HPT Grows, GPI Players Shine

Heartland Poker Tour Adds Seats to Final Tables

Season 9 of the Heartland Poker Tour is on tap for 2013, and big changes are in the works. It was previously announced that Maria Ho will join the team as a commentator, and another press release notes an additional upgrade. Televised final tables will now be nine-handed instead of six-handed.

Player requests, along with the desire to give more players time in the television spotlight, prompted the decision. The “Nine in 9” teaser was revealed as bigger final tables and will give more than 150 players seats at final tables in the upcoming season.

Season 9 begins with an “HPT on the High Seas” event hosted by Card Player Cruises in January, and the first land-based event will take place at the Golden Gates Casino in Colorado at the beginning of March.

ESPN Best Players Reflect GPI Standings

ESPN sports television, and the network of the World Series of Poker, offers a monthly written feature called “The Nuts” in which a ten-person media panel chooses the best players of the month. December’s list rounded out 2012 and featured many players who are not-so-coincidentally in the GPI top 10.

The top spot went to Phil Ivey for his online poker and cash game accomplishments, which are not ranked by GPI. But second place went to Dan Smith, who was rightly touted for his stellar live tournament year that put him in the number one spot on GPI. Their third place spot went to Marvin Rettenmaier, the second place finisher on the 2012 GPI. Similarly, Jason Mercier made fourth on their list and third on GPI, and Phil Hellmuth made fifth for The Nuts and sixth on GPI.

Their list differs again by listing Antonio Esfandiari, Greg Merson, and Michael Mizrachi as the next three players in the rankings, but Vanessa Selbst (seventh on GPI) took ninth and Bertrand Grospellier (fourth on GPI) rounded out their list in tenth place.