December 15 2011, Mickey Doft

Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes a player’s results over six half-year periods. Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier still holds down the fort at No. 1, but Erik Seidel, Jason Mercier, and Eugene Katchalov are all within striking distance. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.

The Top 10 as of December 12, 2011

The new face in the top 10 this week is Matt Marafioti. After a runner-up showing in a $5,000 preliminary event at the 2011 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, Marafioti finished 15th in the Main Event of the WPT Five Diamond. Sorel Mizzi returned to the top 10 after one of his aging Period 1 results from the 2011 WSOP gave his Period 2 results (which only had one result counting) a much-needed boost.

Welcome to the GPI

There were 17 new additions to the GPI this week. Topping the list in the No. 173 spot is James “Flushy” Dempsey. Dempsey is certainly ending 2011 in style as two final tables, including a win, have vaulted the Brit into the GPI. First, he finished third in a $5,000 preliminary event at the 2011 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Then came the Main Event, which he won.

New Additions

The 17 who fell from the GPI this week were Amnon Filippi, Chris Bjorin, James Calderaro, John Duthie, Michael Chow, Mihails Morozovs, Mike Sexton, Nicolas Chouity, Richard Lyndaker, Robert Suer, Seth Fischer, Steve Landfish, Tyler Kenney, Tyler Smith, Vadim Kursevich, Ville Haavisto, and Youcef Benzerfa.

Ups and Downs

The biggest rise of the week belonged to Andrew Lichtenberger. With his fourth-place finish in the 2011 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event over the weekend, Lichtenberger rocketed 152 places up the GPI.

Biggest Gains

Jesse Martin and Ali Eslami took the biggest tumbles down the GPI this week. Two of their 2011 WSOP cashes fell out of their Period 1 results, leaving just one cash to be counted in each of their Period 1s.

Biggest Drops

What’s In Store?

In addition to more 2011 WSOP scores aging, the Epic Poker League Main Event #3 kicked off on Wednesday and will be sure to have an effect on next week’s GPI.

To look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website. While you’re at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.

To stay on top of the GPI and other happenings in the poker world, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Follow Mickey Doft on Twitter – @mrdoft

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December 14 2011, Josh Bell

This is your last chance to pick up a share of free cash in the $10,000 PokerStars PokerNews League!

This week marks the last event for players to participate in for the $10,000 PokerStars PokerNews League.

If you would like to make your way up the leaderboard and secure a spot in the PokerStars League Final, make sure to take to the felt in the last league event and don’t forget to use your wild card.

Weekly $10,000 PokerNews League Tournaments

With just one event left, ”AJEI” sits atop the leaderboard with 90 points after another remarkable finish in last week’s league event.

In Weeks 7 and 8 of the league, “AJEI” took down consecutive victories to skyrocket up the leaderboard, and another big finish saw “AJEI” finish in third place last week to secure 17 points.

$10,000 PokerNews League Leaderboard

As you can see above, it only takes 34 points to finish in the top 10 and this can easily be achieved if new players finish in first or second place in the last event and make sure they use their wild cards to receive double league points.

To choose a wild-card event players need to announce it before the start of the chosen event in the dedicated forum thread.

Remember, players only need to finish in the top 27 to secure a spot in the League Final and currently the player in 27th place, “lariam,” has 21 points. This will be easy to catch if you put in a big finish in the final league event, so make sure you don’t miss out.

League Point Payout Structure

Players receive one additional point, just for participating.

Follow the leaderboard standings!

The League Final will award the top 18 finishers with a share of the huge $10,000 league prize pool and below is a breakdown of how the winners will be awarded their prizes.

$10,000 League Final Payout Structures

The $10,000 PokerStars PokerNews League is open to players from all regions, and all that player need to participate is a password which will be released on PokerNews 48 hours before each event.

In addition to the $10,000 PokerStars PokerNews League, seven region-specific leagues will also award huge cash to players. The leagues are locked to players with accounts from the given region and players will need a password, which will be released on the corresponding website.

Players from these region-specific leagues also have the ability to take part in $10,000 PokerStars PokerNews League and the Australasian League, which is also open to all players.

Iberian League: The league features a $4,000 prize pool and is locked to players with accounts based in Portugal and Spain.

Western European League: The league features a $9,000 prize pool and is locked to players with accounts based in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Liechtenstein, Austria and the Netherlands.

Central European League: The league features a $9,000 prize pool and is locked to players with accounts based in Solvenia, Balkans, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Eastern European League: The league features a $9,000 prize pool and is locked to players with accounts based in Romania, Bulgaria, the Russian Federation, Poland and Ukraine.

Nordic League: The league features a $4,000 prize pool and is locked to players with accounts based in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Baltic League: The league features a $9,000 prize pool and is locked to players based in Estonia, Israel, Turkey, Lithuania and Latvia.

Australasian League: The league features a $5,000 prize pool and is targeted at players with accounts based in Japan, Korea, China, India and Australia. (This league is also open to everyone.)

If you would like to start playing the league but don’t have an account, sign up to PokerStars through PokerNews using the marketing code “POKERNEWS.COM” and the bonus code “STARS600″, and you can receive to a huge 100% up to $600 first-deposit bonus

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

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