GPI Update: Mercier Holds on to Number One; Benyamine and Frankenberger Falter; Harder Marches Onward

Topics: Epic Poker League, Global Poker Index, Jonathan Duhamel, Andy Frankenberger, Christian Harder, David Benyamine [+]

The Global Poker Index ranks professional level tournament performance over a rolling 36-month period where more recent results are weighted more heavily than older results. Learn more about how the Global Poker Index is calculated.

As is the case with most major sports, February is generally a rather slow month for poker, and this week’s limited tournament action is reflected in limited movement on the Global Poker Index. Jason Mercier stands strong as the world’s Number One. And Christian Harder, Andy Frankenberger and McLean Karr make big moves, albeit not in the same direction. 

Mercier Maintains the Top Spot; Glantz rejoins the Top Twenty

After Erik Seidel (GPI#3 0) had held the world’s Number One ranking for four consecutive weeks, Mercier (GPI#1 0) is starting a new streak of his own. Due to aging, Mercier actually lost 11 points towards his overall GPI score, but he still keeps his lead over Bertrand “ElKY” Grospellier (GPI#2 0) and Eugene Katchalov (GPI#4 0). In fact, the entire Top Ten sees no change at all this week in rank.

And while no player in the Top Twenty lost more than 11 points this week, that was still enough for Matt Glantz (GPI#20 +1), who has very steadily climbed up the GPI since being ranked GPI#108 when it debuted in June, to rejoin the Top Twenty. His movement is simply due to John Eames losing 11 points with one of his scores from two years ago aging into Period 5. Martin Jacobson (GPI#14 +1) and Sam Stein (GPI#15 -1) flip-flop this week. Stein loses just 11 net points due to his 2010 Deep Stack Extravaganza $5,000 NLHE aging into Period 5, but it’s enough to knock him down to 15th.

Frankenberger and Benyamine Lose Ground

Andy Frankenberger (GPI#190 -38) has had a roller coaster ride within the rankings since debuting on the original Index back in June. After being ranked as high as GPI#77 on November 21, 2011, Frankenberger has trended downward and is again in danger of falling out of the Top 200. Frankenberger exploded onto the scene last year, but his marquee win at the 2010 WPT Legends of Poker $5,000 NLHE Main Event falls into Period 4 this week and knocks his 11th place cash in the 2010 WSOP Circuit Caesar’s Palace $5,000 Main Event out completely.

Meanwhile David Benyamine (GPI#156 -57) loses both the most points and drops the furthest of any player on the Index. Benyamine had been ranked as high as GPI#23 on June 18, 2011, but loses a net 158 points this week due to his 4th place finish in the Full Tilt Cyprus Classic $25,000 High Roller Event falling into Period 4. The aging of that event excludes Benyamine’s 12th place finish in the same series at the Cyprus Classic $5,000 NLHE Championship which also ages into Period 4, as well as another cash previously counting towards his Period 4 score.

McLean Karr (GPI#40 -12) takes the second largest hit this week with a 154 total point loss. The loss is due mainly to his 2011 Parx Open Classic Main event win ages into Period 2 and in turn excludes his 33rd place finish in the 2011 EPT San Remo €2,000 NLHE Event.

And Dan Smith loses the third most points this week with a 152 total point loss. Smith sees his runner-up finish in the 2011 Parx Open Classic $1,850 NLHE Main Event fall back into Period 2, where it completely knocks out his 11th place finish in a 2011 WSOP $1500 NLHE Triple Chance Event. 

Harder Charges Back; Greenstein Builds Back Up

Christian Harder (GPI#27 +14) continues to make waves in the poker world and his 173 point gain this week illustrates the young superstar’s prowess. Harder receives all of his points from his final table at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 NLHE Main Event. Harder only had three previous Period 1 scores, and gets to enjoy all the points this final table awarded him. This is the highest Harder has been ranked since he was ranked his highest ever at GPI#16 back on January 2.

Barry Greenstein (GPI73 +27) gets the second largest point gain this week with 116 points added to his overall score. Greenstein finished runner-up in a LAPC $1500 Chinese Poker Event this week and picks up 86 points for that score.

Other big gains belong to Matt Stout (GPI#97 +27), who picked up 86 points and Corey Burbick (GPI#196 +34), who picked up 81 points.

First Time in the Global Poker Index

This slow week didn’t stop two players from making their debuts on the GPI Top 300. Konstantin Streletskiy comes in at GPI#279 thanks in part to a 22nd place finish in the EPT Deauville €1,500 NLHE Event, but mainly due to this 16th place performance in the WPT Venice Grand Prix €4,500 NLHE Main Event. 2010 PCA $10,000 NLHE Main Event Champion Harrison Gimbel (GPI#293) makes his debut as well thanks to his 9th place finish in the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 NLHE Main Event.

Returning to the Global Poker Index

This week saw four players make their triumphant return to the Index. Jason Wheeler (GPI#250) returns with the highest rank. He gains big points from his 7th place finish in the Venice Grand Prix Main Event. WSOP Main Event Runner-Up Martin Staszko (GPI#252) also returns to the GPI 300 thanks to a 6th place finish in the German Championship of Poker €2,500 NLHE Main Event. Tamas Lendvai (GPI#298) and Jon Spinks (GPI#300) both make their returns to the GPI as well.

Exiting the GPI 300

Erik Haik
Grant Levy
Mads Wissing
Andrew Teng
Mike Leah
Amnon Filippi

Events on the Horizon

This calm in tournament poker will not last long. The LAPC is already underway and the big buy-in events are right around the corner. The $10,000 Main Event starts Friday. The $5,000 Heads-Up Event begins Sunday along with the $25,000 High Roller Event. The EPT Copenhagen Main Event has begun as well. And with the numerous high buy-in events during its series, expect the GPI to be wide awake by next week.

Players to Watch

Erik Seidel
Daniel Negreanu
Juha Helppi

With Daniel Negreanu’s final table at the LAPT Grand Final R$4,000 Main Event, watch for him to get big points in Period 1. Continue to watch the effects of aging on Erik Seidel as he saw success in Los Angeles last year. And Juha Helppi is making a run at another EPT final table. Can it get him back into the Top Twenty?