March 12 2014, by Eric Danis

GPI300: Merson Moves In, Gruissem Goes Down

Former WSOP World Champion Greg Merson returns to the 300 while Philipp Gruissem’s stay inside the Top 10 is in jeopardy …

VIEW FROM THE TOP

Daniel Negreanu GPIDespite each losing a few GPI Points this week, the trio of Daniel Negreanu’s (GPI#1, -), Ole Schemion (GPI#2, -) and Marvin Rettenmaier (GPI#3, -) remains at the top of the GPI300. Negreanu begins his fifth straight week atop the rankings.

A 43rd place finish at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic sees former World #1 Jason Mercier (GPI#4, -2) return at #4 after spending last week ranked 6th. Fellow former GPI#1 Dan Smith (GPI#5, 2) also moves up two spots this week while current GPI PoY leader Mike McDonald drops one spot.

Philipp Gruissem GPIPhilipp Gruissem (GPI#10, -6) suffers the biggest fall within the GPI Top 10 this week. Gruissem, who started the 2014 poker season ranked #2 in the World, now finds himself in danger of dropping out of the Top 10. With only one score so far in 2014 and only two qualifying scores since last November, Gruissem’s ranking could be seriously affected in the weeks to come.

Despite all the movements at the top, the members of the Top 10 remain the same this week, congratulations to all on surviving another week at the top!

GPI TOP 10:

[table id=948 /]

SWIMMING UPSTREAM

Chris Moorman GPITo no one’s surprise, WPT L.A. Poker Classic winner Chris Moorman (GPI#79, +176) takes the biggest leap inside the 300, moving up over 175 spots and takes a place inside the Top 100, his highest rankings on the GPI since this past June.

WPT National Brussels Champion Lasse Frost (GPI#181 CR, +118), Matt Marafioti (GPI#145, +106), Jonathan Roy (GPI#120, +47) and Mukul Pahuja (GPI#56 CR, +29) also make big moves up this week inside the 300.

This week’s Top 10 Movers within the GPI300:

[table id=949 /]

DOWN THE LADDER

David Benefield GPIThe neve of David Benefield (GPI#234, -75)! Raptor tweeted out earlier this week that he was “too old to be taking mid-terms” … choosing school over poker? How dare he! We’re only kidding of course. Benefield, who made a spectacular return to the live tournament circuit this summer crushing the WSOP Main Event and the EPT, takes one of the biggest tumbles this week.

Robert Haigh (GPI#260, -79), Alexander Dovzhenko (GPI#219, -53), Andrey Shatilov (GPI#243, -53) and 2013 GPI National France Player of the Year Benjamin Pollak (GPI#174, -49) also move down the ranks this week.

This week’s Top 10 Drops within the GPI300:

[table id=950 /]

IN-N-OUT

Greg Merson GPINine months after falling from the 300, 2012 WSOP World Champion Greg Merson (GPI#217, +139) makes a return to the GPI300 following a 31st place finish at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic. On a recent Podcast with our friends at PokerNews, Merson did indicate that he plans on playing more tournaments … which means that we could be seeing Merson continue to climb the standings in the coming months.

Jesse Yaginuma (GPI#208), Oliver Price (GPI#250), Rhys Jones (GPI#269) and Mike Sexton (GPI#286) are four of the 13 other players who enter the GPI 300 this week.

Kyle Julius GPIAmerican pro Kyle Julius (GPI#340, -53) is one of 14 players to find themselves outside the GPI300 this week. Julius, who only has a single cash to his credit since the end of the 2013 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, is currently involved in Day 2 action at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star in San Jose, California.

David Benyamine (GPI#379), Anton Wigg (GPI#329), Antoine Saout (GPI#338) and Vojtech Ruzicka (GPI#310) are amongst the others who take a step back outside the 300 this week.

[table id=951 /]

CR = Career Best GPI Ranking

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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.