On Friday, the Global Poker Index (GPI) announced that German poker player Ole Schemion had won the 2013 GPI Player of the Year (POY) title, awarded to the years’ most successful live tournament player. Schemion just beat out GPI’s Player of the Decade Daniel Negreanu for the honor.
Schemion began the year in style, placing fourth in the $25,000 High Roller Event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) and then fifth in the $10,000 Six-Max Event. After another few cashes, he came up big again in April, winning the Championship Event of the Lebanese Poker Tour Kyrenia stop for just over $200,000.
He came up with another six-digit cash the following month, winning the €10,000 Six-Handed Turbo at the EPT Grand Final. In August, Schemion finished sixth in the EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller event and after the calendar page turned, he placed sixth in the EPT Barcelona €10,000 High Roller Re-Entry tourney.
The tournament that clinched the GPI Player of the Year for Ole Schemion was December’s EPT Prague Main Event, where he placed fifth for about $300,000.
Daniel Negreanu led the GPI POY race for much of the latter half of 2013 thanks to his World Series of Poker POY run, but since his High Roller win at WSOP Europe, he has not cashed, allowing Schemion to pass him in the rankings.
Schemion is already off to a great start in defense of his title this year, having already finished seventh in the $100,000 Super High Roller Event at the 2014 EPT PCA, a cash worth $277,080.
The top ten of the 2013 GPI POY rankings was led by Americans, who nabbed five of the spots. Paul Volpe was the leading U.S. points earner, garnering 1042.38 points (compared to 1163.14 for Schemion and 1130.87 for Negreanu). Canadians, led by Negreanu, were next with three players in the top ten, while Germans filled out the other two spots.
Schemion, as one might guess, also leads the overall GPI rankings, which account for the past 36 months (the most recent tournament results are weighted the most). Negreanu is second and Philipp Gruissem, who was seventh in the 2013 POY standings, is third.
2013 Global Poker Index Player of the Year Final Standings
1. Ole Schemion – 1163.14
2. Daniel Negreanu – 1130.87
3. Paul Volpe – 1042.38
4. Bryn Kenney – 986.26
5. David Peters – 983.67
6. Michael Watson – 964.80
7. Philipp Gruissem – 962.57
8. Steven Silverman – 940.41
9. Jonathan Duhamel – 938.76
10. Shannon Shorr – 929.10
