What is the Global Poker Index Rankings?
The Global Poker Index (GPI) is a system for ranking the world’s best poker players. Players are ranked weekly based on their performance by finishing in cash positions in qualifying tournaments over the previous 36-month period. Qualifying tournaments are events with 32 or more players, a buy-in for at least $1, and open to the public. Selected audience events, such as women or seniors, are excluded from the list.
How are the Global Poker Index Rankings calculated?
The GPI Rankings are calculated using a weighted formula that takes into account tournament results over the past three years, attributing more value to the most recent results. The best five results in a six-month period are taken for a total of the previous 18 months. For the next 18 months, the best four results are taken in each six-month period.
A weighting is applied, giving more relevance to the most recent results. A buy-in factor also comes into play, ensuring rankings aren’t skewed by the higher buy-in results. Any tournament between $1 and $20,000 is taken into account. Results from any tournament with a larger buy-in will still count towards the rankings, but the score taken from it will be capped as if it was a $20,000 tournament.
The 300 players with the top score after all of these factors then make up the GPI Rankings for that week.
Who is the best poker player in the world?
This is largely subjective, and with the GPI Rankings changing each week, it’s difficult to pinpoint one player who people can unanimously agree is the best.
The 2021 Player of the Year, according to the GPI rankings, was Almedin Imsirovic. After a string of high-profile tournament victories that year, it’s difficult to argue with this result. Daniel Negreanu and Jason Koon were other notable names in the top 15.
However, away from the GPI Rankings, many people would agree that certain players are, and have been, at the top of the game for years. While they might not have the best recent results, nor be as active as they once were, the likes of Negreanu, Phil Ivey and Erik Seidel will always come up in the conversation due to their sheer presence at the very top of the game for so long.
Global Poker Index FAQs
