Global Poker Index: Huge Year So Far Puts Justin Bonomo in POY Lead
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 July 4.
2018 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | 2018 GPI POY Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Bonomo | 3660.28 |
| 2 | Stephen Chidwick | 3415.46 |
| 3 | Joe McKeehen | 3086.82 |
| 4 | Jake Schindler | 2959.53 |
| 5 | Rainer Kempe | 2923.53 |
| 6 | Adrian Mateos | 2696.48 |
| 7 | Kristen Bicknell | 2684.50 |
| 8 | Joseph Cheong | 2650.81 |
| 9 | David Peters | 2635.56 |
| 10 | Bryn Kenney | 2631.34 |
He's earned the most in tournament winnings during the first six months 2018 — by a lot. No surprise, then, to see Justin Bonomo has now climbed into the top spot in the 2018 Global Poker Index Player of the Year rankings.
When we last looked at the race a month ago, Bonomo was in second position behind Stephen Chidwick after having led the POY race earlier in the year. But Bonomo retook the No. 1 spot shortly after winning Event #16: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship for his second career bracelet, and he's remained in the lead for the last four weeks.
Bonomo has earned more than $14.8 million in tournaments already in 2018, with Jason Koon the nearest challenger on this year's money list with about $9.6 million so far.
Chidwick — who has earned just over $7 million in 2018 — is still high in the POY rankings at No. 2, with Joe McKeehen (No. 3), Jake Schindler (No. 4), Rainer Kempe (No. 5), and 2017 GPI Player of the Year Adrian Mateos (No. 6) all also still in the top 10 as they were a month ago.
During June, Kristen Bicknell moved up into the Top 10 and is presently at No. 7 after cashing five times at the WSOP plus twice more in the Mid-States Poker Tour DeepStack Championship Poker Series at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
Rounding out the current Top 10, Joseph Cheong (No. 8) has been holding steady for the last month, David Peters (No. 9) recently moved up after cashing five times at the WSOP, and Bryn Kenney (No. 10) has slipped a few places after cashing three times early in the series but not since.
Overall GPI Top 10
| Rank | Player | Overall GPI Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Chidwick | 3753.12 |
| 2 | Adrian Mateos | 3593.58 |
| 3 | Alex Foxen | 3584.80 |
| 4 | David Peters | 3482.92 |
| 5 | Joe McKeehen | 3432.67 |
| 6 | Justin Bonomo | 3398.74 |
| 7 | Jason Koon | 3389.26 |
| 8 | Sam Greenwood | 3336.15 |
| 9 | Rainer Kempe | 3308.79 |
| 10 | Bryn Kenney | 3247.08 |
Meanwhile there's no change at the top of the GPI overall world rankings as Chidwick extends his streak at No. 1 to 12 weeks.
In fact, these are the same 10 players in this list as was the case at the start of June, with Mateos (from whom Chidwick seized the overall rankings lead) still at No. 2.
Alex Foxen has moved up, however, and in fact was as high as second in the rankings himself at one point during June (a career-high). His upward move was helped in part by a victory in a MSPT DeepStack Championship Poker Series $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the Venetian in which Bicknell finished second.
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.
