Global Poker Index: Daniel Negreanu Climbs to No. 2; Jason Mercier Still On Top
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.
Top 10 as of June 4, 2013
| Rank | Player | Total Score | Rank Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Mercier | 3,447.68 | -- |
| 2 | Daniel Negreanu | 3,113.61 | +3 |
| 3 | Mike Watson | 3,045.80 | -- |
| 4 | Steve O'Dwyer | 3,005.99 | -- |
| 5 | Marvin Rettenmaier | 2,970.04 | -3 |
| 6 | Philipp Gruissem | 2,891.85 | -- |
| 7 | David Sands | 2,872.29 | +1 |
| 8 | Ole Schemion | 2,891.85 | -1 |
| 9 | Bertrand Grospellier | 2,850.90 | -- |
| 10 | Joseph Cheong | 2,849.92 | +2 |
Daniel Negreanu has been a huge supporter of the Global Poker Index since it was purchased by Alex Dreyfus and Zokay Entertainment. Last September, "Kid Poker" was looking for action on whether he could reach the top 20 in the Top 300 rankings by the start of the 2013 WSOP. He accomplished that last week, moving into the No. 5 spot. Now, he has climbed all the way to No. 2.
Negreanu made a huge leap in the rankings after winning the inaugural WSOP-Asia Pacific Main Event in April. Since then, he's made a final table at the European Poker Tour Grand Final and bubbled the final table of the World Poker Tour Championship. He added a cash in Event #5 of the WSOP this week.
Negreanu still trails Mercier by more than 300 points, and he'll have his work cut out for him this summer because Mercier is playing nearly every event — sometimes two at once. Since both had poor results at last year's WSOP, neither will be affected much by the scores aging from Period 2 to Period 3 in the GPI this summer.
Joining the top 10 this week was Joseph Cheong, who also found success at the WSOP-APAC by finishing runner-up in the $50,000 High Roller event. Cheong then took second in the WPT Super High Roller at Bellagio, collecting $614,200.
Welcome to the GPI
New Additions
| Player | Total GPI Score | GPI Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Meyers | 1,384.85 | 182 |
| Trevor Pope | 1,299.80 | 211 |
| Daniel Weinman | 1,297.90 | 212 |
| Steve Brecher | 1,218.92 | 246 |
| Bryan Piccioli | 1,207.18 | 257 |
| Jefferey Fielder | 1,184.08 | 271 |
| Nam Le | 1,181.37 | 273 |
| Justin Conley | 1,176.08 | 276 |
| Brandon Cantu | 1,166.08 | 281 |
| Yosuke Sekiya | 1,176.08 | 289 |
| Athipoo Phahurat | 1,149.72 | 291 |
Trevor Pope joins the GPI Top 300 this week after winning his first WSOP bracelet in Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Eight Handed) last week. Pope won $553,906, bringing his career live tournament earnings to $928,000. Also entering the Top 300 was Brandon Meyers, who made a huge leap after taking seventh in Event #2. He added a small cash in Event #6 a few days later.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Keven Stammen | 2,083.14 | +19 |
| 55 | John Juanda | 2,036.42 | +21 |
| 57 | Ismael Bojang | 2,076.41 | +37 |
| 60 | Kyle Julius | 2,010.49 | +29 |
| 61 | David Vamplew | 2,008.69 | +31 |
| 96 | Daniel Kelly | 1748.53 | +36 |
| 99 | Kristijonas Andrulis | 1,742.39 | +46 |
| 130 | Darryll Fish | 1,567.19 | +108 |
| 164 | Benjamin Hamnett | 1,443.16 | +75 |
| 185 | David Diaz | 1,377.38 | +83 |
Other than Pope, making the biggest leap this week was Darryll Fish, who happened to take third in the same event that Pope won. Fish also took third in the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open in February for $125,921.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 192 | Jake Cody | 1,357.80 | -41 |
| 227 | Jason Somerville | 1,261.19 | -35 |
| 244 | Greg Mueller | 1,228.52 | -37 |
| 248 | Dmitry Vitkind | 13,22.83 | -41 |
| 252 | David Stefanski | 1,213.66 | -44 |
| 288 | Tom McCormick | 1,247.04 | -40 |
| 265 | Timothy West | 1,147.46 | -38 |
Jake Cody was among the biggest decliners this week. His bracelet win in the 2011 $25,000 Heads-up Championship (for $851,192) dropped from Period 4 to Period 5, which was the biggest cause of his slip down the rankings.
Greg Mueller and Tim West are likely to improve next week after each made a final table at the World Series of Poker this week.
To view 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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