GPI Update: Big Gains from the LAPC Championship; Poker Brat Finishes on Top

The Global Poker Index ranks professional level tournament performance over a rolling 36-month period where more recent results are weighted more heavily than older results. Learn more about how the Global Poker Index is calculated.

Sands and Schwartz Catapult into the Top Twenty, Mercier Holds Onto Number One

While Jason Mercier maintains the Number One spot, the LAPC continues to have a big impact on the Global Poker Index rankings this week with the conclusion of the $10,000 NLHE Championship.  David Sands’ near win gives him the largest gain in score this week, a whopping 488 points, and moves him up 22 spots to GPI#6 for his first appearance in the Top Ten.  Just above Sands at GPI#5 this week is Sorel Mizzi who has the 2nd largest score gain of the week.  Mizzi gains 348 points for his 10th place finish and rejoins the Top Ten after hovering just below it for the past five weeks.  Finishing in 4th place in the Championship was Noah Schwartz.  Unlike Sands and Mizzi, Schwartz already had four scores in Period 1 so his overall score increases by 273 points, the net of the 428 points he earned in this event and his lowest Period 1 score which is now excluded by the cap.  The 273 points moves him up an impressive 15 spots and he makes his Top Twenty debut at GPI#12.  The addition of his LAPC cash will likely benefit him even more down the road when the score now excluded ages into a Period where he does not have a full complement of scores.  Another newcomer to the Top Twenty this week is Christian Harder (GPI#20).  As is the case with Schwartz, Harder already had four Period 1 scores, therefore the net effect of his new score is a 96 point overall gain moving him up 6 spots in the rankings.  Also cashing in the Championship was Matt Marafioti (GPI#14) who moves up 2 spots thanks to his net overall point gain of 72 points.

As a result of all the new scores generated by the LAPC Championship, Mike McDonald(GPI#13 -4) falls out of the Top Ten and Matt Glantz (GPI#21), Bryn Kenney (GPI#22) and Chris Moorman (GPI#23) all drop three spots, falling out of the Top Twenty.  Dropping by far the most in the ranks of the Top Twenty this week is Jonathan Duhamel.  After moving up last week into the Top Ten he nearly falls out of the Top Twenty altogether this week. While Duhamel does not have any new scores this week he does have one score aging.  His 4th place finish at last year’s NBC National Heads-Up Championship ages into Period 3 this week costing him 111 points and dropping him from GPI#10 to GPI#19.

L.A. Poker Classic Championship Provides Largest Jump in the Ranks

Along with the Top Twenty, others benefitted from their Championship play.  Nick Binger(GPI#148 +139) finished 17th and receives 302 points and the distinction of making the largest upward movement in rank this week. Stephen Chidwick (GPI#91) made the final table and moves up 94 spots breaking into the Top One Hundred in only his fifth week on the Index.  Joe Hachem (GPI#147 +76) and Daniel Idema (GPI#74) also made big moves up in the rankings with Idema gaining a huge 307 points from the event.

Hellmuth Wins

Also taking place at the LAPC was the $2,080 Eight Game Mix event where Phil Hellmuth(GPI#59 +6) took home the top prize.  In addition to contributing to an overall score gain moving him up in rank this week, it gives Hellmuth his first win in an open event since the 2007 WSOP.  After three runner-up finishes at last summer’s WSOP a win was definitely deserved.

Debuting on the Global Poker Index

Joining the Index this week is LAPC NLHE Championship runner-up Dan Kelly (GPI#217) and 44th place finisher Kenny Shih (GPI#271).  In addition, Andreas Wiese (GPI#224) who finished 11th at the DKr35,000 EPT Copenhagen Main Event and Ondrej Vinklarek(GPI#250) make their debut.

Returning to the Global Poker Index

Returning to the GPI this week is 11th place LAPC NLHE Championship finisher Jason De Witt (GPI#159).  Also back on the GPI is Epic Poker $20,000 NLHE 6-Max casherBrandon Meyers (GPI#233).  In addition, Mads Wissing returns after finishing 27th in the EPT Copenhagen DKr35,000 NLHE Main Event as well as Humberto Brenes who cashed in the LAPT R$3,700 NLHE Main Event.

Exiting the Global Poker Index

Dominykas Karmazinas
Davidi Kitai
Nichlas Mattsson
James Bord
Frederik Jensen
Daniel Reijmer
Connor Drinan
David Diaz