Poker in the South: Revealing the Nominees for the 3rd Annual Gulf Coast Poker Awards

Gulf Coast Poker Award

The Gulf Coast Poker Awards were created in 2019 to offer regional recognition to players and industry professionals from the southern part of the United States. This year’s awards will recognize winners in eight categories from a pool of nominations submitted by tournament directors, staff, poker media, and players spanning the region.

“The GCP Awards were designed to recognize achievements and contributions by poker players, industry professionals, and content providers that shine a positive light on poker in the south,” GCP’s Bill Phillips told PokerNews. “We wanted to honor the people in the region, the birthplace of poker, who have put together a great year. Nominees must have a tie or connection to the South. This year we added a new Award; the GCP Tour POY award. This specifically honors a player's achievements in GCP only events.”

To be eligible nominees must have a connection to the extended Gulf Coast Poker region, which includes the southeastern United States from eastern Texas, up to Arkansas, along Tennessee to North Carolina, and everything south of that.

PokerNews is pleased to reveal the list of nominees for the 3rd Annual GCP. Winners will be revealed during the upcoming Awards Flight of the Poker Gras Main Event at Harrah's, New Orleans – which just debuted a new poker room – on Friday, September 30th.

Mark Davis
Mark Davis is among those nominated.

3rd Annual Gulf Coast Poker Award Nominees

Love of PokerPlayer of the YearIndustry ProfessionalFemale POYContent ProviderSenior of the YearGCP Tour POY
David HendrixNathanael KogelDennis JonesMary Darnell“Captain” Tom FranklinCharles MillerStanislav Angelov
Carl MastersMark DavisJustin HammerPrissy GiroirBen MintzHamid IzadiDonovan Dean
Paul DutschGavin MunroeRoss CarrollKrista LoweryAnte Up MagazineJerry GiroirCharles Brady
Joseph HebertMatt HigginsLisa CromptonDallas PirmanAndrew NeemeDavid ChampionGavin Munroe
Ben MintzDonovan DeanHeather OhlmanElanit HasasJonathan LittleKenneth SchattenMatt Higgins
Princess Fitzpatrick (dealer)Logan HewittChris HightKristen DeardorffChance KornuthJohnny MasterKenneth Mason
Johnny MastersPreston McEwenBrandon CampbellChris ReadThe Lodge StreamJeter BrockDan Lowery
Michael Vernace (deceased)JJ Liu-JJ LiuGCP Bill Phillips (ineligible)Lonny WeitzelJoseph Hebert
Bobby Carver (deceased)David Diaz-June Jenkins-Charles BradyCharles Johnson
-Mack Khan---Chester DildayDavid Bradshaw
-----Peace MarvelLevi Carden
-----Benny Morgan-

A Look Back at the 2019 Winners

Joe Saleh
Joe Saleh

During the first edition of the Gulf Coast Poker Awards, Yousef "Joe" Saleh (pictured above) was crowned Player of the Year. Fittingly, Saleh showed it was justified by winning the Poker Gras $600 Main Event for $34.195 days later while in New Orleans.

Here’s a look at those who captured awards at the inaugural ceremony back in 2019:

Inaugural Gulf Coast Poker Award Winners

AwardWinner
2019 Player of the YearYousef "Joe" Saleh
2019 Break-Out Player of the YearJosh Thibodaux
2019 Senior of the YearRobbie Matthews
2019 Most Consistent Tournament PlayerBlake Whittington
2019 Content Provider of the YearCory Waaland
2019 Female Player of the YearIrene Carey
2019 Cash Game Player of the YearGui Zheng
2019 Industry Professional of the YearJesse Hollander (bestbet Jacksonville)

Click here for a look at the New Poker Room at Harrah's New Orleans!

2020 Gulf Coast Poker Award Winners

Joseph Hebert
Joseph Hebert

In 2020, PokerNews was fortunate enough to earn a GCP award in the “Content Provider of the Year” category thanks to the PokerNews Podcast team.

“In this category, just about every year, it’s hard to argue there is anybody out there contributing as much poker content and has a connection to the Gulf Coast as Chad Holloway,” said tour co-founder Bill Phillips. “This year he and his co-hosts Sarah Herring and Jeff Platt] on PokerNews Podcast, as always, kept us entertained and informed.”

Another big winner was 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Domestic Main Event champ Joseph Hebert, who not only won the award for “Player of the Year,” but also topped a 495-entry field to win the stop’s 2021 Poker Gras $600 Main Event ($257,400 prize pool) for $39,716.

AwardWinner
2020 Player of the YearJoseph Hebert
2020 Break-Out Player of the YearPreston McEwen
2020 Senior of the YearHamid Izadi
2020 Content Provider of the YearPokerNews Podcast
2020 Female Player of the YearChris Read
2020 Industry Professional of the YearJustin Hammer
Sharelines
  • Check out the list of nominees for the 3rd Annual Gulf Coast Poker Awards (@GCPNet).

Name Surname
Executive Editor U.S.

Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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