GPI300: 2015 begins with Ole’s lead increasing and The Magician disappearing

Schemion continues to roll as he increases his lead atop the GPI World Poker Rankings to kickoff 2015…

VIEW FROM THE TOP

Ole Schemion (GPI#1, =) begins 2015 ranked atop the GPI World Poker Rankings, spending a third straight week at the top. The news gets even better for the German pro as his lead at the top increased by more than 300 points this week. Schemion now holds a 374.91 point lead on Davidi Kitai (GPI#2 CB, +1), who continues his rise on the poker charts.

Ami Barer (GPI#3 CB, +1) and Daniel Colman (GPI#4 CB, +1) also moved to a career-best rank this week as the man who dominated the standings for the second half of the 2014 poker season, Dan Smith (GPI#5, -3) dropped to his lowest ranking in over six months.

American stars Bryn Kenney (GPI#6, +2) and Pratyush Buddiga (GPI#8, -2) switch spots in the Top 10 this week, with Jacob Schindler (GPI#7, =) staying in the middle.

After flirting with a return to the Top 10 for the past few months, Sorel Mizzi (GPI#9, +4) re-enters the lead group for the first time since April 2014. Mizzi’s return means that reigning WSOP Main Event Champion Martin Jacobson (GPI#20, -11) leaves the Top 10 this week, dropping over 10 spots in this week’s update.

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SWIMMING UPSTREAM

UK pro Stuart Rutter (GPI#233 CB, +42) is the biggest mover this week, earning a career-best ranking for the second straight week. After earning zero scores in the first half of the 2014 poker season, Rutter made up for lost time in the second half, cashing in nine events, including a 59th place finish in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

Jonas Mackoff (GPI#223, +33), Ben Vinson (GPI#258, +31) and EPT Vienna winner Oleksii Khoroshenin (GPI#253, +30) are three other notables making their way up this week.

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DOWN THE LADDER

Without a cash since September, Owen Crowe (GPI#284, -97) drops almost 100 spots this week to #284 in the World, his lowest ranking since last being ranked outside of the GPI300 in July.

Two-time WPT Champion and 2013 WSOP November Niner JC Tran (GPI#146, -61) is another notable dropping in the standings this week.

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IN-N-OUT

After sitting on the Top 300 bubble last week, 2012 WPT Prague winner Marcin Wydrowski (GPI#272) is back in this week. Reigning WCOOP winner Fedor Holz (GPI#274), Juha Helppi (GPI#298) and Max Altergott (GPI#299) are a few other notables who make a return to the 300 this week.

Poker superstar Antonio Esfandiari (GPI#343) finds himself ranked outside the Top 300 for the first time in almost three years. The Magician scored points in seven events in 2014. Two other fan favorites, Maria Ho (GPI#324) and Roberto Romanello (GPI#333), also find their way out of the 300 this week.

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ON THE BUBBLE

Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Roger Hairabedian (GPI#301) is the player on the bubble this week. “Big” Roger earned 25 cashes between January and August in 2014.