Global Poker Index: Ole Schemion Begins Year On Top; Sorel Mizzi on the Rise
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.
GPI Player of the Year
As we reported last week, Daniel Colman clinched the 2014 Global Poker Index Player of the Year title despite late surges by Ole Schemion (who finished second) and Davidi Kitai (who took third).
Meanwhile the race for the 2015 Global Poker Index Player of the Year has already begun, and we��ll be reporting the start of that race soon once the first events of the 2015 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure complete.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Schemion | 4141.38 | - |
| 2 | Davidi Kitai | 3494.28 | +1 |
| 3 | Ami Barer | 3490.07 | +1 |
| 4 | Daniel Colman | 3435.80 | +1 |
| 5 | Dan Smith | 3415.07 | -3 |
| 6 | Bryn Kenney | 3300.14 | +2 |
| 7 | Jacob Schindler | 3278.27 | - |
| 8 | Pratyush Buddiga | 3275.84 | -2 |
| 9 | Sorel Mizzi | 3144.18 | +4 |
| 10 | Joseph Cheong | 3136.86 | - |
The first week of the year saw a few small moves being made among players at the top of the overall GPI rankings, with Schemion retaining his spot as leader and Dan Smith slipping back to No. 5. Sorel Mizzi joins the top 10 this week by moving up to No. 9. Mizzi also carries the chip lead to today's final table of the 2015 PCA $100,000 Super High Roller, and thus appears poised to move up even further depending on his finish today.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 272 | Marcin Wydrowski | 1582.32 |
| 274 | Fedor Holz | 1578.92 |
| 275 | Richard Kirsch | 1576.29 |
| 277 | Matt Jarvis | 1574.00 |
| 279 | Nuri Hakan Demircioglu | 1571.66 |
| 287 | Ilan Boujenah | 1560.62 |
| 288 | Georgios Sotiropoulos | 1559.44 |
| 289 | Madis Muur | 1557.70 |
| 292 | Ondrej Vinklarek | 1553.87 |
| 293 | Tim West | 1552.55 |
| 295 | Sam Greenwood | 1548.10 |
| 296 | Ian O��Hara | 1553.87 |
| 297 | Sotirios Koutoupas | 1547.11 |
| 298 | Juha Helppi | 1544.06 |
| 299 | Max Altergott | 1543.32 |
Down at the other end of the GPI Top 300 there were more relatively small moves up and down causing 15 players to lose their spots and 15 others to take their places, with none of the newcomers rising any higher than Marcin Wydrowski who moved up to No. 272.
Sam Greenwood who moved up to No. 295 this week is also part of that final table of the PCA $100,000 Super High Roller, returning to the short stack among the final seven players. His career-high GPI rank came last June when he peaked at No. 165.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 233 | Stuart Rutter | 1666.29 | +42 |
| 190 | Alexander Condon | 1770.88 | +36 |
| 139 | Millard Hale | 1945.68 | +34 |
| 223 | Jonas Mackoff | 1683.63 | +33 |
| 145 | Anton Astapau | 1903.44 | +32 |
There weren��t any huge moves among those in this week��s Top 300, and thus the biggest gainers of the week saw only modest gains, relatively speaking. Interestingly, Stuart Rutter earns the distinction as the week��s biggest upward mover for a second week in a row after moving up from No. 275 to No. 233. Rutter��s jump from No. 358 into the Top 300 last week gave him the same honor as the week��s biggest mover.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 284 | Owen Crowe | 1564.13 | -97 |
| 256 | Sergey Rybachenko | 1607.22 | -76 |
| 264 | Salvatore Bonavena | 1597.56 | -70 |
| 225 | Kevin Eyster | 1682.47 | -69 |
| 205 | Matt Marafioti | 1735.77 | -66 |
Finally, Owen Crowe slipped the most of those still in the GPI Top 300 this week, falling from No. 187 to No. 284.
To view the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website. While you��re at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.
