Global Poker Index: Danzer, Esfandiari Make Gains as Holz Holds Onto Lead

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Oct 06, 2016 3 min read

Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes into account a player's results over six half-year periods. For a look at the entire list, visit the official GPI website. Here's a look at the rankings as of Oct. 5, 2016.

2016 GPI Player of the Year

There are no new developments to report with this latest update to the 2016 Global Poker Index Player of the Year standings, as none of the top 10 have budged since last week. That means Fedor Holz continues to enjoy a healthy lead in this, his 17th-straight week at the top.

One has to look all of the way down at the bottom of the top 100 in the POY list to find any news of note, where Jeff Gross jumped up from No. 134 to No. 97 after earning points for a recent final-table showing at the $5,000 buy-in Merit Poker Gangsters & Chicago Poker Cup. Gross finished eighth in the event in which Nariman Yaghmai outlasted Antonio Esfandiari heads-up for the win.

GPI 300 Top 10

It was a similarly quiet week at the top of the overall rankings, where Holz once again �� also for a 17th-straight week �� remains at No. 1. There were only a couple of small position swaps to report this week, with Byron Kaverman (No. 4) switching spots with Steve O'Dwyer (No. 5), and David Peters (No. 8) changing with Bryn Kenney (No. 9).

Welcome to the GPI Top 300

The lull in the tournament schedule meant only five new names entered the overall GPI top 300, with Team PokerStars Pro George Danzer the highest-ranked of the group after moving up from No. 348 to No. 238.

Danzer's upward move was aided by two strong finishes at the recently completed Eureka Hamburg festival in his native Germany. Danzer won the �2,200 High Roller event there, topping a field of 59, then also took ninth in the 327-entry �1,100 Main Event won by Dinesh Alt.

Danzer returns to the top 300 after just a five-week absence. His previous peak in the GPI rankings came in December 2014 when he reached No. 17.

Biggest Gains

Danzer's jump landed him in the "Biggest Gains" list as well this week, just behind Hady Asmar who enjoyed the biggest bounce of anyone in the current top 300. Asmar catapulted from No. 496 to No. 298 after taking third in that aforementioned Merit Poker Gangsters & Chicago Poker Cup. Second-place finisher Antonio Esfandiari also jumped up close to the top 200 for his showing there.

This marks Asmar's career debut inside the top 300. The same goes for the player who finished behind him in fourth in the Merit Poker Gangsters event, Enzo Del Piero, who went from No. 387 to No. 292 to reach the list for the first time.

Biggest Drops

Finally, among players retaining spots inside the top 300 this week, Brian Rast slipped the furthest, going from No. 184 to No. 262.

What to Expect Next Week

The 2016 Wynn Fall Classic continues in Las Vegas, Nevada this week, as does the Heartland Poker Tour Peppermill series in Reno. Also, the World Poker Tour bestbet Bounty Scramble series is well underway in Jacksonville, Florida, with the $5,000 Main Event getting started next week.

The World Series of Poker Circuit is currently visiting the Horseshoe Southern Indiana where the $1,675 Main Event begins tomorrow. Meanwhile the WSOP-C Berlin is winding down in Germany, the Finnish Championships are playing out in Helskinki, and the Russian Poker Tour's stop in Minsk, Belarus starts today.

To view the GPI overall rankings in their entirety, visit the official GPI website. While you're at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.

• Tags Global Poker Index Fedor Holz Chance Kornuth Byron Kaverman Steve O��Dwyer George Danzer Hady Asmar Antonio Esfandiari Brian Rast Eureka Poker Tour
• Related Tournaments Eureka Poker Tour
• Related Players Steve O'DwyerChance KornuthAntonio EsfandiariBrian RastByron KavermanGeorge Danzer