Global Poker Index: On the Move in Malta, Dzmitry Urbanovich Surges to Top POY Race

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Mar 26, 2015 3 min read

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.

2015 GPI Player of the Year

There was a lot of activity at the top of the leaderboard in the 2015 Global Poker Index Player of the Year race, with no less than four players jumping ahead of Scott Seiver who had held the top spot for the last two weeks.

Making the biggest move all of the way to the top of the list was Dzmitry Urbanovich who has enjoyed an amazing week-and-a-half at the European Poker Tour Malta series, winning three side events — including the €25,500 High Roller — and final-tabling two others to collect a bevy of points and move well ahead of the chase pack. The Polish player had collected wins at both the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January and the Eureka Poker Tour in Rozvadov last month, and has a dozen tournament cashes already in 2015.

Also moving into the POY Top 10 this week are Connor Drinan (going from No. 14 to No. 4) and Ramin Hajiyev (going from No. 16 to No. 8). Drinan took second in that EPT Malta High Roller won by Urbanovich, while Hajiyev also picked up a couple of cashes in Malta to improve his position.

GPI 300 Top 10

Contrasting with the volatile POY race, the overall GPI rankings remained steady this week with practically no movement at all among the leaders — only Daniel Negreanu and Stephen Chidwick swapped spots in the top 10. This makes 14 weeks straight for the young German Ole Schemion on top.

Welcome to the GPI Top 300

There are 12 new players in this week’s overall GPI Top 300. Anton Astapau is the highest ranked among them at No. 205, having moved up 125 spots from No. 330 after cashing twice in Malta this week, including winning a €2,150 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo 8-Max. event.

Most of the others moving into the list this week also earned points in Malta, including Georgios Zisimopoulos who jumped from No. 323 to No. 271 after topping a 1,285-entry field to win the Italian Poker Tour Malta Main Event.

Biggest Gains

Others made even bigger gains than Astapau this week, including Daniel Dvoress who went from No. 567 all of the way to No. 290 following his third-place showing in that €25,500 High Roller. Dvoress spoke with PokerNews this week from Malta, offering some strategy advice about defending the blinds against aggressive late position raisers.

One player earning his points somewhere other than Malta to move into the Top 300 this week was Jesse Rockowitz who finished runner-up in the World Poker Tour Rolling Thunder event to help him go from No. 535 up to No. 288.

Biggest Drops

Finally, looking at players who slipped in the rankings though kept spots inside the Top 300, Oleksii Khoroshenin fell the furthest this week, dropping from No. 140 to No. 196.

To view both the 2015 Player of the Year and GPI overall rankings in their entirety, visit the official GPI website. While you’re at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.

• Tags Global Poker Index Dzmitry Urbanovich Connor Drinan Ramin Hajiyev Ole Schemion Daniel Negreanu Stephen Chidwick Anton Astapau Georgios Zisimopoulos Daniel Dvoress Jesse Rockowitz European Poker Tour World Poker Tour
• Related Tournaments World Poker TourEuropean Poker Tour
• Related Players Daniel NegreanuJesse RockowitzStephen ChidwickConnor DrinanOle SchemionDzmitry Urbanovich