Global Poker Index: Dario Sammartino Carries POY Lead Into August
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 2.
2017 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dario Sammartino | 2928.47 | - |
| 2 | Nick Petrangelo | 2881.97 | - |
| 3 | Dan Smith | 2841.98 | - |
| 4 | Bryn Kenney | 2840.97 | - |
| 5 | Koray Aldemir | 2833.85 | - |
| 6 | Sergio Aido | 2809.01 | - |
| 7 | David Peters | 2684.63 | - |
| 8 | Ari Engel | 2652.80 | - |
| 9 | Charlie Carrel | 2618.77 | - |
| 10 | Justin Bonomo | 2616.70 | - |
A quiet week, tournament-wise, means no movement whatsoever among the current top 10 in the 2017 Global Poker Index Player of the Year race. For those scoring at home, Dario Sammartino has been at No. 1 for three weeks now.
Looking just outside the Top 10 provides some news worth reporting, as 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe McKeehen has moved up from No. 34 to No. 11 after two straight runner-up finishes in events at the Borgata Summer Poker Open.
After finishing second of 124 entries in a $1K event at the Borgata, McKeehen then took second again just a couple of days later in a $2,700 event that drew 600 entries.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Petrangelo | 3480.87 | - |
| 2 | David Peters | 3294.37 | - |
| 3 | Ari Engel | 3182.73 | - |
| 4 | Adrian Mateos | 3177.14 | - |
| 5 | Bryn Kenney | 3162.11 | - |
| 6 | Sergio Aido | 3066.15 | - |
| 7 | Justin Bonomo | 3054.06 | - |
| 8 | Ankush Mandavia | 3039.56 | - |
| 9 | Steve O'Dwyer | 3032.63 | - |
| 10 | Fedor Holz | 3022.66 | +1 |
All was quiet for the most part as well at the top of the overall GPI rankings where Nick Petrangelo remains the highest-ranked player for an 18th week running.
The only change in the Top 10 also involved Sammartino who slipped a spot to No. 11 with former No. 1 Fedor Holz inching up to take his place at No. 10.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 249 | Alexander Greenblatt | 1896.31 |
| 256 | Mark Herm | 1882.55 |
| 279 | Peter Vitantonio | 1860.03 |
| 286 | Martin Jacobson | 1850.91 |
| 288 | Javier Zarco | 1848.79 |
| 289 | Michael Del Vecchio | 1847.87 |
| 292 | Paul Balzano | 1842.30 |
| 294 | Jean Gaspard | 1839.67 |
There were just eight new names in the GPI Top 300 this week, with Alexander Greenblatt the highest-ranked of the group after moving up from No. 309 to No. 249. Greenblatt took 12th in that aforementioned $2,700 NL event at the Borgata, earning him points to make the upward move.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 289 | Michael Del Vecchio | 1847.87 | +112 |
| 256 | Mark Herm | 1882.55 | +94 |
| 127 | Steffen Sontheimer | 2161.84 | +91 |
| 210 | Jean-Pascal Savard | 1961.28 | +84 |
| 199 | Shaun Deeb | 1983.29 | +81 |
Among the week's biggest gainers (looking only at players in the current Top 300), Michael Del Vecchio moved up the most after a jump from No. 401 to No. 289.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 274 | Matt Bond | 1864.56 | -77 |
| 192 | Craig Varnell | 1999.48 | -66 |
| 248 | Samuel Phillips | 1899.18 | -46 |
| 241 | Rex Clinkscales | 1919.11 | -43 |
| 186 | [Removed:172] | 2012.12 | -42 |
Finally, again only looking at the Top 300 players, Matt Bond endured the steepest drop after tumbling from No. 197 to No. 274.
What to Expect Next Week
There are currently two different PokerStars tournament series ongoing, with the PokerNews live reporting team at both locations.
PokerStars Festival Bucharest is up and running in Romania where the Main Event started yesterday. And PokerStars Festival Manila is happening as well with both a High Roller and the Main Event in action.
Meanwhile the World Poker Tour has events happening in Oklahoma and California — the WPT Choctaw and WPT Legends of Poker series, respectively. Also, the partypoker German Poker Championships get started over in Rozvadov in the Czech Republic on Sunday.
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.
