Global Poker Index: Alex Foxen Wins 2018 GPI Player of the Year
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.
Below we share the overall GPI rankings as of January 2, but first let's take a look at the final results of the 2018 Global Poker Index Player of the Year. We noted at the start of November how Alex Foxen had grabbed the lead away from Stephen Chidwick, and when the year-end results were tallied Foxen was still on top to claim this year's GPI POY title.
2018 GPI Player of the Year
| Rank | Player | GPI Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Foxen | 4095.52 |
| 2 | Stephen Chidwick | 3787.26 |
| 3 | David Peters | 3776.97 |
| 4 | Justin Bonomo | 3763.02 |
| 5 | Jake Schindler | 3716.07 |
| 6 | Steve O'Dwyer | 3596.30 |
| 7 | Pavel Plesuv | 3503.07 |
| 8 | Adrian Mateos | 3412.43 |
| 9 | Michael Soyza | 3389.65 |
| 10 | Joe McKeehen | 3381.56 |
| 11 | Michael Addamo | 3366.69 |
| 12 | Shaun Deeb | 3346.66 |
| 13 | Benjamin Pollak | 3313.33 |
| 14 | Ryan Riess | 3284.31 |
| 15 | Ben Yu | 3267.34 |
| 16 | Jason Koon | 3232.14 |
| 17 | Mikita Badziakouski | 3184.50 |
| 18 | Rainer Kempe | 3172.45 |
| 19 | Nick Petrangelo | 3167.54 |
| 20 | Isaac Haxton | 3162.75 |
Foxen earned more than $6.6 million in tournaments during his stellar 2018, bringing his career earnings total up over $8.8 million. His 24 recorded Hendon Mob cashes for the year included an incredible 18 final tables and five titles, with Foxen's largest first prize earned for his victory back in March in the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Super High Roller in Macau for which he won HK$7,560,000 or about $963K USD.
That wasn't Foxen's largest cash of the year, however, as just a couple of weeks ago he won $2.16 million for finishing runner-up in the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl V won by Isaac Haxton.
Foxen breaks through to earn the POY title this year after having finished 12th in the POY race a year ago. Looking back at the rest of those 2017 GPI POY results, no less than nine players finishing in this year's Top 20 were in the Top 20 a year ago as well, including last year's POY winner Adrian Mateos and Chidwick who came close in 2017 as well when he finished third.
Others returning to the Top 20 again after doing so in 2017 were Nick Petrangelo (who finished ninth last year), Rainer Kempe (10th in 2017), David Peters (13th in 2017), Jason Koon (17th in 2017), Ryan Riess (18th in 2017), and Joe McKeehen (20th in 2017).
Yesterday the GPI also announced several other player-of-the-year honors based on performances during the calendar year:
| Title | Player |
|---|---|
| 2018 GPI Female Player of the Year | Kristen Bicknell |
| 2018 GPI Player of the Year Americas | Alex Foxen |
| 2018 GPI European Player of the Year | Stephen Chidwick |
| 2018 GPI Player of the Year Asia | Michael Soyza |
| 2018 GPI Player of the Year Latam | Joao Simao |
That makes two years in a row Kristen Bicknell has ended the year as the top-ranking female player. Her 28 recorded cashes in 2018 added up to nearly $1.1 million in tournament earnings.
Meanwhile 2018 GPI European Player of the Year Chidwick earned almost $10.2 million during the calendar year, good enough for fourth on the 2018 Money List behind Justin Bonomo ($25.43M), Mikita Badziakouski ($14.56M), and Jason Koon ($12.48M). Chidwick's biggest cash of the year came near the end as well when he took third in the Super High Roller Bowl, good for a little over $1.5 million.
2018 GPI Player of the Year Asia Michael Soyza earned six titles during year, winning tournaments in Korea, Macau, Manila, Barcelona, and Las Vegas. 2018 GPI Player of the Year Latam Joao Simao was similarly consistent throughout the year with numerous final tables and a win the Brazilian Series of Poker in November.
Now, a quick look at the current overall GPI rankings:
Overall GPI Top 10
| Rank | Player | Overall GPI Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Foxen | 4015.87 |
| 2 | David Peters | 3626.14 |
| 3 | Stephen Chidwick | 3602.31 |
| 4 | Steve O'Dwyer | 3525.99 |
| 5 | Jake Schindler | 3441.79 |
| 6 | Benjamin Pollak | 3358.79 |
| 7 | Adrian Mateos | 3340.35 |
| 8 | Ryan Riess | 3300.80 |
| 9 | Mikita Badziakouski | 3253.02 |
| 10 | Pavel Plesuv | 3251.80 |
Foxen remains atop the overall rankings, having occupied the No. 1 spot now for the last 12 weeks.
In fact, the top five positions on this list remain the same as a month ago, while there was only a small amount of shuffling among the bottom five. Pavel Plesuv is the only new name here, coming in at No. 10 after Bonomo dropped from the list in early December.
Four cashes during the European Poker Tour Prague series enabled Plesuv's climb, among them a fourth-place finish in the €50,000 Super High Roller won by Matthias Eibinger.
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.
