Global Poker Index: Justin Bonomo, Ari Engel, Bryn Kenney Join 2016 POY Top 10

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Nov 10, 2016 4 min read Last updated Nov 17, 2016

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 Nov. 9, 2016.

2016 GPI Player of the Year

The same old story at the top as far as the 2016 Global Poker Index Player of the Year is concerned, with Fedor Holz still enjoying a decent-sized lead as he remains at No. 1 for a 22nd-straight week. Looking a few spots below Holz, however, finds three players making upward moves as the race enters its final two months.

Justin Bonomo jumped from No. 12 to No. 5 this week following his runner-up finish in the 2016 Asia Championship of Poker $HK500,000 Super High Roller at the City of Dreams in Macau won by Yuan Li. Bonomo took away a prize of HK$5,595,000 for his finish, worth just over $720,000 USD.

Ari Engel has also returned to the 2016 GPI POY top 10, jumping from No. 15 to No. 8 after also picking up a runner-up finish. Engel's came in the $1,650 buy-in Heartland Poker Tour Ameristar Main Event in Missouri won by Matthew Donaldson. Engel has been the only player besides Holz this year to occupy the top spot in the GPI POY race after a hot first half of the year highlighted by a career-high cash of AU$1,600,000 (about $1.12M USD) for winning the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Main Event in January.

Bryn Kenney also gets onto the POY top 10 list this week, going from No. 14 to No. 10. Kenney likewise used a big second-place showing to make his move, having finished runner-up to Wai Yong in a HK$500,000 event in the Triton Super High Roller Series in Manila, earning a big HK$10,870,700 prize worth about $1.4 million USD.

GPI 300 Top 10

There was a decent amount of shuffling among the top spots of the overall Global Poker Index rankings this week, although Holz again maintains his place at No. 1, also for a 22nd-straight week.

Bonomo bounded upwards from No. 19 to No. 8 thanks to that ACOP Super High Roller finish, while Connor Drinan, Erik Seidel, Tom Marchese, and Kenney all inched upwards on the list as well.

Looking just below the top 10, former top-ranked player Dan Smith jumped from No. 30 to No. 12 this week, his highest ranking since August. Smith dropped from the top 10 back in December 2015, and was last ranked No. 1 in July 2015.

Welcome to the GPI Top 300

There are 13 newcomers in this week's GPI top 300, most coming near the bottom of the list. The highest-ranked of this group is Dmitry Yurasov who moved up from No. 307 to No. 217 after a cash in the HK$25,000 ACOP Warm-Up event where he finished 17th.

It's Yurasov's first time inside the top 300, while each of the other 12 on this list is making a return trip to the list, including Jerry Wong who finished eighth in the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event last week.

Incidentally, 2016 WSOP Main Event champion Qui Nguyen is at No. 1,709 in the overall GPI rankings this week, his highest career-ranking. Ngueyn won $8,005,310 for topping the 6,737-player field in the Main Event, his previous career high cash (and only other one at the WSOP) having been just $9,029 for finishing 54th in a $1,500 NLHE event in 2009.

Biggest Gains

Michael Telker earned the distinction of being the biggest gainer this week among players in the current GPI top 300, having gone from No. 381 to No. 247 after picking up a couple of recent cashes at the Punta Cana Poker Classic in the Dominican Republic, including a high roller win.

Biggest Drops

Finally, Salman Behbehani endured the steepest fall among players still in this week's top 300, slipping from No. 167 to No. 295.

What to Expect Next Week

The partypoker.net World Poker Tour Montreal festival is already underway at the Playground Poker Club, with its Main Event kicking off tomorrow.

The World Series of Poker Circuit is in action both at the Kings Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic and in Paris, France at Cercle Clichy Montmartre.

And the Master Classics of Poker 2016 gets going on Saturday at the Holland Casino in Amsterdam.

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 Justin Bonomo Ari Engel Bryn Kenney Dmitry Yurasov Michael Telker Jerry Wong Qui Nguyen Salman Behbehani Asia Championship of Poker Heartland Poker Tour Punta Cana Poker Classic World Series of Poker poker tournaments
• Related Tournaments World Series of PokerHeartland Poker Tour
• Related Players Justin BonomoBryn KenneySalman BehbehaniAri EngelFedor HolzQui Nguyen