Global Poker Index: Mike McDonald Leads POY Race, Daniel Negreanu Atop GPI 300

Global Poker Index

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

RankPlayerGPI ScoreChange
1Mike McDonald496.14+6
2Dominik Panka397.13-1
3Dan Smith385.81-1
4Vanessa Selbst383.14-1
5Davidi Kitai348.20+36
6Jason Mercier343.20+15
7Alexander Denisov337.94-3
8Liv Boeree326.19+14
9Fabian Quoss305.70+8
10Ami Barer304.33+308

With a second-place finish in the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge and a third-place finish in the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge, Mike McDonald ascends to the top of the GPI Player of the Year race. The Canadian also finished runner-up in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, and already has three seven-figure scores and $4.3 million in earnings in 2014.

With 496.14 points, McDonald has already accrued 42.66% of Ole Schemion’s POY-winning 2013 total of 1,163.14.

Jason Mercier, Liv Boeree, Fabian Quoss, and Ami Barer all join the top 10 this week thanks to results at the Aussie Millions. Barer made the biggest splash, winning the Main Event for AU$1.6 million and rocketing up 308 spots.

GPI 300 Top 10

RankPlayerScoreChange
1Daniel Negreanu4093.60+1
2Ole Schemion3883.97-1
3Marvin Rettenmaier3665.16--
4Dan Smith3640.86--
5Jason Mercier3516.36+6
6Philipp Gruissem3478.73-1
7Mike McDonald3444.73+2
8Vanessa Selbst3426.44-2
9Erik Seidel3318.49+9
10Ravi Raghavan3299.15-3

Like fellow Canadian Mike McDonald, Daniel Negreanu reached the final table of both the $100,000 Challenge and the $250,000 Challenge at the Aussie Millions. In turn, Negreanu crossed the $20 million threshold in career earnings and pips Ole Schemion for the top spot in the GPI 300.

Schemion failed to cash Down Under.

With two deep runs at Crown Casino, Mercier returns to the top five of the GPI 300. The Team PokerStars Pro chopped the $25,000 Challenge for around a quarter of a million dollars and finished 18th in the Main Event for $48,116.

Welcome to the GPI

RankPlayerTotal Score
195Craig McCorkell1767.39
214Heinz Kamutzki1736.63
220Daniel Neilson1724.98
221Mihai Manole1723.84
227Jake Balsiger1693.70
245Isaac Haxton1641.51
246Jeff Lisandro1638.29
249Nikolaus Teichert1629.76
255Jae Sim1619.72
261Tam Truong1611.68
266Yung Hwang1591.65
276Max Lehmanski1570.01
296Amanda Musumeci1517.11

Thirteen players join the GPI 300 this week, headlined by Team PokerStars Online member Isaac Haxton. Haxton finished runner-up to Phil Ivey in the Aussie Millions $250,000 Challenge for just over $2.5 million after firing six bullets in the $100,000 Challenge and two in the $250,000 Challenge.

2012 Octo-Niner Jake Balsiger, Craig McCorkell, Daniel Neilson, and Tam Truong also join the GPI thanks to deep runs in the Aussie Millions Main Event. Balsiger made the final table, finishing third when his pocket kings were cracked by Ami Barer’s Ax10x.

Jeff Lisandro had success in the side events at Crown, finishing eighth in a $2,500 PLO tournament and first in a $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. event.

Biggest Gains

RankPlayerTotal GPI ScoreChange
114Aaron Lim2073.68102
115Ami Barer2073.42129
133John Juanda1978.57108
134Darren Rabinowitz1968.91134
137Liv Boeree1954.82105

With a fourth-place finish in the Aussie Millions Main Event, Darren Rabinowitz makes the largest leap in the GPI 300. The American moves up 134 spots to No. 134 ironically, while the winner, Ami Barer, climbs 129 places to No. 115.

Liv Boeree and John Juanda also propelled up more than 100 spots thanks to reaching the penultimate day of the Aussie Millions Main Event.

Biggest Drops

RankPlayerTotal GPI ScoreChange
193Michael Mizrachi1769.06-57
274Vladimir Troyanovskiy1573.86-78
282Sergey Rybachenko1558.66-60
295Thomas Butzhammer1522.75-50
297Vojtech Ruzicka1514.28-79

Vojtech Ruzicka drops the furthest this week, falling 79 spots to No. 297. The Czech player only has nine cashes since October of 2012 and his victory in the 2013 EPR Deaville High Roller dropped into Period 3 of the GPI formula.

Two-time World Series of Poker $50,000 Poker Players Championship champion Michael Mizrachi also takes a big hit, dropping 57 places to No. 193. The Grinder only has two cashes since the 2013 WSOP, and his win at last year's World Series of Poker Circuit event in South Africa dropped into Period 3.

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.

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