Global Poker Index: O’Dwyer Leads, Nitsche and Kanit Trending Upward
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 February 17, 2016.
GPI Player of the Year
We’re still waiting on the initial list for this year’s Global Poker Index Player of the Year race. The GPI uses a player’s best 13 results (in terms of GPI POY points earned) from January 1 to December 31. If you’re curious, you can read more here about factors considered by the GPI when calculating scores for the GPI POY.
On to the overall rankings...
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve O’Dwyer | 4271.23 | - |
| 2 | Byron Kaverman | 4236.76 | - |
| 3 | Jason Mercier | 4103.12 | - |
| 4 | Nick Petrangelo | 4040.37 | - |
| 5 | Anthony Zinno | 3940.04 | - |
| 6 | Dominik Nitsche | 3890.25 | +10 |
| 7 | Bryn Kenney | 3887.44 | -1 |
| 8 | Fedor Holz | 3856.20 | -1 |
| 9 | Mustapha Kanit | 3733.02 | +10 |
| 10 | Stephen Chidwick | 3732.39 | -1 |
The top five stays the same this week in the overall GPI rankings, with Steve O’Dwyer remaining in the top spot for a sixth-straight week. O’Dwyer has picked up one cash in the European Poker Tour Dublin festival thus far, a runner-up finish in a €1,100 no-limit hold’em turbo side event, although the points he earned there weren’t enough to alter his overall GPI score.
Two players did use their EPT Dublin successes to catapult upwards in the GPI overall rankings, however, with both Mustapha Kanit and Dominik Nitsche advancing 10 spots each to join this week’s top 10.
Kanit, of course, won the €25,750 High Roller at EPT Dublin earlier in the week to help him jump from No. 19 to No. 9 in the rankings. Kanit’s previous high ranking has been No. 6 (in October 2015).
Meanwhile Nitsche jumped from No. 16 to No. 6 — his highest career GPI ranking — after winning the €2,200 UKIPT High Roller on Sunday, then turning around on Monday and taking runner-up in the €10,200 Single-Day High Roller won by Charlie Carrel.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 246 | Francois Billard | 1778.52 |
| 252 | James Obst | 1767.42 |
| 253 | Stefan Schillhabel | 1765.72 |
| 265 | Martin Jacobson | 1726.52 |
| 267 | Seth Berger | 1721.29 |
| 271 | Vojtech Ruzicka | 1711.46 |
| 284 | David Vamplew | 1690.29 |
| 285 | Steven Warburton | 1689.55 |
| 290 | Kou Vang | 1675.27 |
| 299 | Samuel Panzica | 1666.24 |
Ten players joined the ranks of the GPI top 300 this week, with Francois Billard the highest-ranked among them after moving all of the way up from No. 421 to No. 246. It was a fourth-place finish in the aforementioned €10,200 Single-Day High Roller that helped Billard make the leap upwards.
Three others among this group are making their first appearances in the GPI top 300, including James Obst who after years of significant success online used cashes at the 2016 Aussie Millions and another at the 2016 Perth Poker Champs to move up from No. 336 to No. 252 this week.
Meanwhile Stefan Schillhabel has cashed twice at EPT Dublin, helping him jump from No. 369 to No. 253 to join the list. And a couple of cashes at the WSOP Circut West Palm Beach festival last week enabled Kou Vang to make his debut in the top 300 after moving up from No. 340 to No. 290.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 246 | Francois Billard | 1778.52 | +175 |
| 60 | Charlie Carrel | 2735.24 | +119 |
| 265 | Martin Jacobson | 1726.52 | +119 |
| 253 | Stefan Schillhabel | 1765.72 | +116 |
| 299 | Samuel Panzica | 1666.24 | +87 |
Billard’s gain was the biggest of the week for those within the GPI top 300, while Charlie Carrel’s €10,200 Single-Day High Roller win at EPT Dublin gave him a big boost as well, moving him up from No. 179 to No. 60 in the rankings.
2014 WSOP Main Event champion Martin Jacobson also made a big move this week from No. 384 to No. 265 after picking up points for a ninth-place finish in the €25,750 High Roller in Dublin.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 298 | Nacho Barbero | 1667.35 | -105 |
| 294 | Randy Pfeifer | 1673.25 | -78 |
| 260 | Dylan Wilkerson | 1744.68 | -62 |
| 255 | Jason Les | 1765.14 | -50 |
| 196 | James Gilbert | 1923.67 | -45 |
Finally, looking at who dropped the most while staying inside the GPI top 300, Nacho Barbero fell the furthest after going from No. 193 to No. 298.
What to Expect Next Week
The World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic continues in California this week while the WPT Fallsview Poker Classic likewise plays out in Niagara Falls.
Of course, the focus remains on the last three days of the EPT Dublin festival, with both the €5,300 Main Event and €10,300 High Roller finishing up this weekend, with the PokerNews live reporting team on hand with start-to-finish coverage of both events.
To view both the 2015 Player of the Year and 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.
