Global Poker Index: Adrian Mateos New Overall No. 1, Kenney Leads POY
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 December 6.
2017 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Kenney | 3478.06 | - |
| 2 | Adrian Mateos | 3448.91 | - |
| 3 | Stephen Chidwick | 3280.21 | - |
| 4 | Koray Aldemir | 3197.38 | - |
| 5 | Dan Smith | 3170.57 | +1 |
| 6 | Nick Petrangelo | 3134.62 | -1 |
| 7 | Rainer Kempe | 3086.76 | +8 |
| 8 | Stefan Schillhabel | 3048.64 | -1 |
| 9 | Dario Sammartino | 3006.34 | -1 |
| 10 | Ari Engel | 2964.45 | +10 |
There's less than a month left on the 2017 poker tournament calendar, although with the World Poker Tour Five Diamond Classic already underway and the soon-to-start PokerStars Championship Prague series among the month's highlights, there remain plenty of opportunities for things to change in the 2017 Global Poker Index Player of the Year race.
That said, since our last look at the GPI rankings a month ago there has been no change at the top as far as the POY is concerned, as Bryn Kenney has remained the frontrunner for the last 16 weeks running.
Indeed, with some minor shuffling the top six players are the same as a month ago, while the bottom part of the Top 10 has seen some newcomers with Rainer Kempe, Stefan Schillhabel, and Ari Engel all having moved up onto the list during the last few weeks.
Speaking of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, last week Kempe topped a 39-entry field in the $25,000 Bellagio High Roller to enable his upward move. Meanwhile Engel's recent final table showing at the 2017 Rock 'n' Roll Poker Open Championship in Hollywood, Florida — finishing fifth of 585 entries — has helped him jump back into the top 10.
GPI 300 Top 10
| Rank | Player | GPI Score | Change From Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrian Mateos | 3571.59 | - |
| 2 | Bryn Kenney | 3401.03 | - |
| 3 | David Peters | 3343.89 | - |
| 4 | Stephen Chidwick | 3254.04 | - |
| 5 | Jason Koon | 3253.77 | +3 |
| 6 | Dan Smith | 3233.37 | +1 |
| 7 | Fedor Holz | 3217.59 | -2 |
| 8 | Rainer Kempe | 3184.27 | +3 |
| 9 | Nick Petrangelo | 3161.72 | -3 |
| 10 | Justin Bonomo | 3079.24 | -1 |
By contrast, there is a new name in the No. 1 spot of the overall GPI rankings, as Adrian Mateos finally managed to push up into first position a couple of weeks ago, ending what had been a 14-week reign for Kenney on top.
Mateos had moved up to No. 2 in the rankings at the start of November, then made his debut at No. 1 in the November 29 update.
Still just 23 years old, the Spaniard already has collected over $11.5 million in tournament winnings, including three World Series of Poker bracelets (among them a WSOP Europe Main Event title) and a European Poker Tour Main Event title (in the EPT Grand Final at Monte-Carlo two years ago).
Most recently Mateos added scores at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, making two final tables in preliminary events including a third-place showing in that aforementioned $25,000 Bellagio High Roller won by Kempe.
Welcome to the GPI Top 300
| Rank | Player | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 245 | Jeffrey Trudeau | 1954.63 |
| 250 | Andres Korn | 1945.77 |
| 273 | Jerry Wong | 1899.81 |
| 274 | Fehredin Mustafov | 1898.66 |
| 276 | Jean-Pascal Savard | 1885.66 |
| 277 | Park Yu Cheung | 1882.97 |
| 278 | Kyle Bowker | 1881.59 |
| 283 | Simon Lam | 1871.64 |
| 284 | Ray Henson | 1871.08 |
| 285 | Krzysztof Stybaniewicz | 1867.94 |
| 289 | Jean Gaspard | 1867.14 |
| 291 | Andrew Kelsall | 1862.68 |
| 294 | Kiryl Radzivonau | 1860.79 |
| 295 | Mark Herm | 1859.76 |
| 296 | Romain Lewis | 1859.25 |
Taking a peek at who's new in the most recent GPI rankings update, we find 15 players not in the list a week ago have now moved up to join the GPI Top 300 list thanks to recent tournament cashes.
Jeffrey Trudeau of Florida is the highest-ranked of this group currently, having moved up from No. 325 to No. 245 after earning a couple of cashes in the World Series of Poker Circuit Cherokee series, including a victory in the High Roller event.
Andres "Cacho" Korn won a bracelet at last summer's WSOP, and after collecting some recent cashes in his native Argentina he moved up from No. 382 to No. 250 to reclaim a spot in the Top 300.
Biggest Gains
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | Ben Tollerene | 2251.24 | +153 |
| 250 | Andres Korn | 1945.77 | +132 |
| 107 | Matas Cimbolas | 2282.08 | +120 |
| 285 | Krzysztof Stybaniewicz | 1867.94 | +120 |
| 289 | Jean Gaspard | 1867.14 | +96 |
Korn's move up the rankings was a big one, but the week's biggest gain was made by a player who had already been ranked in the GPI Top 300 a week ago.
Ben Tollerene elevated from No. 271 to No. 118 after two final table finishes in high roller events at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic last week in which he picked up a second and a fifth. The ranking represents Tollerene's career high to date, and he currently sits just outside the 2017 GPI POY Top 10 at No. 14.
Biggest Drops
| Rank | Player | Total GPI Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 237 | Daniel Strelitz | 1976.28 | -88 |
| 179 | Byron Kaverman | 2071.57 | -73 |
| 255 | Sam Chartier | 1933.12 | -67 |
| 190 | Sam Soverel | 2052.61 | -57 |
| 259 | Michal Mrakeš | 1929.81 | -51 |
Finally, looking strictly at players remaining inside the GPI Top 300 from a week ago, Daniel Strelitz endured the steepest drop after falling from No. 149 last week to No. 237 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.
