Global Poker Index: Mizrachi and Klodnicki Making Waves; Mercier Back on Top

Mickey Doft
Live Reporter
3 min read
Michael Mizrachi and Chris Klodnicki

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 2, 2012

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange in Rank from Last Week
1Jason Mercier2,758.08+1
2Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier2,756.49-1
3Marvin Rettenmaier2,586.09+1
4Steve O'Dwyer2,580.52-1
5Vanessa Selbst2,474.26+5
6Shawn Buchanan2,466.63+1
7David "Doc" Sands2,455.62+1
8Eugene Katchalov2,439.37-3
9Noah Schwartz2,410.62+3
10Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi2,407.29+26

Jason Mercier is back on top of the GPI this week. He and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier lost about 100 points from their total scores this week, but Grospllier took the bigger hit. His third-place finish in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Max event from the 2011 World Series of Poker fell into Period 3. Mercier's sixth-place finish in the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball last summer aged from Period 2, but his drop in points was not as severe.

Making his debut in the GPI top ten is Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi following his win in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. He rose up the ranks 26 places. Also ascending the GPI is the runner-up in that event, Chris Klodnicki. He climbed 15 spots and is No. 14.

Welcome to the GPI

New Additions

Sixteen players are new to this week's GPI, led by Maria Ho at No. 221. With three recent WSOP cashes, Ho rounded out her Period 1 slate with a full four cashes.

PlayerTotal GPI ScoreGPI Rank
Maria Ho1,234.59221st
Lee Goldman1,209.98229th
Brett Richey1,202.51232nd
Tim Finne1,169.59245th
Fabrizio Gonzalez1,165.57249th
Chad Brown1,161.45251st
Andy Bloch1,151.28254th
Rob Akery1,140.63261st
Justin Schwartz1,123.71267th
Marc Inizan1,118.93271st
Jeremy Ausmus1,118.47273rd
Tyler Bonkowski1,108.277th
Barny Boatman1,105.86278th
Juan Manuel Pastor1,104.76279th
Viktor Blom1,100.12283rd
Harrison Gimbel1,090.23291st

Falling from the GPI this week were Alessio Isaia, Andrew Robl, Balazs Botond, Dylan Wilkerson, Josh Arieh, Kenny Shih, Mark Radoja, Mike Beasley, Mike Binger, Mike Leah, Nikolai Yakovenko, Owais Ahmed, Ryan Welch, Simon Charette, Vladimir Kochelaevskiy, and Brian Rast.

Ups and Downs

The biggest rise of the week belonged to Fernando Brito. The Portuguese pro had two WSOP cashes last week, including a third-place finish in a $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament (Event #46) worth $282,676.

Biggest Gains

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange in Rank From Last Week
77thFernando Brito1,710.64+112
78thAmir Lehavot1,709.00+55
89thKyle Julius1,685.89+69
122ndJonathan Little1,508.50+52
123rdMatt Giannetti1,501.66+120
130thDwyte Pilgrim1,485.16+67
159thMicah Raskin1,399.89+60
176thPratyush Buddiga1,341.62+89
182ndPaul Berende1,331.74+87
187thChris McClung1,320.71+63

Reigning WSOP Player of the Year Ben Lamb took the biggest his this week, falling 115 places. In 111th place just two weeks ago, Lamb is due to slide out of the GPI altogether as early as next week. This week, it's his eighth-place finish in last year's $50,000 Poker Players Championship that slipped into Period 2. Depending on when last year's Main Event start/end date is determined to be (as early as July/as late as November), his third-place finish is going to slip into Period 2.

Biggest Drops

RankPlayerTotal ScoreChange in Rank From Last Week
158thScott Seiver1,401.86-75
161stBarry Greenstein1,395.40-89
173rdJoe Ebanks1,353.24-59
211thNick Grippo1,254.94-47
216thEric Froehlich1,241.46-73
225thAllen Bari1,217.24-58
248thBryce Yockey1,166.68-53
285thBen Lamb1,097.29-115
287thDmitry Gromov1,096.09-66
297thAntony Lellouche1,086.24-43

What's In Store?

The Big One for One Drop concluded on Tuesday and Antonio Esfandiari claimed the victory. Needless to say, he'll shoot up the ranks from his current rank, No. 207.

Sam Trickett (No.97) finished second, Phil Hellmuth (No. 48) finished fourth, and Brian Rast, who fell off the GPI this week, finished sixth. Each of them will shoot up the ranks 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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