GPI 300 Update: Dan Smith Remains GPI#1 Despite Position Weakening

Dan Smith is entering his sixteenth week atop the Global Poker Index. He surpasses Erik Seidel this week in total number of weeks at GPI#1, making him the player who has held the distinction of World’s Best for the third most weeks. Jason Mercier (GPI#3 0) has been on top of the Index the most by far. Mercier has held the distinction 36 times followed by  Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (GPI#4 0) who has held it 19 times.

Smith had a comfortable gap between his score and that of GPI#2 “Mad Marvin”Rettenmaier coming into this week. However, that gap has been cut in half due to aging results. Smith’s win in the 2012 EPT/Estrellas Poker Tour €50,000 NLHE Super High Roller in Barcelona ages into Period 2 replacing his score for cashing in the 2012 EPT Berlin €5,000 NLHE Main Event. The Super High Roller score is replaced in Period 1 by his score for a 12^th place finish in the EPT San Remo NLHE 6-Max Turbo. The result is a net loss of 132 points and narrows the gap between them to just 123 points. As of the writing of this article Rettenmaier is playing in the WPT Baden. With a field of 254 a cash in the €3,300 Main Event could give him enough points to unseat Smith particularly since Smith is going to have results aging again next week.

Michael Watson finished 3^rd in the Super High Roller won by Smith but unlike Smith he benefits from the result aging. Watson previously only had four scores in Period 2 so the aging result fills his open slot adding 83 points to his score. It is replaced in Period 1 by his score for cashing in the 2012 EPT San Remo €5,000 NLHE Main Event for a total score gain of 113 points. This moves him up 4 spots to GPI#6, his highest rank to date.

WPT Lucky Hearts Produces Large Gains

Some of the largest jumps in rank and score this week are a result of play at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open. Matt Giannetti won the $3,500 NLHE Championship Event earning 327 points and a return to the GPI 300. Giannetti first appeared among the GPI Elite in late September 2011 and remained there until early December 2012. He returns this week at GPI#274.

Darryll Fish and Matt Salsberg also made the final table. Fish finished 3^rd and has the largest jump in rank this week, up 66 spots to GPI#137. Salsberg has the second largest score gain this week thanks to the 228 points he picked up for his 6^th place finish. He moves up 35 spots to GPI#57. Top Twenty ranked Joseph Serock (GPI#19 +1) finished 14^th. Justin Zaki (GPI#107 +2) and Dana Kellstrom (GPI#136 +10) also cashed and move up in rank this week.

Four Players Join GPI Elite; Jean-Philippe Rohr Exits

In addition to Matt Giannetti three other players join the GPI 300 this week. Philippe Boucher makes his debut at GPI#256. Boucher has cashed twice recently in GPI qualifying events, in the France Poker Series Deauville €1,000 NLHE Main Event and the EPT Deauville €5,000 NLHE Main Event. Benjamin Spindler returns to the GPI Elite at GPI#234. Spindler was the runner-up in the European Poker Festival – GPT VI €10,600 NLHE High Roller earning 268 points. Frederick Jensen also returns at GPI#300.

Jean-Philippe Rohr exits the GPI 300 this week. The former pro footballer and Champion Backgammon player has spent 78 weeks among the GPI Elite ranking as high as GPI#55 less than a year ago. Unfortunately he has not cashed in a live tournament since last August and therefore his cashes have been aging out of the all-important Period 1. His last remaining Period 1 score, for cashing in the 2012 EPT/Estrellas Poker Tour €5,000 NLHE Main Event, ages into Period 2 this week and he falls to GPI#334. Also exiting are Morten Mortensen, Aku Joentausta, and Max Greenwood.

Coming Up

Next week the results of the WPT Baden will likely impact the rankings with Rettenmaier having an opportunity to take the top spot from Smith. Steve O’Dwyer also still has chips at the WPT Baden and a cash could return him to the Top Ten. The chip leader at the end of Day 1B, Kimmo Kurko, exited the GPI 300 last June but a deep enough run would give him a chance at a return.