August 13 2012, PokerNews Staff

Five Colombians made the final table of the 2012 PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour Colombian National Poker Championship on Sunday. They were joined by a rock-solid Brazilian and a Spaniard who had more live tournament experience than the rest of the table combined. But an unheralded qualifier, Robbie Renehan of Dublin, Ireland, surprised everyone at the Allegre Casino in Medellin, Colombia by grinding his way home and claiming the top prize of 264,700,000 Colombian pesos (USD$147,877).

Last year, the CNPC was priced at a modest $1,100 and drew 681 players, exceeding the wildest expectations of tournament organizers but causing some tight quarters on the tournament floor. This year, the buy-in was increased to $2,500, helping to reduce the field to a more manageable 337 players. Forty-eight made the money, including a few Team PokerStars Pros: Angel Guillen of Mexico, who finished 47th for the minimum payout of $3,614, and Costa Rica’s Humberto Brenes, who continued his string of success on the LAPT by finishing in 22nd place ($5,028).

Renehan, 29, qualified for the CNPC on PokerStars. His previous live tournament earnings totaled less than $6,000. By making the final table, Renehan guaranteed a payout of triple those earnings because eighth place at the CNPC paid $17,441. But Renehan wasn’t interested in eighth place. He was patient in the early stages of the final table while other players were eliminated, and then used a timely knockout of his own to grab enough chips to begin to pressure other players.

On the final hand, Renehan’s heads-up opponent, Jayr Fregona of Brazil, moved all in with ace-eight. Renehan snap-called with pocket queens. Five cards later, he was the latest LAPT champion.

By all accounts, the LAPT’s return to Medellin was a success. The tour will seek to build on that success next month when it goes to Panama for the first time. From Sept. 26 to Sept. 30, Latin American poker action can be found at the Veneto Hotel and Casino in Panama City. Satellites are running now on PokerStars.

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August 09 2012, 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. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.

The Top 10 as of August 6, 2012

The only real change toward the top of the GPI this week was Marvin Rettenmaier’s falling slightly. His sixth-place finish in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event at the 2011 Merit Cyprus Classic aged into Period 3. Coincidentally (within the past few hours), Rettenmaier won the 2012 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic.

Welcome to the GPI

Six players, led by Nam Le at No. 246, were new to this week’s GPI. Le recently took down a HKD$95,000 ($12,258) No-Limit Hold’em High-Roller Event at the APT – Asian Series Macau for HKD$841,000 ($108,409).

New Additions

Falling from the GPI this week were Marc Inizan, Marko Neumann, Matthias De Meulder, Ondrej Vinklarek, Yorane Kerignard, and Ruben Visser.

Ups and Downs

The biggest rise of the week belonged to Hans Winzeler. He took third place in the $5,300 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event in the Florida State Poker Championship.

Biggest Gains

Paul Berende took the biggest hit of the week. Two Period 1 scores aged into Period 2, both coming at EPT Deauville earlier this year.

Biggest Drops

What’s In Store?

Marvin Rettenmaier will rise toward the top of the GPI next week after his win in the 2012 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic. However, because his Period 1 slate is already very stacked, he won’t gain enough points to pass either Jason Mercier or Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. What is working in Rettenmaier’s favor, though, is that Mercier is set to drop a few points as his third-place finish in the inaugural Epic Poker League event will age into Period 3 next week. The race will tighten up, and it is safe to say (for now) that it is no longer a two-horse race at the top.

Others players who cashed in Cyprus include Erik Cajelais in seventh place (No. 86 on the GPI), Chino Rheem in 22nd place (No. 195), and Aubin Cazals in 31st place (No. 191). Each should see a minor rise up the GPI come next week.

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.

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