Global Poker Index: Maneuvering in Malta as McDonald, O’Dwyer Rejoin Top 10

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Oct 29, 2015 4 min read

Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes into account a player’s results over six half-year periods. For a look at the entire list, visit the official GPI website. Here’s a look at the rankings as of October 28, 2015.

2015 GPI Player of the Year

Current Global Poker Index Player of the Year leader Anthony Zinno has been sitting in first position for 17 straight weeks, but there are still nine weeks left in 2015 for someone else to overtake him. And with the many events playing out at the European Poker Tour Malta festival — where nearly all of the chase pack is playing along with Zinno — things are getting tight at the top.

If you notice, Byron Kaverman now sits less than seven points behind Zinno on the POY leaderboard — a virtual tie, given that a small cash in a big field event is often worth at least a hundred POY points. Kaverman cashed in both the €25,750 High Roller (finishing fifth) and €10,200 Single Day High Roller (finishing ninth) at EPT12 Malta to help him close the gap with Zinno.

Nicolas Petrangelo also final tabled that €25,750 High Roller, finishing third, and remains in third in the GPI POY race as well. Meanwhile Dzmitry Urbanovich (at No. 4) won a EPT12 Malta prelim (the €5,300 Mix), Steve O’Dwyer won the €10,200 Single Day High Roller (to move from No. 11 to No. 6), and Jason Mercier (No. 5) and Scott Seiver (No. 8) have cashed in Malta as well.

The good news for Zinno, though, is that yesterday he won the €5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed event in Malta, topping a field of 41 to earn a €67,610 first prize. Points from that win will be added to his total next week as he keeps battling to try to keep that No. 1 spot.

GPI 300 Top 10

The leaders in the overall GPI rankings are closely bunched together as well where Kaverman barely hangs on to the No. 1 spot for a fifth-straight week. Mercier has now moved a mere three points behind Kaverman, with third-place Zinno’s win yesterday also perhaps prefiguring a move past both of those players unless they manage to pick up points themselves this week.

Davidi Kitai cashed twice at the World Series of Poker Europe festival in Berlin, including taking runner up in the €25,600 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller to move up from No. 15 to No. 7.

Meanwhile EPT events playing out on the tiny archipelago in the central Mediterranean have helped both Mike McDonald and O’Dwyer charge back into the overall top 10 this week. McDonald won that €25,750 High Roller at EPT12 Malta to move from No. 32 to No. 9 in the rankings, while O’Dwyer’s aformentioned victory in the €10,200 Single Day High Roller elevated him from No. 19 to No. 9.

Welcome to the GPI Top 300

There are 11 new players finding spots inside the GPI top 300 this week, with [Removed:172] the highest ranked of this group after moving up from No. 405 all of the way to No. 198.

The German player cashed four times at WSOP Europe, including finishing fifth in the €10,450 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event. That followed a deep run by Kramer in the 2015 WSOP Main Event where he finished 18th.

Biggest Gains

Those cashes in Berlin made Kramer the second-biggest gainer of the week among those in the GPI top 300, with JC Alvarado earning a spot atop this list after having jumped from No. 572 to No. 271. Alvarado finished third in the WSOP Europe Main Event won by Kevin MacPhee.

MacPhee, incidentally, is No. 23 on the 2015 GPI Player of the Year list this week and No. 17 in the overall GPI, his highest ranking in both charts to this point.

Biggest Drops

Finally among those still in the top 300 this week, Ray Qartomy fell the furthest after slipping from No. 193 to No. 278.

What to Expect Next Week

There are still three days’ worth of events left to play out at EPT12 Malta, and with both the POY race and overall rankings so close it’ll be interesting to see how the remaining results there will affect both lists.

Remember PokerNews’ Live Reporting team is there in Malta providing comprehensive coverage of both the
€5,300 Main Event and the €10,300 High Roller.

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 European Poker Tour EPT Malta WSOP Europe Anthony Zinno Byron Kaverman Dzmitry Urbanovich Jason Mercier Scott Seiver Mike McDonald Steve O’Dwyer JC Alvarado
• Related Tournaments European Poker Tour
• Related Players Steve O'DwyerJason MercierScott SeiverMike McDonaldByron KavermanJC Alvarado