Global Poker Index: Kenney Over Kanit for POY; Petrangelo Tops Overall
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 February 8.
2017 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Kenney | 1592.85 | +1 |
| 2 | Mustapha Kanit | 1424.52 | -1 |
| 3 | Byron Kaverman | 1257.50 | +1 |
| 4 | [Removed:17] | 956.39 | -1 |
| 5 | Nathan Bjerno | 796.36 | +340 |
| 6 | Nick Petrangelo | 788.13 | -1 |
| 7 | Ben Heath | 771.68 | -1 |
| 8 | Luc Greenwood | 765.12 | -1 |
| 9 | Sergi Reixach | 760.80 | -1 |
| 10 | Daniel Weinman | 751.83 | +747 |
Watching the 2017 Global Poker Index Player of the Year standings during the first weeks of the year is a little like checking the batting average leaders during the first weeks of the Major League Baseball season. Players getting off to hot starts grab the top spots right away, then others who enjoy a few good days suddenly catapult into the top 10.
This week's GPI POY update finds Bryn Kenney having moved back into the top spot, ending Mustapha Kanit's one-week reign at No. 1. Kanit had only the slightest of leads over Kenney in the POY race a week ago — by less than a single point — so Kenney moved back in front after adding points for a sixth-place finish in the $25,000 buy-in ARIA High Roller 50 last week.
Byron Kaverman also moved up a spot to No. 3 for a fifth-place cash in the $50,000 buy-in ARIA Super High Roller 15.
The big jumps, though, were made by Daniel Weinman and Nathan Bjerno for their one-two finish in the World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Open last week. Bjerno took runner-up in the 1,312-entry, $3,500 buy-in event to claim a $524,964 prize and jump from No. 345 to No. 5 in the POY race. And winner Weinman earned a $892,433 first prize while going from No. 757 to No. 10.
Also worth noting — Bryn's brother Tyler Kenney finished third in that same WPT Borgata Winter Open event, his first recorded cash of 2017, landing him at No. 106 in this week's GPI POY standings.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Petrangelo | 3577.93 | - |
| 2 | David Peters | 3505.18 | - |
| 3 | Fedor Holz | 3309.63 | - |
| 4 | Bryn Kenney | 3264.27 | - |
| 5 | Justin Bonomo | 3130.44 | +10 |
| 6 | Adrian Mateos | 3106.81 | -1 |
| 7 | Ankush Mandavia | 3037.94 | +2 |
| 8 | Jack Salter | 3036.10 | -2 |
| 9 | Dan Smith | 3007.59 | +33 |
| 10 | Ari Engel | 2971.69 | -3 |
By contrast, the GPI overall rankings typically doesn't exhibit so much week-to-week turmoil, given that it reflects results dating back three whole years. Even so, while Nick Petrangelo remained at No. 1 for a fourth week in a row and the top four spots all remained the same, there were a couple of big moves up into the overall top 10 as well this week.
Justin Bonomo charged back into the top 10, going from No. 15 to No. 5 this week after a third-place finish in one of the $25,000 ARIA High Rollers and a runner-up in that $50,000 ARIA Super High Roller. Dan Smith similarly moved up in the rankings thanks to high rolling successes at the ARIA, going from No. 42 to No. 9 after finishing runner-up in ARIA High Roller 50, then winning the $25,000 ARIA High Roller 51.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 109 | Daniel Weinman | 2131.09 |
| 139 | Isaac Haxton | 2001.28 |
| 185 | Nathan Bjerno | 1917.49 |
| 207 | Brian Rast | 1881.66 |
| 230 | Anthony Gregg | 1838.07 |
| 259 | Kees van Brugge | 1789.95 |
| 272 | Allen Kessler | 1757.67 |
| 294 | Loni Harwood | 1718.33 |
| 295 | Anthony Ruberto | 1717.99 |
| 296 | Michael Comisso | 1717.33 |
WPT Borgata Winter Open champion Weinman comes in as the highest-ranked of the 10 newcomers to this week's GPI top 300, having moved all of the way from No. 384 to No. 109 on the strength of that performance.
The new "welcome" list includes a few players rejoining the top 300 after having been knocked downward in the rankings last month following the introduction of a new "revamped" formula for calculating overall GPI rankings.
Isaac Haxton moved back up to No. 139 (from No. 343), Brian Rast comes in at No. 207 (from No. 369), and Anthony Gregg appears at No. 230 (from No. 460). Both Haxton and Rast cashed in those big buy-in events at the ARIA last week, while Gregg finished 14th in the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open to move up.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 185 | Nathan Bjerno | 1917.49 | +375 |
| 109 | Daniel Weinman | 2131.09 | +275 |
| 295 | Anthony Ruberto | 1717.99 | +249 |
| 230 | Anthony Gregg | 1838.07 | +230 |
| 139 | Isaac Haxton | 2001.28 | +204 |
Bjerno and Weinman made the biggest upward moves of players in this week's GPI top 300, with Gregg and Haxton likewise earning spots on the "Biggest Gains" top five. Meanwhile Anthony Ruberto finished ninth in the WPT Borgata Winter Open and added a second cash at Atlantic City's biggest casino to move from No. 544 to No. 295 and rejoin the top 300 after a two-month absence.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 220 | Andrew Hulme | 1854.19 | -52 |
| 193 | Tom Middleton | 1909.05 | -51 |
| 180 | Amos Ben | 1924.11 | -36 |
| 140 | Michael Addamo | 2000.39 | -32 |
| 223 | Manig Loeser | 1847.34 | -30 |
Finally, considering only those appearing in this week's top 300, Andrew Hulme slipped the furthest after going from No. 168 to No. 220.
What to Expect Next Week
The WPT L.A. Poker Classic continues with preliminary events until its Main Event comes at the end of February while the WPT Playground series in Kahnawake begins its week-long Main Event tomorrow. Also in action, the World Series of Poker Circuit is finishing a stop at the Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee this week.
To view the 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.
