January 17 2014, by Eric Danis

2014 PoY: Selbst Takes Early Lead

The first major tournament series of the 2014 poker season is in the books and Vanessa Selbst grabs the early lead in the PoY race…

SELBST SETS STANDARD

Vanessa Selbst GPIPokerStars Team Pro Vanessa Selbst (GPI#5) has grabbed the early lead as the GPI released it’s first Player of the Year standings of 2014 this week.

It’s no surprise to see Selbst at the top given her performance at the 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. Her journey at Atlantis started with a deep run in the 25K High Roller finishing third and collecting over 600K USD for the score.

Selbst would move on to finish 42nd in the PCA Main Event and then would look to defend her crown in the 25K Super High Roller event, where she earned the second seven-figure score of her career in 2013. Selbst would hold the chip lead late and the poker world was buzzing. In the end, she would have to settle on a third finish for over 760K USD.

Selbst has already eclipsed, for the third time in her career, the 1M USD mark in a season, talk about starting the season on a heater!

[table id=769 /]

FORMER PoY’S LURKING

Ole Schemion GPIWe certainly hope that Selbst doesn’t make herself too comfortable as there are plenty of other pros with their eyes set on the #1 rank in the race including our two former GPI Players of the Year: Ole Schemion (GPI#1) and Dan Smith (GPI#6).

Schemion, who stole the 2013 PoY title away from Daniel Negreanu (GPI#2) in December, cashed in the same three events that Selbst cashed in at the PCA. For 2012 GPI PoY Smith, it’s a return to familiar territory. Following his BIG win at the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas to end his 2013 season, Smith is right back at it to start the 2014 season with three scores at the PCA. Smith returned to the GPI Top 10 on Thursday; for the first time since March 2013.

Other names at the top of the 2014 PoY list include superstar Mike McDonald (GPI#8) and 2012 WSOP World Champion Greg Merson (GPI#340).

GPI Player of the Year Top 25:

[table id=770 /]

While things may be quiet at the top in the next week or so, expect a lot of action  later this month with major series in Atlantic City (WPT Borgata Winter Open), Deauville, France (EPT/FPS Deauville) and Melbourne (Aussie Millions) providing tons of events that should directly impact the standings.

 

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About the author

Eric Danis’ passion for poker came at a very early age but it’s when writing about and covering the game he loves that Danis is most in his element. Danis is better known for creating www.PTPRpoker.com where he spent a few years covering poker events. Danis is also known for having worked on the poker shows Poker Eh! and The Pulse on the Quad Jacks Network.