Global Poker Index: Kenney Still Tops While Chidwick, Aldemir Move Up
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 August 30.
2017 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Kenney | 3284.93 | - |
| 2 | Koray Aldemir | 3149.15 | - |
| 3 | Nick Petrangelo | 3058.14 | +1 |
| 4 | Dario Sammartino | 2928.47 | -1 |
| 5 | Dan Smith | 2841.98 | - |
| 6 | Sergio Aido | 2809.01 | - |
| 7 | Pete Chen | 2781.40 | - |
| 8 | Stephen Chidwick | 2778.51 | +11 |
| 9 | Ari Engel | 2769.06 | - |
| 10 | David Peters | 2745.14 | -2 |
After reclaiming the lead in the 2017 Global Poker Index Player of the Year race last week, Bryn Kenney stays on top for a second week running with Koray Aldemir remaining his closest challenger in second position.
Nick Petrangelo moved up a spot to No. 3 in the POY rankings after a relatively deep run in the PokerStars Championship Barcelona Main Event. Petrangelo took 19th out of 1,682 in the event won by Sebastian Sorensson.
Stephen Chidwick also enjoyed a successful series in Barcelona. He won the first single-day €25,500 NL Hold'em 8-Handed Single Re-Entry event, then nearly won the second one as well, finishing third. Points earned from those results helped Childwick jump from No. 19 to No. 8 to join the current Top 10.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Kenney | 3415.63 | - |
| 2 | Nick Petrangelo | 3307.33 | +1 |
| 3 | David Peters | 3262.53 | -1 |
| 4 | Justin Bonomo | 3230.84 | - |
| 5 | Stephen Chidwick | 3209.76 | +2 |
| 6 | Adrian Mateos | 3203.92 | -1 |
| 7 | Ari Engel | 3127.74 | -1 |
| 8 | Dan Smith | 3076.69 | - |
| 9 | Ankush Mandavia | 3053.09 | - |
| 10 | Koray Aldemir | 3014.22 | +9 |
Kenney retained the No. 1 position in the overall global rankings again this week, too, his second week on top there as well.
Kenney knocked Petrangelo out of the top spot last week (after 20 weeks in first for Petrangelo). However that Main Event finish helped Petrangelo move back up from No. 3 to No. 2 this week and one spot closer to moving back in front.
Chidwick's twin scores in Barcelona moved him from No. 7 to No. 5 in the latest update. The British pro's highest previous ranking has been No. 3 (in June 2015).
Aldemir also moved up this week from No. 19 to No. 10 after he earned four cashes during the PSC Barcelona series, including three final tables. It's a career-high ranking for Aldemir who cracks the overall Top 10 for the first time.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 173 | Alex Difelice | 2023.51 |
| 186 | Stefan Jedlicka | 1997.86 |
| 209 | Jeremy Meacham | 1974.28 |
| 217 | Govert Metaal | 1947.39 |
| 229 | Jake Cody | 1932.17 |
| 237 | Lander Lijo | 1919.24 |
| 242 | Aleksandr Gofman | 1913.92 |
| 253 | Jussi Nevanlinna | 1888.66 |
| 258 | John Juanda | 1883.18 |
| 266 | Andre Akkari | 1863.95 |
| 270 | Jan Bendik | 1858.97 |
| 274 | Matas Cimbolas | 1849.70 |
| 276 | Kyle Bowker | 1844.77 |
| 284 | Adam Owen | 1835.26 |
| 292 | Francois Billard | 1824.35 |
| 293 | Osmin Dardon | 1823.86 |
| 294 | Robert Hankins | 1821.68 |
| 295 | Anton Astapau | 1820.47 |
| 296 | Christoph Vogelsang | 1820.43 |
| 297 | Jens Lakemeier | 1819.83 |
| 300 | James Calderaro | 1817.71 |
There were no less than 21 new names in the GPI Top 300 this week, with Alex Difelice the highest ranked among the newcomers. Difelice made a huge upward move, going from No. 526 to No. 173 after cashing twice in Barcelona, including finishing 10th in the Main Event.
Three cashes in Barcelona helped Stefan Jedlicka move up from No. 329 to No. 186. Meanwhile Jeremy Meacham's victory in the World Series of Poker Circuit Foxwood Main Event earned him $156,735 for topping the 486-entry field and also elevated him from No. 369 to No. 209 in the GPI.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 173 | Alex Difelice | 2023.51 | +353 |
| 292 | Francois Billard | 1824.35 | +208 |
| 266 | Andre Akkari | 1863.95 | +177 |
| 209 | Jeremy Meacham | 1974.28 | +160 |
| 124 | Albert Daher | 2143.21 | +149 |
Difelice's leap was the largest of anyone in this week's GPI Top 300, with Francois Billard's move up from No. 500 to No. 292 the next biggest upward move. Billard had three cashes in Barcelona, including a runner-up in a €10K side event, to improve his ranking.
Andre Akkari also moved back into the Top 300 this week, enjoying the third-biggest gain of players on the list this week after finishing fifth in the PSC Barcelona Main Event. Akkari's previous career-high ranking was No. 111 in February 2016.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 271 | Artem Metalidi | 1857.25 | -110 |
| 155 | Ivan Luca | 2068.27 | -88 |
| 202 | Ilkin Savalan Amirov | 1980.93 | -71 |
| 213 | Dylan Linde | 1962.19 | -71 |
| 236 | [Removed:172] | 1919.37 | -61 |
Finally, only looking at those in the current GPI Top 300, Artem Metalidi endured the steepest slip since the last update after tumbling from No. 161 to No. 271.
What to Expect Next Week
The World Poker Tour Legends of Poker series at the Bicycle Casino comes to an exciting conclusion tonight with a six-handed final table featuring JC Tran, Marvin Rettenmaier, and Phil Hellmuth.
Meanwhile the Heartland Poker Tour is currently playing out a series at the Ameristar Casino in Chicago, the 2017 World Cup of Cards continues at the Playground Poker Club in Quebec, and the Brazilian Series of Poker gets started today in Foz do Iguaçu, Pa, Brazil.
Also ongoing are the WPT Deepstacks Portugal series in Vilamoura, the WSOP International Circuit Rotterdam series in the Netherlands, and the partypoker Millions Russia series in Sochi.
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.
