Global Poker Index: Smith Still Reigns, Fedor “CrownUpGuy” Holz Joins Top 300 & Hellmuth Slips

Copy link Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Oct 02, 2014 4 min read Last updated Apr 09, 2015

Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes into account a player’s results over six half-year periods. The GPI also ranks the top performers of the year over two six-month periods as calculated by the USA Today Global Poker Index point system.

2014 GPI Player of the Year

It has been a quiet period over the last three weeks for the 2014 GPI Player of the Year race as once again there was no movement at all among players in the top 10. However that trend should end soon with the recent conclusion of PokerStars’ World Championship of Online Poker and several upcoming tournament series in October, including the 2014 PokerStars.com UKIPT Isle of Man, 2014 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 London, and the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific.

You might notice, however, there has been a change of sorts this week in the GPI POY. In fact, there have been a couple of changed made by the GPI, although one will have only a small effect on points calculations and the other is essentially cosmetic.

This week the GPI made a minor alteration to its formula to start counting the total entries in tournaments that allow rebuys or reentries. The other change has to do with the total points for the POY being calculated in a way to match what players get for a Period 1 score, meaning they’ll now be able to see more quickly how many points they will get in a specific event going forward.

The latter change means players’ GPI POY totals this week are in the 3000s rather than the 1000s. However, as noted they haven’t added points but rather just had their scores recalculated.

GPI 300 Top 10

Nor was there much change at the top of the overall GPI rankings this week, with the top six spots remaining the same and Dan Smith continuing his reign as leader for a sixth-straight week. Meanwhile Olivier Busquet snuck back into the top 10 after switching spots with Paul Volpe, this week’s 11th-ranked player.

Welcome to the GPI

While the top of the GPI Top 300 has been quiet there was a lot of activity among the bottom third this week with no less than a dozen new players joining the rankings with many notables among them.

Two players hot off of big online successes are among those joining the Top 300 this week, even though the GPI only considers live scores when tabulating its rankings.

As Rich Ryan discussed in his “Five Thoughts” column this week, Fabian Quoss has been crushing online with a victory in the most recent Sunday 500, one of three Sunday majors he won during September. Quoss had been a fixture in the top 100 of the GPI overall rankings during the first have of 2014, though recently had slipped down and out of the top 300 for the first time since December 2012. While he has no points-earning scores since the WSOP, movement by others this week allowed him back into the Top 300.

Meanwhile it has been a nice few days for Fedor “CrownUpGuy” Holz (pictured above) who earned a cool $1.3 million by taking down the 2014 WCOOP Main Event on Monday. Like Quoss, Holz has also understandably been focused on his computer and not playing live of late, but several summer scores in Barcelona in August and others falling out helped earn Holz a spot inside the Top 300 this week for the first time in his career.

Biggest Gains

Holz was one of the players making the biggest surge upward in this week’s rankings, with Aston Astapau and Henrik Hecklen improving their positions even more to join the crown entering this week’s Top 300.

Biggest Drops

Meanwhile among those sliding the most during the last seven days while still remaining in the Top 300 was Phil Hellmuth who descended from No. 102 to No. 145.

Since the GPI rankings first began, Hellmuth’s peak ranking has been No. 4 (December 10, 2012). His low was No. 339 (May 7, 2014), although another successful summer at the WSOP helped catapult him all of the way back into the Top 100. That chart at left (courtesy the GPI) reflects Hellmuth’s rankings since early 2011.

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.

• Tags Global Poker Index Dan Smith Fedor Holz Phil Hellmuth Fabian Quoss UKIPT EPT WSOP WSOP Asia-Pacific
• Related Tournaments World Series of PokerEuropean Poker Tour
• Related Players Phil HellmuthDan SmithFabian QuossFedor Holz