Global Poker Index POY Celebrates 10 Years of Rankings with Revival of Boards, 20th GPI 300 Leader Crowned

Hard to believe that it has been ten years since the Global Poker Index has been utilized in the world of poker. From its humble beginnings in 2011 as a method of ranking players to be eligible for a long since gone poker tour, the Global Poker Index has now become one of the best methods of ranking the ever-changing question of who the best in poker is. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the GPI is also undergoing a rebirth of sorts as it looks to maintain its authoritative position in poker while crowning its 20^th ever Global Poker Index 300 leader.

POY Returns in 2021 Alongside Mid-Major Rankings

After the shutdown of the tournament poker world in 2020, the GPI did not award a POY for the 2020 tournament season. Because of the lack of events, it was the only logical decision to make for the organization. It also suspended its GPI 300, which ranks the top 300 players in the world over the past three years (which in theory eliminates variance from the equation in considering poker excellence).

Over the last weekend, the GPI came back to life, and they have been busy. The number crunchers have compiled the statistics for the first half of 2020 and come up with a current ranking of the Player of the Year race for 2021. After the stats were compiled, the Top Ten players for the 2021 GPI Player of the Year race were announced:

1. Ali Imsirovic, 2758.21 points
2. Jesse Lonis, 2409.35
3. Qing Liu, 2339.32
4. Alex Foxen, 2293.88
5. Adam Hendrix, 2232.61
6. Joey Weissman, 2217.63
7. Jordan Cristos, 2210.43
8. Sean Winter, 2153.42
9. Sergio Aida, 2055.11
10. James Anderson, 2000.03

In a move to try to reduce the impact of the “high roller” circuit on the POY rankings, the GPI has also introduced what they call their “Mid-Major” GPI for 2021. For the MMGPI POY (we are working on the acronym), tournaments with a buy in of $2000 or less will be considered (probably could have set the limit higher, but that is a discussion for another time). To this point in 2021, the Mid-Major Global Poker Index Player of the Year lines up as such:

1. Jesse Lonis, 2019.27 points
2. Jordan Cristos, 1837.17
3. Joseph Henry, 1810.14
4. Tuan Mai, 1790.21
5. Daniel Sepiol, 1702.53
6. Nick Pupillo, 1681.12
7. Qing Liu, 1645.97
8. Michael Rossitto, 1645.73
9. Ricardo Eyzaguirre, 1630.80
10. Francis Anderson, 1618.23

Joe McKeehen Crowned 20^th Ever Leader of GPI 300

Back in 2011 with the first-ever GPI 300, Jason Mercier was crowned as the leader of the pack. The GPI 300 was the attempt by the organization to rank the top 300 players in the world over a three-year period. The three-year period of review allowed for a one-time “lightning strike” from having an overt impact on the rankings, such as a victory in a major event or a high dollar buy in tournament’s effect on the overall ratings.

Over the decade since Mercier was first crowned as the GPI 300 leader, only 18 other players have held the position. It has included over the years France’s Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, eight-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel, fellow Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu, and the only two-time winner of the GPI POY, Alex Foxen. Now, the 20^th member of that exclusive club has been crowned. When the rankings were revived on July 1, former World Champion Joe McKeehen stood atop the rankings:

1. Joe McKeehen, 2200.88 points
2. Nick Pupillo, 2125.12
3. Brian Altman, 2107.56
4. Qing Liu, 2103.51
5. Matas Cimbolas, 2102.51
6. Brock Wilson, 2056.71
7. Adam Hendrix, 2055.14
8. Ali Imsirovic, 2015.48
9. Alex Foxen, 1991.37
10. Joey Weissman, 1983.18

With tournament poker ramping up again, all of these rankings are subject to change. It is also a sign that the world is beginning to emerge from the shutdown as “regular” situations begin to reemerge from their slumber.