GPI Rewind: The 2012-2016 Player of the Year

We’re 1 / 4 of the way in which by 2026, and the World Poker Index Participant of the Yr rankings are beginning to take form.

Whereas this 12 months’s race is ongoing, we thought we might have a look again at earlier POY winners and what it took to prime the leaderboard.

On this version, we’re having a look from 2012 to 2016, with huge names comparable to Dan Smith, Ole Schemion and Byron Kaverman securing titles, whereas Fedor Holz and Daniel Negreanu have been compelled to look on from the sidelines.

2012: Dan Smith Dominates to Greatest “MadMarvin”

2012 GPI Participant of the Yr High 10

Each excessive curler poker participant has to begin someplace. These days, Dan Smith‘s greatest stay money is over $8.7 million rose to seventh on the all-time cash record, however again in 2012 he recorded his first even-figure payday on the Aussie Thousands and thousands, profitable the $100,000 Problem for $1,041,828.

And what a match to do it in! Defeating Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan and Phil Ivey to win the $100,000 Problem for $1,041,828.

He adopted this up with three EPT Monte-Carlo facet occasion wins within the house of per week, and added the EPT Barcelona €50,000 title for €962,925 in the summertime.

This noticed him narrowly beat out Marvin Rettenmaier to the 2012 GPI Participant of the Yr title. Rettenmaier had a banner 12 months himself, profitable the WPT World Championship in Might and changing into the tour’s first back-to-back champion with victory within the World Poker Tour Benefit Cyprus Basic.

2013: Negreanu Denied By German Wonderkid Schemion

2013 GPI Participant of the Yr High 10

Ole Schemion has received greater than $21 million over the course of his profession, with 2013 a banner 12 months for the German.

Two remaining tables on the PokerStars Caribbean Journey, narrowly lacking out on an Aussie Thousands and thousands ring and three EPT Grand Ultimate facet occasion wins set him on his manner. He rounded out the 12 months ending fifth within the EPT Prague Foremost Occasion to be named Participant of the Yr.

His 18 cashes throughout the 12 months noticed him report a stay money in each single month, besides June and July. And that is primarily as a result of he wasn’t but sufficiently old to play the WSOP in 2013!

Daniel Negreanu additionally loved success in 2013, profitable the WSOP APAC Foremost Occasion, ending fourth within the EPT Monte-Carlo Grand Ultimate and final-tabling the WPT World Championship. He additionally received one other WSOP bracelet within the €25,000 Excessive Curler at WSOPE Enghien-les-Bains.

2014: Massive One for One Drop Fuels Colman’s POY

2014 GPI Participant of the Yr High 10

Having a look on the POY races, Ole Schemion was the one participant from the highest 10 of the 2013 GPI POY race to make it again to the highest 10 in 2014. Ultimately, it was Daniel Colman who took excessive spot within the POY race in early November, transferring forward of Dan Smith, who had led for the earlier 9 weeks. Then, the Massachusetts native remained in first place regardless of a number of late challenges from others in December.

Colman loved huge success in 2014, famously profitable the Massive One for One Drop on the WSOP in Las Vegas, together with the EPT Grand Ultimate Tremendous Excessive Curler, the Seminole Laborious Rock Poker Open and an Alpha 8 title for mixed cashes of $22.4 million.

2015: Kaverman Wins US-Heavy POY Contest

2015 GPI Participant of the Yr High 10

Seven of the highest 10 within the 2015 GPI Participant of the Yr race have been American, signalling a shift within the international poker powers, with Byron Kaverman beating compatriot Anthony Zinno to prime honours.

Kaverman received $3.5 million in 2015 alone, a 12 months after ending runner-up within the WPT World Championship. Kaverman received two Aria Excessive Rollers on back-to-back days in March, and received a WSOP bracelet that summer season within the $10,000 Six-Handed Championship for $657,351.

He added an EPT Malta €10,000 Excessive Curler title in October, ending the 12 months on prime for a ninth straight week.

2016: Peters Pips Holz to POY Title

2016 GPI Participant of the Yr High 10

Fedor Holz shall be left ruing EPT Prague after David Peters pipped him to the POY title in 2016. Holz’ once-in-a-lifetime heater meant he led for greater than six months, just for Peters’ late push to disclaim the younger German.

Peters completed third within the EPT Prague Foremost Occasion for €397,300, incomes sufficient factors to overhaul Holz.

Based mostly in the UK, Will began working for PokerNews as a contract stay reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time employees in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.