2014 PoY: New #1 McDonald Storms Past Panka

A successul last-minte trip to Australia helped Mike McDonald to takeover the GPI Player of the Year race…

GPI300 UPDATE

Daniel Negreanu (GPI#1) took over the #1 spot on the GPI300 on Wednesday, switching places with Ole Schemion (GPI#2), who had been ranked #1 for the past five weeks. Also, Jason Mercier (GPI#5) returned to the GPI Top 10 for the first time in three months. You can read all about it in our GPI300 Update.

McDONALD’S HOT STREAK CONTINUES

If you thought that Mike McDonald’s (GPI#7) hot start to the 2014 poker season was over, think again. McDonald arrived in Melbourne, Australia with his eyes set on the Aussie Millions 100K and 250K Challenges, and delivered.

In the 100K Challenge, McDonald would finish second to Yevgeniy Timoshenko (GPI#66) while in the 250K Challenge, the Canadian would be right back in the mix, bowing out in third position as Phil Ivey (GPI#305) would get the best of Isaac Haxton (GPI#245) during heads-up play.

The double score allowed McDonald to not only take the lead on The Hendon Mob 2014 Money List, but also cross the 10M USD mark in career earnings, joining fellow pro Jason Mercier (GPI#5), who also crossed the 1oM USD career mark with his results in Melbourne.

The most awesome part of McDonald’s Aussie Adventure is the fact he decided at the very last minute to book his trip Down Under, missing most of the events, including the Main Event:

Booked my flights for Aussie- should be a fun weekend of super high roller turbos

— Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) February 4, 2014

Here is a look at McDonald’s results so far this season:

[table id=834 /]

EIGHT NEW PLAYERS ENTER TOP 25

There are eight new faces inside the GPI Player of the Year Top 25 this week, including two-time WSOP bracelet winner and Triple Crown Club member Davidi Kitai (GPI#23), who’s second place finish in the Gold Championship at the Paris Open of Poker 2014 allowed him to add another 81 points to his 2014 totals.

Aussie Millions Main Event winner Ami Barer (GPI#115) and runner-up Sorel Mizzi (GPI#11) also find their way into the Top 25 this week, as do recent GPI Player of the Decade selections Daniel Negreanu (GPI#1) and Erik Seidel (GPI#9).

The aforementioned Mercier and fellow Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree (GPI#137) made the biggest moves within the Top 25 this week.

GPI Player of the Year Top 25:

[table id=835 /]