January 06 2015, by Eric Danis

Colman, Schemion, Jacobson highlight GPI PoY winners for 2014

Congratulations go out to Daniel Colman (GPI#5) on winning the 2014 Global Poker Index Player of the Year title. Once again, a heated race down the wire saw three of the game’s best try to take the season title as Colman, Ole Schemion (GPI#1) and Davidi Kitai (GPI#3) were all battling for 2014 supremacy.

For Schemion, it was another attempt to steal the title away during the final moments of the season, as he did last year, taking the 2013 PoY title from Daniel Negreanu (GPI#47) at one of the final events on the poker calendar at EPT Prague. Schemion’s surge started with a pair of big scores at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam.  He then made some noise once again at EPT Prague but it wouldn’t be enough to overtake Colman, who was unable to add to his points totals at the WPT Alpha8 Las Vegas event at the Bellagio.

Like Schemion, Kitai was in deep in Prague, pushing for a spot at the final table in the EPT Main Event. Alas, Kitai would be eliminated a few spots away from the final table in 10th, ending his chances at winning GPI Player of the Year.

2014 GPI PLAYER OF THE YEAR TOP 10

1st: Daniel Colman (USA), 4,141.91 PoY Points
2nd: Ole Schemion (GER), 4,125.39
3rd: Davidi Kitai (BEL), 4,096.10
4th: Amichai Barer (CAN), 3,873.15
5th: Dan Smith (USA), 3,839.04
6th: Mustapha Kanit (ITA), 3,656.31
7th: Jacob Schindler (USA), 3,604.15
8th: Keven Stammen (USA), 3,591.38
9th: Jason Mercier (USA), 3,545.77
10th: Scott Seiver (USA), 3,480.86

Let’s talk a look at several continental and national GPI Player of the Year races which also wrapped up last week:

MORE FROM DAVIDI AND OLE + WSOP CHAMP HIGHLIGHT EURO WINNERS

Ole Schemion GPI (Jules Pochy)EUROPE: While Schemion and Kitai were involved in a heated race for the #1 overall PoY title, they were also in a dead-heat for European PoY honors. Kitai was able to take the lead with his 10th place finish in the Prague Main Event but Schemion grabbed the title right back from the Belgian following his deep run in the Prague High Roller event, winning his second consecutive GPI European Player of the Year trophy. With Marvin Rettenmaier winning the first-ever GPI Euro PoY trophy in 2012, that title has never left Germany.

BELGIUM: The news isn’t all bad for Kitai who takes home his third consecutive National PoY title for Belgium. Kitbul also finishes 2014 ranked a career-best #3 on the GPI World Poker Rankings.

SWEDEN: In other National races in Europe, 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Martin Jacobson (GPI#10) also earns his third straight National PoY title for Sweden. Jacobson finished more than 1,200 points ahead of his closest competitor, 2011 EPT Copenhagen winner Michael Tureniec (GPI#265).

ITALY: GPI Player of the Year Top 10 finisher Mustapha Kanit (GPI#41) defeated the past two National PoY winners in Italy as 2013 winner Dario Sammartino (GPI#17) and 2012 PoY Andrea Dato (GPI#54) finished 2nd and 3rd in this year’s race. Kanit exploded to start 2014 winning twice at the Aussie Millions and continued his solid play throughout the season

UNITED KINGDOM: Just as is the case in Italy, we have a new winner of the National PoY race in the UK for a third straight year. A fine 2014 sees Oliver Price (GPI#36) take over from Stephen Chidwick (GPI#11) as National winner. Meanwhile, Jack Salter (GPI#29), who thrilled us this season with a pair of runner-up finishes at the EPT Grand Final and in the WSOP APAC Main Event, finishes 3rd in the nation.

RUSSIA: The Russian race went down to the wire with Anatoly Filatov (GPI#32) getting the best of Alex Bilokur (GPI#99) in the end, Filatov finishing a little over 100 points ahead of the 2014 WSOP bracelet winner. Filatov’s win is even more impressive given the way Bilokur started the season, ranked near the top of the World PoY race for the first half of the season.

