August 08 2012, Brett Collson

Zokay Entertainment, a new venture created by former ChiliGaming CEO Alex Dreyfus, announced Wednesday that it has acquired the Global Poker Index (GPI) from Pinnacle Entertainment. The Global Poker Index is a poker ranking system that tracks the weekly performance of the world’s top 300 live tournament players.

The GPI was originally created and owned by Federated Sports + Gaming Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. Pinnacle purchased the GPI as part of a $300,000 bid for FS + G’s assets during a bankruptcy auction in June and quickly sold it to Zokay, which plans to expand the GPI in order to “promote poker worldwide as a true contest of skill not just a game of chance.”

“The GPI is the best poker ranking system in the world, and we plan to make it even better,” said Dreyfus, who serves as the CEO of Zokay Entertainment. “A ranking system of this caliber is needed in the poker industry to bring it in line with other competitive contests of skill and sports industries. The GPI provides a ranking system on par with those you would find in golf or tennis.”

Dreyfus has big plans for the GPI, including the launch of the GPI Awards, celebrating a variety of accomplishments in the live tournament poker world. The GPI Awards will honor poker players through categories such as the already-implemented GPI Player of the Year, as well as the Best Tournament Director, Best Event, and Best Venue.

In addition to the GPI Awards, VIP treatment will be extended to the top ranked GPI players through the new GPI VIP club. Benefits of the VIP club will include a variety of membership perks and discounts, according to Dreyfus.

“I could not be more excited that the Global Poker Index is now part of the Zokay family,” said GPI co-creator Eric Faulkner. “The new and innovative extensions of the GPI will further solidify the GPI as the global standard in live tournament poker rankings and garner an immense amount of regional excitement.”

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