Global Poker Index: Nick Pupillo Leads POY Race, Ari Engel in Second
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 4.
2018 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | 2018 GPI POY Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Pupillo | 1824.63 |
| 2 | Ari Engel | 1800.79 |
| 3 | Georgios Zisimopoulos | 1797.41 |
| 4 | Stephen Chidwick | 1762.53 |
| 5 | Rainer Kempe | 1714.51 |
| 6 | Joseph McKeehen | 1601.68 |
| 7 | Justin Bonomo | 1595.25 |
| 8 | Isaac Haxton | 1537.95 |
| 9 | Timothy Miles | 1474.85 |
| 10 | Joao Simao | 1452.97 |
There has been a lot of movement at the top of the 2018 Global Poker Index Player of the Year leaderboard since we last checked in a month ago.
Stephen Chidwick was in first position then, followed by Justin Bonomo and Daniel Negreanu. Chidwick is at No. 4 now, with Bonomo No. 7 and Negreanu No. 15. Meanwhile there are three new names in the top spots, with Nick Pupillo currently the frontrunner.
Pupillo's push up the rankings came thanks to a stellar showing at the Foxwoods Poker Classic series a couple of weeks ago where he cashed three times, including a 13th in the Main Event won by Omar Saeed, a third-place finish in the High Roller, and a win in a six-max side event.
Ari Engel has been parked in the POY top 10 since the start of the year, and currently he sits in second position following a month that included a couple of first-place finishes during the World Series of Poker Circuit Los Angeles series at The Bicycle — one in an Omaha Hi-Lo event and another in the $160 Mega Millions XVIII Quantum Reload for a big $319,442 score.
Georgios Zisimopoulos has also moved up the list to third position after picking up a couple of cashes early in March at the Merit Poker Top Guns series in Kyrenia, Cyprus.
Looking outside of the top 10, Joseph Cheong made a big move up the rankings this week, going from No. 79 to No. 17 after final tabling the WSOP Circuit Nevada Main Event at Planet Hollywood and then winning a ring in the High Roller — managing both finishes in a single day!
Overall GPI Top 10
| Rank | Player | Overall GPI Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrian Mateos | 3752.03 |
| 2 | Stephen Chidwick | 3504.94 |
| 3 | Justin Bonomo | 3419.07 |
| 4 | David Peters | 3373.97 |
| 5 | Alex Foxen | 3307.41 |
| 6 | Ari Engel | 3276.24 |
| 7 | Joe McKeehen | 3257.60 |
| 8 | Koray Aldemir | 3176.79 |
| 9 | Stefan Schillhabel | 3153.14 |
| 10 | Rainer Kempe | 3145.90 |
By contrast, the top of the overall GPI rankings hasn't changed at all since last month, with Adrian Mateos continuing to occupy the No. 1 position. The young Spaniard has been the world's top-ranked tournament player for 19 straight weeks now after taking over the lead in late November 2017.
The next three spots on the list haven't changed either since early March, with Chidwick (No. 2), Bonomo (No. 3), and David Peters (No. 4) all right where they were the last time we looked.
Alex Foxen has moved up to join the top five thanks in part to his victory in the APPT Macau Super High Roller a couple of weeks ago.
Foxen's girlfriend Kristen Bicknell also did well in Macau where she won the APPT National High Roller (defeating Peters heads-up), then finished fourth in the APPT Macau High Roller. After winning the 2017 GPI Female Player of the Year, Bicknell is currently ranked 20th overall in the GPI (her career peak so far), and right now sits just outside the POY top 10 at No. 11.
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.
