GPI Update: Byron Kaverman Leads Both GPI & POY Rankings; GPI Ties-Up With USA TODAY Sports For Exclusive Portal

Byron Kaverman is now not only ruling the Global Poker Index (GPI) Rankings, but also the GPI ‘Player of the Year’ Leaderboard. He has occupied the top spot on the GPI rankings for seven weeks in a row and this is his second week at No. 1 on the POY leaderboard. The rest of the GPI rankings show upheavals, but only after the top four.

A look at the charts show that almost all the climbers have come through with cashes at the recent EPT 12. The biggest move is by Dan Smith, who returns to the top 10 at No. 5, after a successful stint at the European Poker Tour Malta Series (EPT) 12. Kevin MacPhee and Martin Finger are two others who re-enter the top 10 this week.

For the record, Joe McKeehen, who won the 2015 WSOP Main Event this week, is now at No. 80. His win garnered him an extra 33 points that helped him lead from his earlier No. 113 position.

Barring Shyam Srinivasan, who takes a big fall this week, most other Indian-origin players in the GPI 300 rankings show a marginal rise.

In another major development, GPI has entered a new alliance with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, for a multi-year content deal.

Climbers

Dan Smith rises 14 spots to re-enter the top 10 and is now at No. 5. Smith has been busy at the EPT 12 IPT 7 Malta, where he cashed in the High Roller Event for €17,930 at 29^th place. He followed this up with another cash in the Main Event at 55^th place for €11,840.

Paul Volpe is also up, by two places at No. 6 this week.

Domnik Nitsche climbs one spot to reach No. 8.

Kevin MacPhee has risen two places and he too, re-enters the top 10 at No. 9.

Martin Finger is the third player to re-enter the top 10. He jumps three places to catch the last rung of No. 10.

Dippers

After a rise last week, Bryn Kenney falls by two spots to No. 7, in a domino effect by the rise of Smith and Volpe.

Davidi Kitai falls a full five places to move off the top 10 and is now at No. 11.

Steve O’Dwyer is another who falls off the top chart and is down by three places to No. 13.

Notable Indian Movers in the Top 300

Mukul Pahuja climbs another two spots to reach No. 28.

Pratyush Buddiga turns around by a spot to reach No. 39.

Ankush Mandavia falls by one place to No. 60.

Ravi Raghavan rises by two spots to reach No. 112.

Nipun Java climbs by five spots to reach No. 148.

Shyam Srinivasan shows a huge fall of 39 spots to No. 183.

Vinny Pahuja loses four ranks to reach No. 251.

Multi-Year Alliance Between GPI And USA TODAY Sports

The GPI has signed a multi-year agreement with the USA TODAY Sports Media group, for exclusive content, though details of the tie-up were not revealed. The deal will have the media house hosting a dedicated poker portal with GPI and its initiatives as the central focus.

Jason Ford, VP of Sports Marketing, USA TODAY Sports Media group announced that, “The Global Poker Index has done more than any other organization to unify poker and to see the possibilities that exist for creating a ‘big league’ atmosphere around play. We’re looking forward to working together to create a 24/7 digital poker destination, and to providing coverage for some of the groundbreaking events that GPI is launching.”

Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of GPI told the press that, “We’re extremely pleased to be announcing this multi-year content partnership with USA TODAY Sports. The partnership will provide an essential platform to showcase our innovative new events and to promote the players ranked in the Global Poker Index.”

Among the initiatives currently being pushed by the GPI is the Global Poker League (GPL) in early 2016. This innovative event will have 12 teams and two conferences competing in a international arena starting with its first season in the first few months of 2016 and will end with the GPI World Championships a few months later.

New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco are some of the cities signed up as teams. The event seeks to increase the poker fan base, by providing viewers more entertainment and interactive action to engage them.

It has been the ambitious dream of Dreyfus to “sportify” poker and he adds that this tie-up will further enhance in making poker a global sport.

Now that USA TODAY Sports will be the “Official Media Partner of Global Poker League,” poker surfers can look forward to the portal providing complete GPI content in print and digital form. These would include Player GPI Rankings, profiles, Event results, news coverages and more.