GPI300: Colman makes one last push to end 2014; Cheong returns to Top 10

The biggest newsmaker in 2014 continues to thrive while a familiar face returns to the Top 10

VIEW FROM THE TOP

After taking over the #1 rank on the GPI World Poker Rankings from Dan Smith (GPI#2, =) last week, German sensation Ole Schemion (GPI#1, =) will end 2014 at the top. Schemion will have held the #1 rank 21 weeks in 2014, taking over from his opponents on six different occasions during the season.

For his part, Smith will have spent a total of 19 weeks at #1 in 2014, second only to Schemion. The pair will have held the #1 position on the GPI for 80% of the season. Daniel Negreanu (GPI#47, -32), who took a nosedive in the standings this week, held the top spot during 10 weeks while Vanessa Selbst (GPI#28, +4), who became the first woman to ever sit on top of the Global Poker Index this summer, was ranked #1 for two weeks.

The biggest mover at the top this week is the man everyone was talking about in 2014, WSOP Big One for One Drop winner Daniel Colman (GPI#5 CB, +5) who’s meteoric rise to the GPI300’s lead group will see him finish the season ranked a career-best #5, pushing past, amongst others, 2014 WSOP World Champion Martin Jacobson (GPI#9, =) who will end the year ranked inside the Top 10.

Colman started 2014 ranked #5262 with only 176.99 points. He finishes the season not only ranked #5 in the world but with a whopping 3,435.80 points.

After a 15-month absence, Joseph Cheong (GPI#10, +6) makes a return to the GPI Top 10. The former World #2 was last ranked inside the Top 10 on October 2, 2013. UK star Stephen Chidwick (GPI#11, -6) is the lone player to drop out of the Top 10 this week, ending the season 15 spots ahead of where he started ranked #26.

[table id=1389 /]

SWIMMING UPSTREAM

A pair of late-season scores sees Timothy Miles (GPI#213 CB, +42) make the biggest move up within the GPI300 this week. 2014 marked a career-year for Miles, earning over $400K, including a win in the Championship event at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open in Tampa Bay, Florida, where he collected a personal-best $295K.

Speaking of career years, Christopher Bolek’s (GPI#84 CB, +28) dream 2014 will see him end the season ranked inside the Top 100 for the very first time of his poker career. Bolek’s red-hot end to 2014 included a runner-up finish at the WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble in Jacksonville and a big win at the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘N’ Roll Open in Hollywood.

[table id=1390 /]

DOWN THE LADDER

2011 EPT Copenhagen winner Michael Tureniec (GPI#265, -73) falls furthest this week. The Swede re-entered the GPI300 in November following a deep run in the APPT Asia Championship of Poker Main Event.

Ismael Bojang (GPI#143, -64), Dylan Linde (GPI#146, -60) and Jason Koon (GPI#130, -55) are three notables who drop out of the Top 100 to end the 2014 poker season.

[table id=1391 /]

IN-N-OUT

2012 WSOP World Champion Greg Merson (GPI#284) re-enters the GPI300 this week. After a 2013 season to forget, 2014 was a better year for Merson, who collected over $1M for the second time of his career – however most of that million was earned finishing 2nd in the High Roller event at the 2014 PCA to start the poker season.

WPT regulars Todd Terry (GPI#335) and Jeff Gross (GPI#351) each drop out of the 300 for the very first time in their illustrious careers. While Terry endured his worse season since 2006, Gross was able to final table a pair of events this summer at the World Series of Poker.

[table id=1392 /]

ON THE BUBBLE

2012 WPT Prague winner Marcin Wydrowski sits on the bubble this week. The WPT Champions Club member has spent all of December sitting on the outside, looking in. He will get the chance to re-enter the elite group at the 2015 PCA, which kicks off the new poker season, next week.