Global Poker Index: Selbst Climbs to No. 3 in GPI 300; Mizzi Returns to Top 10
Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes into account a player's results over six half-year periods. The GPI also ranks the top performers of the year over two six-month periods as calculated by the USA Today Global Poker Index point system.
For a look at both lists, visit the official GPI website.
2014 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike McDonald | 496.14 | - |
| 2 | Dan Heimiller | 427.67 | - |
| 3 | Jason Mercier | 426.40 | - |
| 4 | Keven Stammen | 425.89 | 7 |
| 5 | Mukul Pahuja | 403.23 | 37 |
| 6 | Dominik Panka | 397.13 | -2 |
| 7 | Dan Smith | 385.81 | -2 |
| 8 | Vanessa Selbst | 383.14 | -2 |
| 9 | Isaac Baron | 379.19 | 20 |
| 10 | Greg Merson | 356.03 | -3 |
Three players join the top 10 of the 2014 GPI Player of the Year race; Keven Stammen, Mukul Pahuja, and Isaac Baron.
In March alone, Stammen won a $2,140 buy-in event at the World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic for $43,000, finished 11th in the Heartland Poker Tour Rancho Mirage Main Event for $7,702, and cashed in both the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars and WPT Rolling Thunder Main Events. Stammen's Rolling Thunder cash has not entered the Hendon Mob database yet, and he will likely jump both Dan Heimiller and Jason Mercier next week.
Pahuja nearly won the WPT West Coast Swing prize, cashing in the WPT LAPC Main Event and finishing fourth in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars for $320,800.
"I'm obviously surprised. It's a huge honor to be grouped in with the best in the world," Pahuja told PokerNews. "I never expected to climb this high to be honest. The run since August has been absurd. I think I've made some minor adjustments over the past 18 months, but nothing crazy. Brown magic definitely helps. I really just want to keep things going strong to finish the WPT season, and keep playing my best headed into the WSOP so I can hopefully get my first WSOP final table added to the r��sum��."
Baron finished third in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event in January, and finished 17th in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Negreanu | 3994.88 | - |
| 2 | Ole Schemion | 3774.69 | - |
| 3 | Vanessa Selbst | 3629.30 | 4 |
| 4 | Marvin Rettenmaier | 3607.30 | -1 |
| 5 | Jason Mercier | 3584.26 | -1 |
| 6 | Dan Smith | 3444.57 | -1 |
| 7 | Mike McDonald | 3389.61 | -1 |
| 8 | Philipp Gruissem | 3336.70 | 2 |
| 9 | Shannon Shorr | 3325.70 | - |
| 10 | Sorel Mizzi | 3306.67 | 6 |
Daniel Negreanu and Ole Schemion remain atop the GPI 300, but Vanessa Selbst is on the prowl. The American Team PokerStars Pro hasn't cashed in event since the PCA - where she finished third in both the $100,000 Super High Roller and $25,000 High Roller - but due to decaying scores from Mercier, Marvin Rettenmaier, Dan Smith, and Mike McDonald, Selbst moves up four spots. In April, Selbst's second North American Poker Tour win will no longer count, because it took place in April of 2011.
Sorel Mizzi hasn't cashed since the Aussie Millions, where he finished runner-up in the Main Event, but he climbs the ranks due to lowering scores as well. The Canadian now sits at No. 10, bumping Paul Volpe (now No. 15) out of the top 10.
Welcome to the GPI
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | Dylan Wilkerson | 1988.45 | |
| 175 | Isaac Baron | 1807.15 | |
| 216 | Alexandru Masek | 1692.26 | |
| 220 | Sotirios Koutoupas | 1682.55 | |
| 243 | Loni Harwood | 1640.57 | |
| 244 | Nam Le | 1639.51 | |
| 229 | Garrett Greer | 1673.70 | |
| 275 | Jan Sjavik | 1549.01 | |
| 262 | Erkut Yilmaz | 1587.81 | |
| 266 | Naoya Kihara | 1572.78 | |
| 280 | Benjamin Zamani | 1541.05 | |
| 281 | Kyle Julius | 1538.74 | |
| 287 | Eli Heath | 1529.29 | |
| 288 | Chris Dombrowski | 1529.02 | |
| 294 | Ryan Riess | 1525.13 |
Of the 15 new members of the GPI, no player is ranked higher than No. 127 Dylan Wilkerson. The San Francisco native finished runner-up in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars Main Event, earning $728,650, after finishing runner-up in the WPT Fallsview Poker Classic Main Event less than a month ago. Wilkerson now has nearly $1 million in earnings in the first 11 weeks of 2014.
2013 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Ryan Riess also rejoins the GPI 300. Riess The Beast cashed in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars Main Event, finishing 43rd for $20,890.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 137 | Tam Truong | 1937.44 | 111 |
| 144 | Andrea Dato | 1897.19 | 136 |
| 145 | Benjamin Hamnett | 1896.87 | 101 |
| 164 | Athanasios Polychronopoulos | 1830.73 | 80 |
| 173 | Owen Crowe | 1810.27 | 123 |
| 176 | Rhys Jones | 1806.88 | 93 |
Leading the biggest gainers this week is Andrea Dato. The Italian defended his home soil, defeating Sam Trickett heads up to win Gioco Digitale WPT Venice for �105,000. Dato has reached the final table of WPT Venice three out of four times since 2011, and now has over $1 million in career live tournament earnings.
Also make triple-digit jumps are Tam Truong, Benjamin Hamnett, and Owen Crowe. Truong finished 19th in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars Main Event, Hamnett finished 22nd in the same event, and Crowe finished 20th.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 224 | Victor Ramdin | 1676.18 | -72 |
| 227 | John Dibella | 1674.31 | -54 |
| 249 | Jeremy Kottler | 1632.02 | -54 |
| 251 | David Diaz | 1622.55 | -51 |
| 260 | David Baker | 1595.98 | -53 |
| 272 | Eric Baldwin | 1559.56 | -62 |
| 295 | Russell Crane | 1522.36 | -66 |
Victor Ramdin takes the biggest hit this week, falling 72 places to No. 224. We are now a full three years removed from his win in The Big Event held at The Bicycle Casino in LA, and more than six months removed from his cashes in the EPT Barcelona Main Event and the WPT Borgata Fall Poker Open Main Event.
To view at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website. While you're at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.
