Global Poker Index: Waxman Cracks Top 10, Seidel Still Leads

Mickey Doft
Live Reporter
3 min read
Matt Waxman

Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the world's top 300 tournament poker players using a formula that takes a player's result over six half-year periods. One new face is in the top 10, and another is on his way out. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.

The Top 10 as of October 24, 2011

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange in Rank from Last Week
1Erik Seidel2,586.960
2Eugene Katchalov2,518.150
3Jason Mercier2,437.94+1
4Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier2,425.51-1
5Sorel Mizzi2,344.310
6Shawn Buchanan2,331.453
7Fabrice Soulier2,231.63-1
8Tom Marchese2,058.11-1
9Juha Helppi2,031.39-1
10Matt Waxman2,010.63+9

Thanks to his excellent showing at the World Series of Poker Europe, Shawn Buchanan jumped up to No. 6 and should remain in the top 10 for awhile. He might even reach the top five next week. Meanwhile, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier had some older results slip to previous periods, resulting in his score dropping slightly and opening the door for Jason Mercier to move back into the top three.

Making his debut in the top 10 this week is Matt Waxman. It's been a successful two months in Europe for Waxman, who, after winning the WPT Grand Prix de Paris in September, cashed three times at the WSOPE.

Welcome to the GPI

Twelve newcomers have been added to the GPI this week, led by WSOPE Main Event Champion Elio Fox. For good measure, Fox followed that up with a 23rd-place finish in the ongoing EPT San Remo Main Event.

New Additions

PlayerTotal GPI ScoreGPI Rank
Elio Fox1,346.83125th
Phillippe Ktorza1,328.38131st
Arnaud Mattern1,257.65159th
Maria Ho1,213.75187th
Govert Metaal1,165.25216th
Georges Yazbeck1,135.90231st
Russell Carson1,120.44242nd
Matt Jarvis1,081.11264th
Jon Spinks1,062.53283rd
Casey Kastle1,040.12294th
Kent Lundmark1,039.73295th
Jeff Papola1,029.45300th

The 12 players who slipped from the GPI this week are Alexander Debus, Brett Richey, Isaac Haxton, Jeff Madsen, John O'Shea, John Parker, Jonathan Karamalikis, Kenny Hallaert, Kyle Loman, Shawn Busse, Tomer Berda, and Vitaly Lunkin.

Ups and Downs

The biggest rise of the week belonged to Dermot Blain, fresh off of a fifth-place finish in the WSOPE Main Event. Jumping into the top 25 was Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi. With only one result in his Period 1 calculations prior to the WSOPE, Mizrachi's bracelet win in the €10,400 No-Limit Hold'em (Split Format) improved his GPI standing immensely.

Biggest Gains

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange in Rank From Last Week
24thMichael Mizrachi1,845.99+87
36thAlexander Dovzhenko1,756.47+65
64thAmir Lehavot1,609.78+96
78thDermot Blain1,524.23+176
87thVanessa Rousso1,505.21+134
112thIlan Boujenah1,399.32+115
154thNicolas Chouity1,272.12+59
184thNoah Schwartz1,219.55+60
189thSteve Brecher1,212.99+76
224thJani Sointula1,152.78+66

On the flip side, Marc Inizan suffered the steepest drop of the week. With his 13th-place finish in the Main Event of The Everest Poker ONE from April slipping into Period 2, Inizan only has one Period 1 score counting toward the GPI calculations. David Williams also slipped this week. His win at the 2010 WPT Championship, his best GPI result, fell from Period 3 to Period 4.

Biggest Drops

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange in Rank From Last Week
130thSurrinder Sunar1,331.16-62
158thDavid Williams1,262.10-45
166thNikolay Evdakov1,251.45-38
207thJosh Arieh1,176.47-53
233rdFaraz Jaka1,130.74-65
257thChris Bjorin1,096.54-51
266thMatt Stout1,079.81-37
267thMichael Tureniec1,078.77-100
270thAlain Roy1,077.17-63
285thMarc Inizan1,057.42-101

What's In Store?

The EPT San Remo Main Event event concludes Thursday, and in terms of the GPI, only Kevin MacPhee is currently ranked. Rest assured, next week he'll be higher than his current 273rd place standing because regardless of his finish, it will be his only result in his Period 1 GPI calculations.

Who is due for a fall? Sorel Mizzi and Tom Marchese are going to slip, and the latter may be outside of the top 10 looking in. At the 2010 WPT World Poker Finals, Marchese finished in third place and Mizzi took seventh. Both have other scores that will take the place of their WPT World Poker Finals scores once they drop from Period 2 to Period 3, but we envision Marchese's will be too great to keep him in the top 10 come next week.

To look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website. While you're at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.

To stay on top of the GPI and other happenings in the poker world, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.+

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Mickey Doft
Live Reporter

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