Global Poker Index: Scott Seiver Ends Ole Schemion's Streak, Becomes 9th GPI No. 1
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
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dzmitry Urbanovich | 2438.10 | - |
| 2 | Ivan Luca | 2409.51 | - |
| 3 | Joe Kuether | 2303.33 | +2 |
| 4 | Connor Drinan | 2165.00 | -1 |
| 5 | Nicholas Petrangelo | 2152.17 | -1 |
| 6 | Vladimir Dobrovolskiy | 1902.56 | +5 |
| 7 | Steve O’Dwyer | 1814.48 | -1 |
| 8 | Ramin Hajiyev | 1714.96 | -1 |
| 9 | Atanas Kavrakov | 1633.72 | -1 |
| 10 | Shannon Shorr | 1624.66 | +6 |
Dzmitry Urbanovich collected a large number of points at the European Poker Tour Malta stop last month thanks to his EPT record four victories in side events there. That has been enough to keep Urbanovich in the top spot in the 2015 Global Poker Index Player of the Year rankings for six straight weeks, although during that period a chase pack headed by Ivan Luca (No. 2) and Joe Kuether (No. 3) has managed to close the gap.
Meanwhile Vladimir Dobrovolskiy has managed to join the top 10 this week in the POY rankings, moving from No. 11 to No. 6 after earning points for a 15th-place finish at the World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Shannon Shorr also moves up from No. 16 to No. 10 after a recent cash at the Borgata Spring Poker Open
Sitting just outside of the GPI POY top 10 this week is Scott Seiver, currently ranked No. 12. But the big news regarding Seiver comes from the other list, the one reflecting overall GPI rankings.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Seiver | 3915.96 | +1 |
| 2 | Ole Schemion | 3891.79 | -1 |
| 3 | Davidi Kitai | 3862.20 | - |
| 4 | Pratyush Buddiga | 3740.23 | - |
| 5 | Byron Kaverman | 3720.85 | - |
| 6 | Stephen Chidwick | 3614.71 | - |
| 7 | Jason Mercier | 3549.54 | +1 |
| 8 | Bryn Kenney | 3532.13 | -1 |
| 9 | Sorel Mizzi | 3437.54 | - |
| 10 | Ami Barer | 3288.36 | +1 |
After Ole Schemion record 18 straight weeks as the world’s top-ranked tournament player according to the Global Poker Index, a new name sits atop the list this week as Scott Seiver has edged ahead of the German to become the ninth player ever to lead the GPI rankings.
Speaking to the GPI this week, Seiver described the achievement as “a huge honor.” Noting how the GPI ranking system tends to reflect accurately tournament players’ performance, Seiver added that it was “humbling” for him “to look back and understand what [reaching No. 1] means for my sustained success.”
Asked further by the GPI's Eric Danis about his consistently strong record in tournaments, Seiver offered further thoughts about the keys to his success.
“I feel I have a very good grasp on the current player field that plays most big tournaments, and I take enough breaks that I never feel burnt out on poker,” said Seiver. “I vary what I play and when I play so much that when I’m competing I’m always close to my A-game. Poker isn’t about who has the best A-game, but rather who can play their B-game the most, and I think this is something I’ve gotten quite good at over the years.”
Seiver’s move into the top spot didn’t necessarily come from his notching any new recent scores, but rather maintaining his points while Schemion having lost a few points earned previously due to the rankings’ age factor.
The rest of the overall GPI top 10 saw only minor movement, with Ami Barer sneaking up one spot into No. 10 to grab Daniel Negreanu’s spot this week, as Negreanu slipped to No. 12.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 159 | Kevin Eyster | 1964.98 |
| 212 | Joe Ebanks | 1795.15 |
| 238 | Michael Dentale | 1708.19 |
| 262 | Tony Cousineau | 1635.39 |
| 266 | Ian O’Hara | 1627.68 |
| 274 | Greg Himmelbrand | 1603.98 |
| 282 | Eugene Todd | 1576.96 |
| 288 | Alexander Greenblatt | 1569.42 |
| 290 | Jonas Mackoff | 1564.22 |
| 297 | Tom Dobrilovic | 1550.72 |
There were 10 new names in the GPI Top 300 this week, with Kevin Eyster the highest-ranked among them after moving all of the way up from No. 323 to No. 159.
Greg Himmelbrand was also among this week’s newcomers after ascending from No. 337 to No. 274 following his victory in the Mid-States Poker Tour Maryland Live! event a couple of weeks ago.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 212 | Joe Ebanks | 1795.15 | +214 |
| 262 | Tony Cousineau | 1635.39 | +165 |
| 159 | Kevin Eyster | 1964.98 | +164 |
| 282 | Eugene Todd | 1576.96 | +132 |
| 238 | Michael Dentale | 1708.19 | +111 |
Eyster’s move upwards wasn’t the biggest of the week, however, as both Tony Cousineau (who went from No. 427 to No. 262) and Joe Ebanks (who went from No. 426 to No. 214) enjoyed even larger leaps.
A 25th-place finish in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown helped Cousineau’s cause, while Ebanks finished runner-up in that event to earn an even bigger boost.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 203 | Viet Van Vo | 1825.85 | -62 |
| 194 | Philipp Gruissem | 1857.37 | -60 |
| 158 | Yann Dion | 1967.27 | -52 |
| 281 | Angel Guillen | 1578.40 | -50 |
| 157 | Igor Kurganov | 1971.17 | -45 |
Finally it was Viet Van Vo falling the furthest this week among those still inside the Top 300, sliding from No. 141 down to No. 203. However, everyone will have plenty of opportunities this week to turn things around and earn significant points at the just-started PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final series — something Seiver alluded to this week as well.
“I’m hoping to win four tournaments here in Monaco so I can put some distance between myself and the extremely difficult competition,” said Seiver with tongue in cheek, alluding of course to Urbanovich’s triumph in Malta. “Honestly my plans for the WSOP are completely up in the air, so it might be possible for people to use that time to try to catch me.”
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.
