WSOP 2012 Wraps Up With Big GPI Impacts; Selbst Hits Top Three

With the Main Event winding down to the final 9 players, this year’s WSOP summer action and impact on the GPI comes to an end in a big way. Also reporting in this week are the results of the WSOP National Championship. And while the members of the Top Twenty remain the same, Vanessa Selbst hits her highest rank ever, reaching GPI#3.

Vanessa Selbst Breaks into the Top Three; Eight of Top Twenty Cash in Main Event

Vanessa Selbst concluded her impressive WSOP run this week with a cash in the Main Event, finishing 73rd out of the 6,598 entrants into the event. Her Main Event finish marked her fifth cash during the World Series which included a bracelet for her win in the $2,500 10 Game – Six Handed Event. She earns 307 points for her Main Event performance, but with so many recent cashes it replaces her 16th place finish in the NLHE – Heads-up Event netting her a gain of 111 points. Those additional points move her up 5 spots to GPI#3.

While there were no new additions to the Top Twenty, seven other pros in this elite group cashed in the Main Event further solidifying their positions at the top of the Rankings. These seven include Jason Mercier (GPI#1), Marvin Rettenmaier (GPI#5), Andrew Lichtenberger (GPI#8) and Mike McDonald (GPI#10) whose scores don’t count due to a full slate of Period 1 cashes that are worth more points. Top Twenty members with Main Event cashes counting include Shawn Buchanan(GPI#14 -4), Sorel Mizzi (GPI#17 +3), and Matt Marafioti (GPI#11 +8). Eugene Katchalov (GPI#6) also posted a final table appearance at the $10,000 WSOP National Championship.

WSOP Main Event Has Huge Impact

Paying out 666 positions this year, the WSOP $10,000 NLHE Main Event is a potential GPI scoring monster. With 64 total GPI ranked players cashing in the Main Event this year, and 57 of those scores counting this week, the Main Event impacts nearly 20% of the entire GPI 300. The other 7 pros out of the 64 who cashed in the Main Event already have a full slate of four Period 1 scores that are worth more than their Main Event cash.

Among the nine final tablers are Gregory Merson (GPI#114 +175) and Jeremy Ausmus (GPI# +120). Merson and Ausmus record the first and second largest changes in both rank and score this week thanks to their performances in the Main Event. Merson picks up 489 points and moves up 175 spots, while Ausmus improves 120 spots with a 317 point gain. The other 7 final tablers do not have enough GPI points from scoring in others events yet to break into the GPI 300. However, their points from final tabling in the Main Event will certainly help in the future. It is worth noting that for GPI scoring, each of the final 9 players are recorded as finishing in 9^th place until the group reconvenes in October to play down to the finish.

It wasn’t just about the GPI Top Twenty or the Final Table with the Main Event cashers.Ronny Kaiser records the 3^rd largest movement in rank, moving up 67 spots to GPI#130 with his cash at position 140. Isaac Baron gets the 3rd largest gain in score moving up 310 points and improving 61 spots to GPI#57. For his 46^th place finish, Tristan Clemencon has a big jump from GPI#48 to GPI#22, nearly breaking into the Top Twenty for the first time. Amit Makhija improves 12 spots to GPI#30 for his 47^th place, breaking into the Top Thirty for the first time. Finally, David “ODB” Baker jumps 20 spots to GPI#47 and makes his first appearance in the Top Fifty thanks to his 56^th place finish and some help for cashing in the WSOP $10,000 National Championship.

WSOP National Championship Features Marque Players and One New Addition to the Index

Not all of the action this week was with the Main Event. Also being played out was the WSOP $10,000 National Championship. The winner of the event, Ryan Eriquezzo, makes his GPI debut this week at GPI#298. Final tabling the event were David “ODB” Baker (GPI#47+20) and Sam Stein (GPI#29 +16). Other cashers recording GPI points were Eugene Katchalov (GPI#6), Brian Rast (GPI#199), and Allen Kessler (GPI#59). Nick Binger (GPI#236) returns to the Rankings this week thanks to his 15^th place finish.

Welcome Back to the GPI

In addition to Nick Binger’s return this week, twelve former GPI ranked players make their return. Among them are Main Event cashers Fabrizio Gonzalez (GPI#170), Yuval Bronshtein (GPI#180), Roland Israelashivili (GPI#186), Amnon Filippi (GPI#191), Jason Somerville (GPI#220), Brent Hanks (GPI#227), James Mitchell (GPI#258), Massimo Mosele (GPI#272), and Chance Kornuth (GPI#283). Also returning are Mike Leah (GPI#285) and Jesse Alexis Cohen (GPI#291).

Making Their Debut

Among those 64 WSOP Main Event cashers are 4 who are making their GPI debut thanks to their performance. Timothy Adams (GPI#223), Luke Nettles (GPI#237), Craig McCorkell (GPI#274), and Simeon Naydenov (GPI#282) all join the Rankings for the first time this week.