The Global Poker Index, under the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Dreyfus, has in three short years become the predominant authority on the game of poker. As such, it isn’t surprising that the GPI and the preeminent tournament festival, the World Series of Poker, have joined forces in a multi-year deal to tabulate the Player of the Year race from 2015 to 2018.
Now called the GPI WSOP Player of the Year, the winner of the year-long battle (74 total events in Las Vegas and Berlin) in 2015 will be honored with a specially crafted trophy for the winner’s efforts. In recognition of the achievement, the 2015 GPI WSOP Player of the Year will be honored during a ceremony that will take place during the play of the final table of the WSOP Championship Event in November. As with other previous POY victors, a special banner will be created for display during future festivals of the WSOP.
“The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious poker competition in the world and is also the most “sportified” series on the live tournament circuit,” said Dreyfus during the announcement of the deal. “We are very honored to have entered into this agreement with the WSOP and I am truly excited to develop several initiatives that will support the growth of the sport of poker. This partnership also allows the Global Poker Index to expand its reach in North America and all over the world.”
WSOP officials were buzzing about the new agreement also. “I’m pleased to grow our relationship with the Global Poker Index around the Player of the Year,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “For several years Alex has been claiming this is the best formula to recognize tournament poker success and we’re looking forward to an exciting race where every result counts. I know GPI is very passionate about elevating the profile of this award to the mainstream, which only helps create buzz for the game.”
Not only will the GPI be handling the rankings for the WSOP, the group is looking to transform several activities surrounding the venerable festival. The GPI will provide special content to WSOP.com (who will handle the live coverage of this year’s schedule for the first time) and will also host the GPI WSOP Player Party at a date in early July. Other partnerships between the GPI and the WSOP will be announced at a later date.
The GPI ranking system is by far one of the most expansive yet complete methods of rating in the poker world. Offering points calculated on several different aspects of the tournament – field size, prize pool, etc. – the GPI system awards a player’s consistency over a continuous span rather than a one-time effort. As such, it has become the bellwether for pretty much the entirety of the poker community; with the addition of the WSOP, the GPI now handles the Player of the Year duties for virtually every major tour (World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, etc.) that exists.
In the past three year, Dreyfus – through his acquisition of the GPI, the Hendon Mob database and other assorted parts of the poker world – has become arguably the most powerful player in a complex industry. Not only has the GPI garnered the recognition of the poker community for its rankings, Dreyfus has also created the American Poker Awards to honor poker achievement in North America while maintaining the same elite status for the European Poker Awards. The Global Poker Masters, pitting eight teams from different countries against each other in a spirited competition for national honor, was an outstanding success when it was contested in March of this year. While it may seem that there are no new worlds to conquer in poker for Dreyfus and the GPI, if Dreyfus can find it, he will make it better.
