Global Poker Index European Poker Awards
Day 1 Completed
2014 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville
Global Poker Index European Poker Awards
Day: 1
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The final award of the night saw Alex Dreyfus back on stage and he said: "This award is voted for by 65 people who figured out who they wanted to give the award too. This award is for someone who is very funny and very clever. This is someone who has been on the circuit forever. He first cashed in the WSOP 13 years ago, won his first WSOP bracelet this year and is a friend of everyone. The Winner is Barny Boatman."
To loud applause Barny Boatman took to the stage looking overwhelmed. "I’m not ready to retire just yet, I guess I have been around a long time, that’s why you get these things. When I first started out in poker, I spend a lot of time dealing and being stared at my dodgy looking reprobates. So no change there then. I really didn’t see this coming so I don’t have a speech prepared. But this means so much to me thank you very much."
Past winners: Gus Hansen (2012), Jesse May (2011), Nic Szeremeta (2010), Bruno Fitoussi (2009), Marcel Luske (2008), Thomas Kremser (2007), John Duthie (2006), Dave Colclough (2005), Dave Ulliott (2004), Lucy Rokach (2003), Liam Flood (2002), Pascal Perrault (2001)
A new award and one decided by the members of the jury. For the inaugural they chose to recognise the often criticised, the much maligned, but seldom praised, poker dealer.
Nic Szeremeta, Honorary president of the GPI European Poker Awards , took to the stage and first asked anyone in the room who was a poker dealer to come to the stage. There were 20 or so dealers in the room and they slowly filed to the stage. Szeremeta went on to say that the jury unanimously wanted to recognise the work of the dealers at European poker events as they are the front line that allow the players to participate in the tournaments.
They undoubtedly received the biggest ovation of the night thus far as many in the audience stood to praise the work of a group of people that only seem to get noticed if they make a mistake.
Past winners: New award
The current no 1 in the GPI 300 had an outstanding 2013. The German/Austrian cashed for $ 1,652,680 in live tournaments in 2013 and seemingly went deep every time he entered a tournament. An outstanding 18 cashes across the year saw him record a live cash in every single month apart from June and July. And that's primarily because he wasn't yet old enough to play the WSOP in 2013.
He is now and so this year he may well add a bracelet to his string on cashes. Highlights of 2013 include two side event victories at the EPT Grand Final in the € 5,000 Pot Limit Omaha - Eight Handed event and the € 10,000 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed Turbo event. But as alluded to above it was his sheer consistency that has seen him leap to the top of the GPI Rankings. In terms of his biggest overall cash in 2013, he kept us waiting but a fifth place finish in the EPT Prague Main Event in December was good for €218,300 and also won him the GPI Player of the Year as he overtook Daniel Negreanu.
With two final tables in High Roller events at the 2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, this year hasn't got off to a bad start either.
Past winners: Marvin Rettenmaier (2012), Sam Trickett (2011), Jake Cody (2010), Vitaly Lunkin (2009), ElkY (2008), Alex Kravchenko (2007), Roland de Wolfe (2006), Rob Hollink (2005), Marcel Luske (2001, 2004), Dave Colclough (2003), Gary Bush (2002)
With $540,459 in earnings in 2013 there was a reason for the almost permanent smile on Ana Marquez's face. Although 13 is unlucky for some 2013 was by far her most successful year on the live circuit as she cashed a total of 16 times. The biggest came in June when she took down the $2,500 Hollywood Poker Open for $ 320,189. She beat out a strong field of 631 players and a final table that included Ramzi Jelassi, Max Greenwood and Sam Stein.
Aside from that victory she made final tables in side events at EPT Berlin (2) and EPT Barcelona and had deep runs in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. She's currently fifth on the all-time Spanish money list and less than $100,000 behind fourth. And with her outstanding 2013 has broken into the top 25 on the Woman's all-time money list.
Past winners: Lucille Cailly (2012), Natalya Nikitana (2011), Liv Boeree (2010), Sandra Naujoks (2008, 2009), Katja Thater (2007)
Winner: Full Tilt Poker UKIPT Galway Festival
PokerNews had a front row seat for this one as Full Tilt Poker laid on a festival from July 27-August 12, 2013 that was about so much more than the poker. A poker village was constructed in the heart of Galway and included a pool table, arcade machines and more. Players were also treated to trips to the races and the tournaments weren't all about poker, with bridge just one of the games that players could try their hand at.
UKIPT President Kirsty Thompson took to the stage to collect the award and dedicated it to Rob Gardner, John Duthie and Jesse and Mickey May who've just had their first child.
Nominated: EPT Barcelona, EPT Grand Final Monte Carlo, and Prague Poker Festival.
Past winners include: EPT Barcelona (2012), WSOP Europe Cannes (2011)
Winner: Neil Johnson - PokerStars Live Poker Specialist (England)
Some would say, perhaps harshly, that this is one of the awards that isn't decided by variance and hard work but just sheer hard work. Neil Johnson, PokerStars Live Poker specialist can attest to that. He got his start as a poker dealer and was all set to hang up his cushion and take over as an online tournament room manger for Paradise Poker. Then Black Friday hit.
Perhaps that was a blessing as he's now PokerStars Live Poker Specialist and as anyone who has ever attended an EPT will know works incredibly hard. But it's not just at events where he puts in the hard work, from answering queries on poker forums about the events to working out the schedules at the events and liaising with every department to make sure the event runs smoothly. In one of the longer acceptance speeches of the night Johnson said: "It was very nice to be even nominated, I say thank you to my family who have no idea what I do. Special thank yous to Peter Fisher, who was one of the first players I ever dealt to and introduced me to Jan Fisher and Linda Johnson who started this whole roller coaster."
Nominated: Poker Industry Person of the year : Marc Convey - Poker journalist and broadcaster (England), Lee Davy - Poker journalist and podcast personality, (England), and Edgar Stuchly - EPT President and Director of Pokerstars Live Event Europe (Austria).
Past winners: Simon Trumper (2012), Warren Lush (2011), Gerard Serra Retamero (2010), Edgar Stuchly (2009), Jonathan Raab (2008), Madeleine Harper (2007), Roy Houghton (2006), Sabine Hazoume (2005), Andres Burget (2004), Teresa Nousiainen (2003), Adele Brujin (2002), Thomas Kresmer (2001).
Winner: Toby Lewis
When you beat out the guy who cross the $10,000,000 mark in lifetime tournament earnings and the guy who was the biggest winner in online cash games in 2013 you better have some credentials to back it up. Fortunately for Toby '810ofclubs' he does. The EPT Vilamoura winner is no slouch on the virtual felt and showed us that in 2013. In September won Event #6 ($215 NLHE Rebuy, Turbo) in the PokerStars WCOOP, it took him just four and a half hours to beat 2,090 players to the title. He pocketed $189,379.23 as part of a two-way chop.
And just a month earlier he collected $253,000 when he won a Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) event.
Nominated: Viktor Blom (Sweden), Niklas Heinecker (Germany), Toby Lewis (England) and Chris Moorman (England).
Past winners: Jens Kyllönen (2012), Ilari Sahamies (2011), Andreas Torbergsen (2010), Patrik Antonius (2009)