Global Poker Index: Dan Smith Surges to the Top Three
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 results over six half-year periods. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.
The Top 10 as of July 23, 2012
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank from Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Mercier | 2,847.86 | -- |
| 2 | Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier | 2,753.39 | -- |
| 3 | Dan Smith | 2,631.75 | +9 |
| 4 | Steve O'Dwyer | 2,597.80 | -- |
| 5 | Vanessa Selbst | 2,594.33 | -2 |
| 6 | Marvin Rettenmaier | 2,586.06 | -1 |
| 7 | Erik Seidel | 2,545.21 | -- |
| 8 | Eugene Katchalov | 2,506.21 | -2 |
| 9 | Andrew Lichtenberger | 2,482.07 | -1 |
| 10 | Jonathan Duhamel | 2,468.54 | -1 |
Dan Smith jumped into the top 10 this week. His win in the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge in January slipped into Period 2, but with four, four-figure scores to minimize the Period 1 points lost, his Period 2 slate received a solid boost and outweighed the Period 1 loss.
Welcome to the GPI
Five players led by Kristijonas Andrulis at No. 164 are new to this week's GPI. He finished runner-up in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the Bellagio Cup VIII for $290,185.
New Additions
| Player | Total GPI Score | GPI Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kristijonas Andrulis | 1,386.54 | 164th |
| Tim West | 1,244.95 | 220th |
| Brandon Meyers | 1,218.49 | 229th |
| Jan Bendik | 1,168.39 | 248th |
| Sean Jazayeri | 1,100.25 | 284th |
Falling from the GPI this week were Joe Hachem, Marton Czuczor, Nicolas Cardyn, Oliver Speidel, and Viktor Blom.
Ups and Downs
The biggest rise of the week belonged to both Alain Roy and Igor Kurganov. Roy finished in fourth place in the aforementioned $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at Bellagio Cup VIII. Kurganov's win in a $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller event from the Deep Stack Extravaganza III last month kicked in this week. He earned $128,520 for that win, topping a field of 27.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37th | Jason Koon | 1,977.50 | +19 |
| 42nd | Roger Hairabedian | 1,939.68 | +35 |
| 58th | William Reynolds | 1,854.47 | +34 |
| 67th | Phil Ivey | 1,816.90 | +35 |
| 79th | Galen Hall | 1,731.67 | +25 |
| 98th | Igor Kurganov | 1,644.93 | +73 |
| 118th | Joe Elpayaa | 1,542.97 | +31 |
| 127th | Michael Benvenuti | 1,509.82 | +25 |
| 153rd | William Thorson | 1,423.84 | +66 |
| 160th | Alain Roy | 1,402.86 | +73 |
| 176th | Cliff Josephy | 1,351.51 | +54 |
| 180th | Steve Brecher | 1,344.89 | +30 |
Meanwhile, Matt Stout took the biggest hit this week. His fifth-place result in the 2012 Southern Poker Million Dollar Heater in January aged into Period 2. John Dolan, who won that tournament, was also among this week's biggest falls.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102nd | Dominykas Karmazinas | 1,631.01 | -31 |
| 119th | David Steicke | 1,541.15 | -30 |
| 140th | Adam Geyer | 1,459.58 | -29 |
| 161st | Faraz Jaka | 1,397.40 | -19 |
| 156th | Jonathan Little | 1,418.65 | -44 |
| 158th | Micah Raskin | 1,409.66 | -27 |
| 195th | Hafiz Khan | 1,308.10 | -36 |
| 203rd | John Dolan | 1,283.82 | -35 |
| 211th | Matt Stout | 1,260.01 | -51 |
| 241st | Khiem Nguyen | 1,195.45 | -26 |
| 273rd | Michael Tureniec | 1,122.12 | -30 |
| 290th | Mark Rose | 1,089.88 | -40 |
What's In Store?
The live event schedule will start to pick back up in August, so you can continue to expect minor fluctuations in the GPI until then.
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.
