Global Poker Index: Urbanovich, Schemion Still Lead; Daniel Colman Drops from Top 100

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Apr 09, 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

After three volatile months seeing lots of changes and big moves in the 2015 Global Poker Index Player of the Year rankings, the top 10 players remained the same for a second straight week — the first time that’s been the case all year. Dzmitry Urbanovich enjoyed a third straight week in the top spot, his remarkable performance during the European Poker Tour Malta series in which he won four different events having secured him first position.

The only significant movement within the top 10 this week was by Steve O’Dwyer who went from No. 10 to No. 5 on the strength of points earned for a 15th-place finish in last week’s PaddyPower Irish Open 2015 in Dublin. In fact, the rest of the top 100 in the GPI POY race all remained the same this week following a rare respite in the tournament calendar.

GPI 300 Top 10

It was a similarly serene week for the GPI overall rankings with the top 10 players all staying right where they were from one week ago. Ole Schemion remains the frontrunner for a 16th-straight week, which means he is now closing in on the record for the all-time longest tenure atop the GPI rankings.

Jason Mercier has previously held the No. 1 ranking for 17 straight weeks (from May to September 2013). Then last year Dan Smith also had a 17-week run at the top that lasted through late December at which point Schemion reclaimed the lead. With a relatively comfortable margin over the chase pack at present, Schemion is poised to pass both soon and claim the record if he can hold at No. 1 for two more weeks.

Welcome to the GPI Top 300

The quiet schedule meant there wasn’t a lot of activity at the other end of the GPI Top 300 this week either, with only seven new players joining the list. Giacomo Fundaro is the highest-ranked of that group, moving up from No. 319 to No. 242 after a 25th-place showing in that aforementioned PaddyPower Irish Open 2015.

Biggest Gains

That jump upwards made Fundaro the biggest gainer this week as well among players inside the GPI Top 300. Meanwhile Ivan Luca — who has been sitting inside the top 10 in the 2015 GPI POY race for more than two months — is appearing on this “Biggest Gains” list for a second straight week.

Biggest Drops

Matias Ruzzi fell the furthest among players still inside the Top 300 this week, going from No. 212 to No. 270. Daniel Colman endured the next-steepest drop, slipping from No. 67 to No. 121 to fall outside the top 100 for the first time since early September 2014. Colman peaked at No. 4 during the first week of 2015, but all of his many points-earning finishes from last year will start to diminish in value as time progresses due to the GPI’s “aging factor.”

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 Ole Schemion Daniel Colman Steve O’Dwyer Giacomo Fundaro Ivan Luca Matias Ruzzi PaddyPower Irish Open European Poker Tour EPT Malta
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• Related Players Steve O'DwyerDaniel ColmanOle SchemionGiacomo FundaroDzmitry UrbanovichIvan Luca