Eui Woong Kim Zooms Into Top 10 of GPI Player of the Year

There are three new entries in the top 10 of the Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year standings, with Canadian Eui Woong Kim leading the way by climbing 12 spots into fourth place on 327.08 points.

The Toronto native is joined by American Steve O’Dwyer in ninth after he moved up 16 places to 290.18 points and Mexican Jose Manuel Nadal, who rocketed 61 places into 10th on 287.09.

All three newcomers enjoyed some success at the recent European Poker Tour (EPT) stop in Campione, with Kim winning the €2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Eight-Max Turbo Bounty event for €27,800.

The Canuck – who won the LA Poker Classic $25,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em High Roller event for $242,970 in late February – also finished in 17th place in the €2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Eight-Max tournament in Italy for $5,704, while Mexico City’s Nadal took 24th, from 570 entries, for $19,897 in the €5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event.

Jose Manuel Nadal Enjoys EPT Campione

Nadal also picked up a cheque for $7,030 for securing fourth place in the €2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Eight-Max Turbo Bounty tournament at the Casinó Campione d’Italia to secure his place just inside the GPI top 10.

Las Vegas-based O’Dwyer, meanwhile, pocketed $98,159 for taking the runner-up spot – behind Dutchman Govert Metaal – in the €10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Eight-Max event in Italy.

The American has already managed four final table finishes in 2012, including victory – for $213,796 – in the €1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event in Vejle early last month as part of the World Poker Tour (WPT) National Series in Denmark.

American Jason Koon (down three places to 11th on 284.24 points), Ruben Visser (down six to 15th on 258.04), of the Netherlands, and Englishman Stephen Chidwick (down seven to 17th on 248.78) were the unfortunate trio to fall out of the top 10.

Top Three Places Remain Unchanged

Meanwhile, the leading three spots on the GPI PoY leaderboard remained unchanged, with French-Canadian Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel top on 595.68 points, countryman Erik Cajelais – a former Full Tilt Pro – second on 342.87 and French rapper Bruno ‘Kool Shen’ Lopes third with 337.28.

However, there were some massive climbs inside the top 100 places, with Dane Jannick Wrang picking up 160 places to take 12th on 283.46 points after his victory for $848,941 in the €5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event in Campione.

The Copenhagen native was not the biggest mover around the top 100, though, as Azerbaijan’s Ramin Hajiyev shot up 718 spots to 99th on 158.54 points after finishing in 12th place at the Campione main event for $39,794.

Fabrice Soulier Climbs 133 Places Into 14th

Other notable movers inside the top 50 included Team Everest Pro Fabrice Soulier (261.65 points), who shot up 133 spots to 14th following his third place main event finish in Italy for $318,353, as well as Olivier Busquet (up 206 to 16th on 255.19), Zimnan Ziyard (up 111 to 21st on 231.57), Govert Metaal (up 154 to 25th on 226.16), French Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier (up 49 to 27th on 217.90), Koen De Visscher (up 377 to 34th on 206.48), Balazs Botond (up 518 to 38th on 200.23), Nick Yunis (up 63 to 43rd on 196.45), Aubin Cazals (up 69 to 45th on 195.67), Andrea Dato (up 63 to 47th on 194.27) and Sergio Castelluccio (up 91 to 49th on 192.91).

Also enjoying positive movement were Ondrej Vinklarek (up 75 to 58th on 184.44), Stefan Huber (up 248 to 61st on 182.48), Thomas Butzhammer (up 65 to 63rd on 180.01), Martin Jacobson (up 41 to 77th on 172.59), Jean-Philippe Rohr (up 405 to 83rd on 168.18), David Stefanski (up 67 to 94th on 161.04) and Massimo Mosele (up 167 to 98th on 158.74).

Carlo Savinelli Highest New Entry at 73rd

Italian Carlo Savinelli recorded the highest new entry in the GPI PoY top 1,000 standings at 73rd on 173.73 points after winning the €5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max Turbo event in Campione for $64,334 – just days before securing 52nd in the main event for $11,938.

Players’ scores comprise as many as 11 event results from the start of the calendar year, with a maximum of six coming between January 1 and June 30, and up to five between July 1 and December 31.

As with the GPI 300 rankings, all events must possess a buy-in no lower than $1,500 and attract at least 21 entries to qualify towards a player’s score.

Check out our GPI page for more information on the Global Poker Index.

GPI Player of the Year Top 10

1. Jonathan Duhamel (Canada) – 595.68 (no change)

2. Erik Cajelais (Canada) – 342.87 (no change)

3. Bruno ‘Kool Shen’ Lopes (France) – 337.28 (no change)

4. Eui Woong Kim (Canada) – 327.08 (up 12 places)

5. Noah Schwartz (USA) – 326.05 (down one place)

6. Faraz Jaka (USA) – 308.35 (down one place)

7. Sam Chartier (Canada) – 305.80 (down one place)

8. Oliver Speidel (Australia) – 300.53 (down one place)

9. Steve O’Dwyer (USA) – 290.18 (up 16 places)

10. Jose Manuel Nadal (Mexico) – 287.09 (up 61 places)