Global Poker Index: High Roller Successes Help Tom Marchese Return to Top 10
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 April 6, 2016.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve O’Dwyer | 4437.17 | - |
| 2 | Byron Kaverman | 4244.32 | - |
| 3 | Bryn Kenney | 4158.56 | - |
| 4 | Jason Mercier | 4019.44 | - |
| 5 | Connor Drinan | 3975.62 | - |
| 6 | Dominik Nitsche | 3973.18 | - |
| 7 | Fedor Holz | 3878.63 | - |
| 8 | Nick Petrangelo | 3832.54 | - |
| 9 | Tom Marchese | 3787.49 | +11 |
| 10 | Anthony Zinno | 3756.48 | -1 |
There was zero movement among the top eight players in the overall Global Poker Index rankings this week, meaning Steve O’Dwyer has retained the No. 1 spot for a 13th-straight week.
At No. 9, however, arrives a newcomer — Tom Marchese. Marchese has been steadily accumulating big scores in high roller events, in particular the $25,000 buy-in ARIA High Roller events that play out each month. Marchese won that one at the ARIA three times last year, and in fact he has already won it three more times in 2016.
Last weekend Marchese took first on Friday and then third on Saturday in the event to accumulate enough points to jump from No. 20 to No. 9 in the rankings. It’s a return to the top 10 for Marchese, who in the past has been ranked as high as No. 5 (in September 2011) and was last in the top 10 in October 2011.
Incidentally, the player who Marchese jumped over in the rankings — Anthony Zinno at No. 10 — will be his heads-up opponent today as Week 1 of the inaugural Global Poker League concludes. Zinno was ranked No. 1 in the GPI for a couple of weeks during July 2015.
Marchese will represent the New York Rounders versus Zinno playing for the Las Vegas Moneymakers, with their three-game match starting at 6 p.m. EDT. Today’s GPL action cranks up at 1 p.m. EDT and can be followed live on the GPL Twitch channel.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 204 | Dan Shak | 1900.17 |
| 232 | Jason Les | 1815.35 |
| 265 | Salvatore Dicarlo | 1746.41 |
| 277 | Nick Pupillo | 1728.32 |
| 282 | Bobby Oboodi | 1721.33 |
| 286 | Alexander Greenblatt | 1711.58 |
| 293 | Cate Hall | 1697.24 |
| 297 | James Calderaro | 1685.85 |
Eight new names to report entering the overall top 300 this week, with Dan Shak the highest-ranked of the group after moving up from No. 331 to No. 204. Shak took third himself in that ARIA High Roller won by Marchese last Friday, giving him the points to rejoin the list.
Meanwhile two players are making their GPI top 300 debuts this week.
A couple of cashes at the WSOP Circuit Los Angeles festival helped Salvatore Dicarlo move up from No. 304 to No. 265 to join this week’s list. And a cash in the Main Event at the WSOP Circuit Baltimore gave Cate Hall enough points to move up from No. 311 to No. 293, her first week inside the top 300.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 297 | James Calderaro | 1685.85 | +134 |
| 282 | Bobby Oboodi | 1721.33 | +130 |
| 204 | Dan Shak | 1900.17 | +127 |
| 232 | Jason Les | 1815.35 | +83 |
| 210 | Gerald Karlic | 1880.41 | +62 |
Shak’s upward move earned him a spot on the “Biggest Gains” list, although both James Calderaro and Bobby Oboodi enjoyed slightly higher gains in the rankings over the last seven days.
Both players’ moved up thanks to final tabling the WSOP Circuit Baltimore Main Event won by Joseph Cappello. Calderaro took sixth in the event while Obbodi lasted to finish in fifth.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 285 | Hunter Cichy | 1713.06 | -51 |
| 268 | Raiden Kan | 1741.50 | -47 |
| 212 | Nathan Bjerno | 1871.78 | -38 |
| 280 | Anthony Ruberto | 1722.51 | -33 |
| 271 | Chris Bolek | 1735.38 | -33 |
Finally when considering only those inside this week’s GPI top 300, Hunter Cichy fell the furthest after going from No. 238 to No. 271.
What to Expect Next Week
The WSOP Circuit has already moved on again, touching down in Iowa for the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Council Bluffs festival. The 30-event World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown series is underway as well in Hollywood, Florida.
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.