FRANCE: I would personally like to thank Erwann Pecheux (GPI#59) for making me look good! I’ve been singing the praises of the young Frenchman since the end of 2013 and his 2014 season was certainly a remarkable one, moving to the top of the GPI300 in France and winning the National PoY title in his homeland, beating defending PoY winner Benjamin Pollak (GPI#61) by over 500 points.

ONLINE STARS WIN RACES IN THE AMERICAS

Dan Colman GPI (Jules Pochy)AMERICA: Winning the overall PoY title means that Daniel Colman (GPI#5) also takes the American PoY title for 2014. Colman’s outstanding 2014 season, which included a win in the WSOP Big One for One Drop in the summer, will go down as one of the best seasons ever by a player on the live tournament poker circuit. Colman obviously picks up the US PoY title as well.

CANADA: Fellow online star Ami Barer (GPI#4) came out of the woodwork to win the National PoY title in Canada, finishing ahead of reigning Canadian PoY champ Daniel Negreanu (GPI#47) and 2014 WSOP bracelet winner Mike Leah (GPI#26), who all scored over 3,000 points this season. Barer’s time on the live circuit in 2014 was certainly well spent in a year that included a career victory in the Main Event at the Aussie Millions in February.

COLOMBIA: An intense race in Colombia sees Farid Jattin (GPI#133) dethrone 2013 National PoY Maya Roca Uribe (GPI#118) at the top. Jattin, who now spends most of his time in the US, cashed in 19 events in 2014, including a final table performance at the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open last January.

BRAZIL: Poker-mad Brazil crowned Ariel Celestino (GPI#92) as their National PoY winner in 2014, one year after failing to win the 2013 National title by less than a point to countryman Nicolau Villa-Lobos (GPI#584). WSOP November Niner Bruno Politano (GPI#551) finished 7th in Brazil’s National PoY race.

ARGENTINA: Jose “Nacho” Barbero (GPI#239) did not win a third straight National PoY title in Argentina as Richard Dubini (GPI#184) defeated Matias Ruzzi (GPI#215) in one of the most intense National races this year. Dubini took over from Ruzzi on the heals of a pair of December scores.

YAN, ROSSITER, LIU ASIA-PACIFIC WINNERS

JJ Liu GPI (Jules Pochy)NEW ZEALAND: Another dominant season sees David Yan (GPI#35) breeze to a second straight PoY title in New Zealand. Yan is the only player from his country ranked inside the GPI300. Yan’s 16 cashes included a runner-up finish in the High Roller event at WSOP Asia-Pacific and a Top 20 finish at the EPT Grand Final last May in Monte Carlo.

AUSTRALIA: A second straight National PoY title awaits Jeffrey Rossiter (GPI#62) in Australia, although holding on to the lead certainly wasn’t easy as Tam Truong (GPI#233) and Dean Blatt (GPI#298) each finished just a few points behind Rossiter.

TAIWAN: A pair of ladies went head-to-head in Taiwan as circuit veteran JJ Liu (GPI#257), who’s career includes a pair of WPT final tables and several WSOP final table performances would win the PoY title over Kitty Kuo (GPI#185), who won the PoY race in 2013.

JAPAN: Make it two in a row for bracelet winner Naoya Kihara (GPI#xx) who wins the National PoY race in Japan again this past season.

Here is a list of over 80 GPI National Player of the Year winners from around the world – congratulations to all!

[table id=1393 /]

 

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About the author

Eric Danis’ passion for poker came at a very early age but it’s when writing about and covering the game he loves that Danis is most in his element. Danis is better known for creating www.PTPRpoker.com where he spent a few years covering poker events. Danis is also known for having worked on the poker shows Poker Eh! and The Pulse on the Quad Jacks Network.