Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world. There was little change in the top ten as Erik Seidel remains on top with a minuscule lead over Jason Mercier, though there is one new addition. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.
The Top 10 as of September 19, 2011
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank from Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erik Seidel | 2,604.55 | 0 |
| 2 | Jason Mercier | 2,604.48 | 0 |
| 3 | Eugene Katchalov | 2,505.06 | 0 |
| 4 | Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier | 2,486.00 | 0 |
| 5 | Sorel Mizzi | 2,359.29 | 0 |
| 6 | Fabrice Soulier | 2,234.25 | 0 |
| 7 | Tom Marchese | 2,146.22 | 0 |
| 8 | Scott Seiver | 2,056.29 | 0 |
| 9 | Daniel Negreanu | 2,043.77 | 0 |
| 10 | Shawn Buchanan | 1,986.96 | +8 |
The only change to the top ten this week was Shawn Buchanan sneaking in at No. 10, taking John Juanda’s place. Buchanan’s last tournament cash was in August, so why did he jump eight spots? In March, Buchanan min-cashed in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship. That result slipped from Period 1 to Period 2, leading to a slight decrease in Buchanan’s Period 1 score because it was replaced by another result. However, that min-cash in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship now gives Buchanan a full complement of Period 2 scores to be calculated by the GPI, therefore resulting in his top ten appearance.
It’s a similar story for Juanda, but the opposite result. His 25th-place finish in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship slipped to Period 2, as well, also giving him a full complement of Period 2 scores to be calculated. However, unlike Buchanan, Juanda doesn’t have a fourth cash in Period 1 to replace it, resulting in his three-spot drop to No. 13 on the GPI.
Welcome to the GPI
Six players are new to this week’s rankings, including a few familiar names from week’s past.
New Additions
| Player | Total GPI Score | GPI Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Smith | 1,100.86 | 257th |
| Shawn Busse | 1,086.13 | 271st |
| Valdemar Kwaysser | 1,082.46 | 275th |
| Russell Carson | 1,072.07 | 279th |
| Zachary Clark | 1,042.60 | 298th |
| Brett Richey | 1,041.82 | 299th |
Who dropped from the top 300 on the GPI this week? A few very big names, that’s who. No longer on the list are Jeff Madsen, Kathy Liebert, Ted Forrest, Michael Tureniec, Phillippe Ktorza, and Kent Lundmark.
Ups and Downs
The biggest jump of the week belongs to Frenchman Antony Lellouche. Davidi Kitai also saw a big jump in his rankings thanks to a first and second finish for the duo at the WPT Rendez-Vous à Paris in a pot-limit Omaha side event. Each earned more than $100,000 for their respective performances. Also rising in the GPI ranks this week was Alexander Kravchenko, who cracked the top 50 in the process. In a similar situation to Buchanan, Kravchenko had a score move from Period 1 to Period 2, thus giving him a full complement of Period 2 scores to be calculated, while a similar recent score just about made up the difference in Period 1.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42nd | Alexander Kravchenko | 1,649.62 | +53 |
| 52nd | Galen Hall | 1,608.79 | +26 |
| 92nd | Stephen O’Dwyer | 1,477.64 | +29 |
| 105th | Hafiz Khan | 1,422.85 | +55 |
| 121st | Kevin Vandersmissen | 1,346.40 | +38 |
| 136th | Antony Lellouche | 1,321.90 | +78 |
| 166th | Davidi Kitai | 1,239.46 | +61 |
| 179th | Mark Flowers | 1,220.30 | +56 |
| 181st | Matt Berkey | 1,218.46 | +74 |
| 248th | John Monnette | 1,113.67 | +20 |
Suffering the steepest fall this week was Joe Serock. A second-place finish in the £5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event at the 2010 WSOPE fell from Period 2 to Period 3, leaving Serock’s Period 2 composed of three very minor results. Jeff Papola experienced a similar drop. His seventh-place showing at the 2010 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event also slipped from Period 2 to Period 3.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140th | Ty Reiman | 1,310.74 | -54 |
| 189th | Eric Haik | 1,206.04 | -62 |
| 212th | Salvatore Bonavena | 1,168.60 | -69 |
| 215th | Kevin MacPhee | 1,165.48 | -46 |
| 225th | Giuseppe Pantaleo | 1,153.01 | -42 |
| 251st | Steven Kelly | 1,111.07 | -73 |
| 262nd | Jeff Papola | 1,095.74 | -76 |
| 269th | Joe Serock | 1,087.70 | -113 |
| 273rd | Alain Roy | 1,083.80 | -92 |
| 274th | David Diaz | 1,083.35 | -53 |
What’s In Store?
The World Poker Tour is in full swing right now with stops on both sides of globe running. The 2011 WPT Malta is just under way, while, at the time of writing, the 2011 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event is down to 27 players. Will "The Thrill" Failla’s heater continues as he sits atop the chip counts. Will his hot streak lead to a spot in the GPI top ten? Vanessa Selbst is also still in field. Might she make a return trip toward the top of the GPI?
On the other hand, there are those who are due for a fall. Dmitry Gromov, currently No. 72 on the GPI, will drop a bit next week since his win at the 2011 WPT Vienna Main Event in March will move from Period 1 to Period 2. McLean Karr will also slide next week because two of his GPI results will fall to other Periods. His 16th-place finish in the £10,000 No-Limit Hold’em High-Roller Heads-Up at the 2010 WSOPE will fall from Period 2 to Period 3. Also due to fall (though, it may occur in two weeks because of the cutoff date) from Period 1 to Period 2 is Karr’s victory in the 2011 WPT Vienna High-Roller.
To look 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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