula, so the description here touches on the two most important points.

First, the number of points earned in a tournament is determined according to this formula:

where:

• B - The Amount of the Buy-in
• E - The Number of Entrants
• P - Finishing Position

For example, a player finishing 1st out of 15 players in a $25 buy-in tournament earns 62 points.

Second, the points age as time passes, so that points earned in a recent tournment are greater than points earned in an identical tournament a year ago.

After 10 months, the 62 points earned in the example above will have deteriorated to 39 points.

The aging is done by multiplying the points by a factor that decreases according to this schedule:

This results in a rolling system that doesn't have to be reset, lets new players climb in the standings, and keeps past winners from resting on their laurels.