Global Poker Index: Fedor "CrownUpGuy" Holz Grabs GPI Crown, Takes Over Top Spot

June 16, 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 June 15, 2016.

2016 GPI Player of the Year

There has been no update of the 2016 Global Poker Index Player of the Year race since the first one back on June 2 in which Ari Engel appeared atop the POY list after five months' worth of cashes and deep runs.

In that initial list, Fedor "CrownUpGuy" Holz appeared just behind Engel in second position, and has likely passed Engel now given his recent scores. We'll share the latest on the POY race when the next update arrives.

GPI 300 Top 10

Holz grabs the GPI headline this week, anyway, as he has at last broken through to claim the No. 1 spot in the overall rankings, ending Steve O'Dwyer's lengthy 22-week reign as leader.

Big scores over the last two weeks helped Holz push ahead into the top spot. It's the first time the young German has enjoyed the distinction, as he reported to his followers upon hearing the news:

After taking second in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl at the ARIA Resort & Casino to kick off June, Holz then won two more big-money events at the ARIA — the $50,000 Super High Roller 9 and the $25,000 Aria High Roller 32 — in the space of a week. He's also added a couple of World Series of Poker cashes already this summer, further adding to his GPI point total.

Former GPI No. 1 Anthony Zinno also managed to step ahead of O'Dwyer this week, with four cashes already at the WSOP helping him move up to No. 2 over O'Dwyer who now sits at No. 3.

Meanwhile Jason Mercier (also a former GPI leader) has moved up a couple of spots to No. 4 on the strength of his bracelet win in the $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship earlier in the week. Mercier's runner-up finish in last night's $10,000 Seven-Card Razz Championship to Ray Dehkharghani came after the latest update, so depending on how others perform Mercier could well move up further a week from now.

The rest of the top 10 remained largely the same, aside from Stephen Chidwick moving up to No. 10 knock David Peters off the list (moving him down to No. 11). Chidwick has also gotten off to a good start at the WSOP, final-tabling the $10K 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship where he finished sixth.

Welcome to the GPI Top 300

As anticipated, results from the World Series of Poker are causing a lot of movement all over the GPI rankings, with no less than 20 new names appearing in the newest GPI top 300.

Jean Gaspard is the highest-ranked of this group of newcomers, having moved all the way from No. 355 to No. 171 after having won the $10,000 Dealer's Choice Championship at the Rio. Gaspard topped a field of 118 to win $306,621 and his first career WSOP bracelet.

Shaun Deeb owns one career WSOP bracelet (won last summer), and he also returns to the GPI top 300. Deeb jumped from No. 331 to No 188 on the strength of a couple of cashes, with another in the $10K Razz Championship to be added to his total next week. Meanwhile Phil Hellmuth continues his quest to extend his leading total of 14 career WSOP bracelets. He also min-cashed the $10K Razz, with an earlier small cash in the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. giving him points to help him ascend from No. 314 to No. 189.

Biggest Gains

Gaspard and Deeb both appear on this week's "Biggest Gains" list, with Noah Bronstein at the top of the bunch as this week's GPI top 300 player who enjoyed the biggest upward move since the last update. Bronstein went from No. 421 all the way to No. 229 after having cashed four times already at the WSOP, including a fourth-place showing in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event.

Adam Owen — who spoke with PokerNews this week about razz strategy — has five WSOP cashes thus far including four deep runs inside the top 25 in bracelet events, helping him go from No. 416 to No. 232.

Biggest Drops

Finally, among players still in this week's top 300, Govert Metaal slipped the furthest after falling from No. 130 down to No. 227.

What to Expect Next Week

The WSOP continues onward with new bracelets being awarded every day. Also ongoing are the 2016 Goliath Phamous Poker Series at Planet Hollywood, the Grand Poker Series at the Golden Nugget, and the Deep Stack Extravaganza III at the Venetian.

Over in Europe, the joint stop of the Estrellas Poker Tour and United Kingdom Ireland Poker Tour in Marbella, Spain continues, while the Russian Poker Tour visits Minsk, Belarus.

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 World Series of Poker Fedor Holz Anthony Zinno Steve O’Dwyer Stephen Chidwick Shaun Deeb Phil Hellmuth Noah Bronstein Adam Owen Govert Metaal

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