Global Poker Index: Schemion Retakes the Top Spot in the GPI 300; Hellmuth Plummets

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
1Keven Stammen583.20-
2Dominik Panka544.013
3Dan Heimiller516.301
4Mike McDonald513.95-2
5Jason Mercier489.04-2
6Ami Barer433.4616
7Ronit Chamani431.81-1
8Tom Hall417.8569
9James Calderaro408.38-2
10Alex Bilokur408.0774

Keven Stammen retains the lead in the 2014 POY race, while Mike McDonald slides down two spots to No. 4. Passing the Canadian are Dan Heimiller and Dominik Panka.

Panka is ranked No. 2 after reaching the final table of two side events at EPT Vienna. The Polish pro finished eighth and fifth €2,000 buy-in events, earning a total of $46,552. Heimiller moves up to No. 3, thanks to a ninth-place finish in a $1,100 prelim event at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown.

2014 Aussie Millions Main Event champion Ami Barer, Tom Hall, and Alex Biloker join the top 10 of the POY race this week. Barer finished fourth in a side event at EPT Vienna for $64,107, Hall finished runner-up in two side events at EPT Vienna for a combined $188,098, and Bilokur also cashed twice in Austria.

GPI 300 Top 10

*RankPlayerScoreChange
1Ole Schemion3776.371
2Daniel Negreanu3768.54-1
3Vanessa Selbst3554.26-
4Marvin Rettenmaier3547.34-
5Jason Mercier3373.17-
6Dan Smith3370.02-
7Mike McDonald3353.70-
8Shannon Shorr3325.70-
9Sorel Mizzi3306.671
10Philipp Gruissem3302.23-1

For the first time since Feb. 12, Daniel Negreanu is no longer the leader in the GPI. That honor goes to German Ole Schemion, who held the top spot before Kid Poker grabbed it from him late in 2013. Negreanu's score will continue to deteriorate in April, because one year ago this month he finished fourth and first in tournaments at the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific.

Schemion just added another cash at EPT Vienna, finishing eighth in a side event, but he too will see scores decline in April and May.

At the bottom of the top 10, Sorel Mizzi leapfrogs Philipp Gruissem. Neither player has cashed since the Aussie Millions, but Gruissem's deep run in the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event is now in a lower zone.

Welcome to the GPI

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange
147Oleksii Khoroshenin1957.57 
148Jose Garcia1949.49 
170Artur Koren1851.72 
207Walid Bou Habib1779.60 
218Johnny Lodden1753.69 
254Anatoly Filatov1655.03 
274Antoine Saout1606.57 
275Anton Wigg1603.01 
283Stephane Benadiba1588.39 
290Samuel Panzica1568.03 

After winning the EPT Vienna Main Event, and pocketing €578,392, Oleksii Koroshenin rockets up to No. 147 in the GPI 300. Prior to becoming the first Ukrainian EPT champion, Khoroshenin was ranked No. 833.

Rejoining the GPI 300 are Johnny Lodden, Antoine Saout, Anton Wigg and Sam Panzica. Lodden finished 15th in the EPT Vienna Main Event, while Panzica finished fourth in a $1,100 prelim at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown.

The 10 players exiting the GPI 300 this week are Paul Tedeschi, Greg Mueller, Ryan Welch, Matt Berkey, Kyle Julius, Joey Weissman, Allen Le, Manuel Bevand, Ryan D'Angelo, and Giuliano Bendinelli.

Biggest Gains

RankPlayerTotal GPI ScoreChange
64Fabrice Soulier2447.90113
131Jason Wheeler2044.14118
153Vitaly Lunkin1928.10141
154Aku Joentausta1916.24134
163Benny Spindler1866.05123

Five players climbed up over a hundred spots this week, including Fabrice Soulier and Vitaly Lunkin. Lunkin made the biggest jump, moving up 141 places after finishing fourth in the EPT Vienna High Roller, while Soulier won that event and cracked the top 100.

Jason Wheeler won a side event in Vienna and finished 12th in another, Aku Joentausta cashed four times in Austria, and Benny Spindler reached the final table of the EPT Vienna High Roller.

Biggest Drops

RankPlayerTotal GPI ScoreChange
205Christopher Brammer1781.04-61
221Liv Boeree1745.19-62
258Phil Hellmuth1641.19-126
268Michael Linster1611.50-64

No player fell further this week than the "Poker Brat" Phil Hellmuth. Hellmuth tumbles 126 spots with only one cash since the WSOPE, and he hasn't recorded a six-figure score in an open event since he won the 2012 WSOPE Main Event.

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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