GPI 300 Update: GPI 300 Shine at the Borgata Fall and HPT Championship Festivals

Main Event play at the Borgata Fall Poker Open and the Heartland Poker Tour Championship Open provided the largest movements in the rankings this week. Jacob Bazeley has the largest jump in rank, up 78 spots to GPI#201. Bazeley finished runner-up to Greg Raymer in the HPT Championship Open $1,500 Main Event. Raymer (GPI#341) has been on a great run at HPT events, winning a Main Event in each of the past three months, a feat that has him close to a return to the GPI 300. Joining Raymer and Bazeley at the final table was Kenneth Hicks. Hicks’ 6^th place finish earned him 126 points and a jump of 57 spots to GPI#197.

The largest score gain this week goes toChristian Harder (GPI#97 +61) who returns to the Top One Hundred after picking up 194 points for his 11^th place finish in the Borgata $2,500 Main Event. Brock Parker won the event and moves up 31 spots to his highest rank to date at GPI#76. Finishing just behind Parker was Scott Baumstein(GPI#21 +12) who also reaches his highest GPI rank ever and nearly breaks into the Top Twenty. The 4^th place finisher wasVinny Pahuja (GPI#126 +30) who has a net point gain of 115 points this week. Pahuja’s Borgata score replaces his final table score from the West Coast Poker Championship in Vancouver C$1,850 NLHE Main Event.

Three former GPI 300 ranked players return to the GPI Elite after cashing in the Borgata Main Event. Matthew Stout (GPI#206) and Ravi Raghavan (GPI#288) both made the final table. Stout earned 215 points for his 7^th place finish and Raghavan picked up 209 points for finishing 8^th. Matt Matrosreturns at GPI#291 after a 15^th place finish which earned him 179 points. Three other players also once again have a place among the GPI Elite. Paul Lieu final tabled the Deep Stack Extravaganza IV $2,500 NLHE Day 1A for a gain of 153 points and a spot at GPI#231. Thomas Marchese (GPI#25 +10) was at the final table with Lieu and gets a bump up in rank for his 4^th place finish. Salvatore Bonavena returns at GPI#217. Bonavena was the runner-up in the IPT Nova Gorcia €2,000 NLHE Main Event. Carla Solinas (GPI#286) also return this week.

Upcoming Events

There is a lot of competitive poker coming up over the next couple of weeks, including the WPT $10,000 Championship at the Bellagio and the €3,300 Main Event in Prague. These and many other events in both places will surely attract some of the world’s best players and likely shake up the rankings.