GPI 300 Update: Selbst Returns to Top Ten With Festa Al Lago Victory

The Bellagio in Las Vegas was the site of a tough poker battle last week when some of the world’s best players met at the Festa Al Lago $5,000 NLHE final table. The top seven finishers are all ranked in the GPI 300, including Vanessa Selbst (GPI#10 +3) who returns to the Top Ten after winning the event. Selbst entered the $5,000 NLHE final table just two days after finishing runner-up to Cary Katz (GPI#130) in the $1,000 NLHE event. To get the win in the $5,000 NLHE she had to outlast some very formidable players, including fellow Top Ten ranked Andrew Lichtenberger (GPI#5 -1) who was knocked out in 7^th place. 6^th place finisherChris Bjorin (GPI#288) nearly ended her chances to go all the way when she went all-in against him holding Queens to his Aces, but was saved by a Queen on the river. Bjorin has been very impressive at this year’s Festa Al Lago, cashing five times thus far, including his own runner-up finish to Cary Katz in the $1,500 NLHE event. Dan Shak took 5^th place and moves up 17 spots to GPI#107.Dana Kellstrom (GPI#229 +62) jumps up in the rankings after his 4^th place finish thanks to a net GPI score gain of 96 points. Among the final three was hard to beat Daniel Negreanu (GPI#29 +2), who has ranked as high as GPI#6. Selbst final challenge was heads-up with Justin Young. Young fell out of the GPI 300 for the first time just last week, but with the 223 points he earns for his runner-up finish he returns this week at GPI#196.

Gruissem Reaches Number Four; Watson in Top Ten

Vanessa Selbst’s return to GPI#10 was just one of several changes to the Top Ten this week. Philipp Gruissem (GPI#4) and Dan Smith (GPI#6) both move up 2 spots thanks mostly to their cashes in the EPT Berlin €5,000 Main Event back in April aging into Period 2 where neither of them had four scores. This adds 160 points to Gruissem’s score and 120 points to Smith’s score. Gruissem also has a score aging into Period 3 costing him 72 points for a net gain of 88 points, enough to put him at his highest rank to date. Smith picks up an additional 31 points because his 2011 Battle at the Beach €3,200 NLHE Championship Event cash, previously excluded by the four cash cap in Period 3, ages into Period 4.

Michael Watson (GPI#9 +2) makes his first appearance in the Top Ten this week also due to aging results. His win in the EPT Berlin €5,000 Turbo 6-Max ages into Period 2 allowing his cash in the EPT San Remo €5,000 NLHE Main Event to count in Period 1 for a net gain of 128 points. Also, his win in the 2011 WSOP-E €5,000 Turbo 6-Max and his cash in the 2011 EPT San Remo €4,600 NLHE Main Event both age into Period 3 where he previously only had two scores counting. This gives him a full complement of scores in Period 3 and a total net score gain of 76 points.

Leaving the Top Ten this week is David “Doc” Sands, who falls from GPI#9 to GPI#16. Sands finished 4th in the Festa Al Lago $2,500 NLHE event but the effects of his win in the 2011 WSOP-E €1,800 NLHE aging into Period 3 causes him an overall loss of 153 points.