GPI 300 Update: 2012 WSOP-E Aging Rocks the Top Twenty

Many of the scores from events at the 2012 World Series of Poker – Europe age into Period 2 this week and have profound impacts on the top of the rankings. Philipp Gruissem (GPI#2 +3) nearly unseated  ‘Mad’ Marvin Rettenmaier at GPI#1 but falls 17 points short of the World’s Best ranking. Gruissem finished 29^th in the 2012 WSOP-E €10,000 NLHE Main Event, however, it was not previously counting towards his overall score because he had five higher Period 1 scores. This week it ages into Period 2 where he previously only had four scores and boosts his overall score 137 points. Rettenmaier had the maximum amount of scores allowed coming into this week making the impact of his aging scores a negative one. His 6^th place finish in the €10,000 NLHE Mixed Max event at the 2012 WSOP-E also ages into Period 2 replacing his score for winning the 2012 Monte Carlo EPT Grand Finale €2,000 NLHE event and is in turn replaced in Period 1 by his score for his 12^th place finish in the 2012 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic $2,500 NLHE event. The result of these movements is a net loss of 141 points. Additionally, his score from the 2011 EPT/UKIPT £5,000 NLHE Main Event ages into Period 4 resulting in a net loss of 19 points lowering his overall score by 160 points.

Former Number One’s Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellierand Jason Mercier also fall in the rankings due to having a full complement of scores and 2012 WSOP-E scores aging into Period 2. Both players cashed in the €10,000 NLHE Mixed Max event as well as the €10,000 NLHE Main Event where Mercier made the final table. Grospellier’s overall loss is 136 points pushing him down two spots to GPI#4 while Mercier loses 374 points and falls 5 spots to GPI#8. This is the lowest rank ever for Mercier who has held the World’s Best ranking thirty-six times, by far the most of any player. The loss of points of the two superstars helped to move Mike Watson (GPI#3 +1), Bryn Kenney (GPI#5 +3), David ‘Doc’ Sands (GPI#6 +3), and Michael ‘The Grinder’ Mizrachi (GPI#7 +4) up in rank allowing Watson and Mizrachi to reach their highest ranks to date.

Rounding out the Top Ten this week are Joseph Cheong (GPI#9 -3) and Stephen O’Dwyer. Cheong was at the €10,000 NLHE Main Event final table with Mercier and sees his score drop 195 points. O’Dwyer loses 221 points and falls three spots to GPI#10. Vanessa Selbst (11 -1) slides out of the Top Ten for the first time in twelve weeks because her 12^th place finish in the 2012 WSOP-E €5,000 PLO event ages into Period 2 where it is excluded by the five score cap costing her 159 points.

Hellmuth and Katchalov Out of Top Twenty

Phil Hellmuth takes a dramatic tumble out of the Top Twenty this week. Hellmuth falls from GPI#16 all the way down to GPI#60 due to a loss of 607 points. Hellmuth outlasted both Mercier and Cheong at the WSOP-E €10,000 NLHE Main Event final table and went on to win the event as well as his thirteenth bracelet. He also finished 12^th in both the €3,000 Shootout and the €10,000 Mixed Max events at the Cannes festival. All three scores age this week leaving him with just one score in the all-important Period 1. Eugene Katchalov also cashed in the €10,000 NLHE Main Event and is now left with only four Period 1 scores. Katchalov, who has rarely been ranked outside of the Top Twenty, falls eight spots to GPI#27.

Spindler and Darcourt Exit

Four former Top One Hundred ranked players exit the GPI 300 this week; Guillaume Darcourt, Benjamin Spindler,Koen De Visscher,  and Sergio Castelluccio. Spindler has been a familiar face to the GPI 300 ranking as high as GPI#24 at one time. Darcourt had been among the GPI Elite since July 25, 2011 reaching his highest rank at GPI#60 in May of 2012.

Next Week: London National and WPT Venice

The WPT London National and WPT Venice results will report next week. Rocco Palumbo (GPI#141 +6) won the WPT Venice €3,000 NLHE Grand Prix. Palumbo is currently GPI#141 but will move up next week, likely breaking into the Top One Hundred for the first time.