Arce cops poker fan favorite plum

MANILA, Philippines - Neil Arce, the first Filipino player to play in the main event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), bagged the Fan Favorite of the Year honors in the recent Baller Awards, underscoring his status and popularity among fans and co-players in Asia.

Winner of the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Philippines in 2009, Arce has impressed a lot of local and international poker players with his talent, charisma and humility while pursuing his mission to help promote the sport and develop world-class poker players in the Philippines.

“I’m proud of what I have achieved, but I don’t think I should be treated like a hero. At the end of the day, I’m just a poker player,” said Arce.

In the final tally, Arce polled 1,011 out of a total of 2,297 votes for approximately 44 percent.

His nearest rival, Singapore’s Bryan Huang, pooled 643 votes.