GPI National USA | Top 10

The names Jason Mercier and Stephen O’Dwyer have had a strangle hold of the GPI National USA Top 10 for months and months and months. Well, recent successes at smaller field tournaments have helped David “Doc” Sands takeover from the star Mercier/O’Dwyer tag team and, for the first time of his career, Sands is the #1 ranked player in the United States of America.

We take a look at the GPI National Top 10 for the USA:

#10 | Chris Klodnicki

Was runner-up to Tony Gregg (GPI#144) at this summer’s One Drop High Roller at the World Series of Poker. Collected just under 3M USD for his efforts.

Poker resumé includes Epic Poker League victory and a WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Atlantic City Main Event win.

GPI#17, Highest #12

#9 | Vanessa Selbst

Has won over 500K USD in the past 30 days: finished second to Anthony Zinno (GPI#201) at the WPT Borgata Poker Open and followed that up with a win in the UKIPT London High Roller event, defeating the UK’s Max Silver (GPI#237) heads-up for the title.

GPI#16, Highest #3

#8 | Steven Silverman

The last five months have certainly been profitable for Silverman. It all started at the EPT Grand Final where he won the High Roller event for €775,400. He would then move on to Las Vegas and finish 14th at the WPT World Championship and third in the 3K NLH Shootout event at the World Series of Poker.

Silverman wasn’t done just yet. He became the first WPT Alpha 8 winner at the Seminole Hard Rock in Florida, earning over 890K USD for the W … he recently cashed at EPT London. Has collected over 2.26M USD so far in 2013.

GPI#15, Highest #13

#7 | David Peters

Has collected 19 cashes so far in 2013 including a victory at the Bellagio Cup IX in Las Vegas for the biggest cash of his live tournament career.

Peters earned nine cashes this past summer at the World Series of Poker … days before his WSOP run, Peters final tabled the WPT World Championship, finishing in sixth position.

GPI#14, Highest #10

#6 | Joseph Cheong

Has eight Top 10 finishes this season including wins at the APT Philippines Manila Millions and a prelim victory at Festa Al Lago.

Cheong has also picked up second place finishes twice in High Roller events this year: at the WSOP Asia-Pacific for $511,000 AUD and in Vegas at the WPT World Championship 25K Super High Roller event for 614K USD.

GPI#11, Highest #2

#5 | Jason Mercier

Coming off more than four months atop the GPI300 as the best poker players in the world on the live tournament circuit, Mercier has taken a step back in recent weeks. What started off as a slow year for the former #1 was quickly turned around in the nine total cashes between the EPT Grand Final and the World Series of Poker.

GPI#10, Highest #1

#4 | Bryn Kenney

Without a major title to his credit, Kenny remains one of the most consistent players on the live tournament circuit. His 16 cashes so far in 2013 have already guaranteed 500K USD in earnings for the year and this for the third time in his career.

His biggest score this season came right off the bat at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure where Kenney finished sixth in the 25K High Roller event good for a 229K USD payout.

GPI#9, Highest #4

#3 | Paul Volpe

The online star has enjoyed a breakout year on the live circuit this season. Currently second only to Ole Schemion (GPI#2) in the GPI Player of the Year race, Volpe leads the charge for PoY on the USA charts.

GPI#8, Highest #7

#2 | Stephen O’Dwyer

O’Dwyer’s successful 2013 campaign includes the biggest cash of his career … back in May, O’Dwyer picked up the huge victory at the EPT Grand Final, earning €1,224,000 for the win.

More recently, O’Dwyer finished third in the 50K Super High Roller event at EPT Barcelona pushing his 2013 earnings to over 2M USD – for the first time of his career.

GPI#5, Highest #2

#1 | David Sands

Unlike most of his Team USA teammates, Sands has decided not to travel much in order to pickup his valuable GPI points this year. Still a newlywed, Sands’ cashes since getting married have come in Vegas and in Florida. In Vegas, he earned the first of two million dollar cashes this season winning the WPT World Championship 100K Super High Roller event, earning $1,023,750 USD.

A few months before the big day, Sands did travel to the Bahamas to play the PCA. Good thing he did … that’s where Sands earned his first million dollar score of the season, finishing second to Scott Seiver (GPI#23) in the 100K Super High Roller event, collecting 1.29M USD for his efforts.

GPI#3, Highest #3

[table id=449 /]

[table id=450 /]