Global Poker Index: Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier No. 2 — For Now
Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes a player's result over six half-year periods. As usual Erik Seidel holds down the fort at No. 1. In the spots behind him, there was a bit of shuffling in the ranks. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.
The Top 10 as of November 7, 2011
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank from Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erik Seidel | 2,586.96 | 0 |
| 2 | Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier | 2,509.48 | +2 |
| 3 | Jason Mercier | 2,475.07 | 0 |
| 4 | Eugene Katchalov | 2,382.22 | -2 |
| 5 | Shawn Buchanan | 2,331.45 | 0 |
| 6 | Sorel Mizzi | 2,203.74 | 0 |
| 7 | Sam Stein | 2,178.26 | 0 |
| 8 | Fabrice Soulier | 2,018.48 | +1 |
| 9 | Matt Waxman | 2,003.46 | +1 |
| 10 | Scott Seiver | 2,003.33 | +1 |
Back in the top 10 this week is Scott Seiver. Although Seiver's GPI score itself didn't improve, Juha Helppi slipped from the top 10 to make room for Seiver. In May, Helppi took third place in the €25,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller at the European Poker Tour Grand Final. That result slipped from Period 1 to Period 2, thus resulting in Helppi's fall from the top 10.
Who took first place in that same tournament? Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. How did he somehow manage to rise to No. 2? While that first-place score fell from his Period 1 to his Period 2 results, as well, "ElkY" had another big score to help soften the blow in his Period 1 calculations and improve his Period 2 calculations tremendously.
At the same time, Eugene Katchalov dropped two spots as his 27th-place result in the EPT Grand Final Main Event slipped into Period 2 and was not replaced with as good a result as "ElkY's" was. In the end, they flipped their respective No. 2 and No. 4 rankings this week.
Welcome to the GPI
Debuting with the best ranking on the GPI this week is Kimmo Matias Kurko. Thanks to a successful tournament series at the 2011 CAPT European Poker Championship/Poker EM in Baden, Austria, Kurko sits at No. 197. Also new to the GPI is recent EPT San Remo Champion Andrey Pateychuk, making the list at No. 254.
New Additions
| Player | Total GPI Score | GPI Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kimmo Matias Kurko | 1,195.21 | 197th |
| Florian Langmann | 1,142.78 | 230th |
| Andrey Pateychuk | 1,099.89 | 254th |
| Josh Bergman | 1,035.56 | 293rd |
| Jonathan Karamalikis | 1,020.15 | 297th |
| Kyle Loman | 1,019.63 | 298th |
| Mark Radoja | 1,017.50 | 299th |
| Justin Smith | 1,016.16 | 300th |
Those who slipped from the GPI this week include Adam Levy, Andrew Teng, David Diaz, Georges Yazbeck, 2011 EPT Grand Final Main Event Champion Ivan Freitez-Rosales, Juan Maceiras Lapido, Raj Vohra, and Sam El Sayed.
Ups and Downs
As we hinted last week, Andy Frankenberger was going to leap up the GPI ranks following his fifth-place showing at the WPT World Poker Finals. He did just that, and now finds himself in the top 100 after rising 111 spots. Second-place finisher Christian Harder didn't have the monster leap we expected, though he still managed to rise 24 places.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34th | David Sands | 1,808.57 | +48 |
| 77th | Andy Frankenberger | 1,521.68 | +111 |
| 103rd | Simon Ravnsbaek | 1,428.14 | +129 |
| 109th | Lee Markholt | 1,413.12 | +78 |
| 125th | Peter Jetten | 1,336.20 | +52 |
| 133rd | Daniel Colman | 1,315.51 | +103 |
| 141st | Fabrizio Gonzalez | 1,297.33 | +66 |
| 157th | Joao Barbosa | 1,272.52 | +66 |
| 175th | Jani Sointula | 1,245.46 | +45 |
| 187th | Lucien Cohen | 1,211.58 | +42 |
Sam Chartier saw his GPI stock fall the steepest. A min cash in the EPT Grand Final Main Event and third-place finish in a €10,000 No-Limit Hold'em tournament at May's EPT San Remo leaves Chartier with a very light Period 1 to be scored by the GPI.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 134th | Jeff Lisandro | 1,312.11 | -54 |
| 183rd | Ilan Boujenah | 1,217.15 | -68 |
| 192nd | Daniel Neilson | 1,199.99 | -57 |
| 195th | Tamas Lendvai | 1,197.57 | -94 |
| 203rd | Antony Lellouche | 1,187.74 | -51 |
| 221st | Surrinder Sunar | 1,155.81 | -96 |
| 232nd | Sam Chartier | 1,135.74 | -123 |
| 242nd | Praz Bansi | 1,117.55 | -59 |
| 247th | Kyle Bowker | 1,108.59 | -66 |
| 266th | Jan Bendik | 1,072.46 | -92 |
What's In Store?
Who might be making a debut on the GPI next week? Perhaps 2011 WSOP Main Event Champion Pius Heinz will make the list. In addition to his win on Tuesday, Heinz final tabled a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event at the WSOP during the summer and finished in seventh place. Adrien Allain, meanwhile, will shoot up the ranks after his win earlier in the week at WPT Amneville.
"ElkY" rose to No. 2 this week but may slip back to No. 3 or 4 next week. His win in a €10,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller Tubro tournament at the EPT Grand Final (the score that replaced his earlier mentioned result) is due to slip to Period 2 and we expect his score to suffer slightly.
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.
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