Justin Arnwine is objectively one of the best mid-stakes tournament poker players in the world. According to the Global Poker Index, when the rankings are updated, he'll be within striking distance of the GPI Mid-Major Player of the Year title.

Lulei Hu from Italy is currently on top of the charts, while Arnwine will soon move into second place. He could jump into first place with a strong finish in the $2,200 Big, Big Kick Off event at Borgata.

"This one was very intentional," he said of why he is competing in the Big, Big Series. "When Maryland Live! updates, I'll be second in the ranking for Mid-Stakes Player of the Year. So, this was a must on the schedule, because it's essentially max points for the way they do the rankings."

Stepping Up His Poker Game

Arnwine is competing against some experienced crushers such as Will Givens and Evan Sandberg, who recently won the Arizona State Poker Championship. But he's up to the task and has proven over the past couple years that he's every bit as elite at tournament poker as anyone.

Arnwine has taken his game to a new level since 2025, and it wasn't by luck. He explained that he's learned from his wife, Caitlyn Arnwine, and Bin Weng, who is also competing in the Big, Big Kick Off.

The tournament grinder has cashed for over $1.1 million the past 20 months. He said that watching his wife play aggressive at a final table helped change his prior "ladder-up" mindset.

"She was just chip lead versus chip lead, just battling," Arnwine said of Caitlyn. "And I was like, wow, she got second because she was willing to get ninth, and I realized I had to make an adjustment. But then I was like, ah, maybe they're just treating her different because she's female, but when I saw Bin Weng taking a similar approach, I was like, no, you have to be willing to die."

Arnwine said Weng, known for playing loose-aggressive especially before registration closes, "has always been very nice to me."

"I took his words to heart, because he's the man," Arnwine said of Weng, who he's leaned on for poker advice.

Arnwine doesn't have a definitive schedule for the Big, Big Series. It is a big, big series for him because he knows it could make or break his odds of winning GPI Mid-Major Player of the Year. If he final tables the Kick Off event, he said he could decide to leave town. But if he doesn't reach his goal, he plans to play $2,200 Big, Big Borgata Mystery Bounty, a $500,000 guaranteed tournament that starts on Wednesday.

Tags: Justin ArnwineLulei Hu