3rd Annual GPI American Poker Awards – Winners
Following the success of the first 2 editions of the GPI American Poker Awards in 2015 and 2016, GPI will hold the 3rdedition of the American Poker Awards on February 23rd, 2017 to celebrate the most influential and recognized actors of the American poker industry over the last year. The Sofitel in Beverly Hills is the place to be, hosting both the American Poker Conference and the American Poker Awards ceremony for the second consecutive year & adding its own standard of glamor to the event.
GPI Player of the Year
Awarded to the 2016 American GPI POY Ranking Leader
Awarded to the American poker player to have accumulated the most points on the worldwide live tournament poker circuit during the 2016 poker season as determined by the Global Poker Index’s exclusive scoring formula. The winner of the Player of the Year award is determined by taking a player’s best 13 scoring results in all qualifying tournaments played between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Point distribution is based on the Global Poker Index’s exclusive scoring formula.
| GPI PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
GPI Female Player of the Year
Awarded to the 2016 American GPI POY Women’s Ranking Leader
Awarded to the top scoring female poker player from American during the 2016 poker season as determined by the Global Poker Index’s exclusive scoring formula.
| GPI FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
Media Person of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Award presented to the American media person judged to have been a leading personality in poker media during the 2016 poker season. Media members are an integral part of the poker world. The best media members have the ability to connect poker fans with the poker world through articles, blogs, photographs or through other means.
The Media Person of the Year award looks to highlight those in America who shine the brightest in the media world.
The Media Person of the Year will be awarded based on nomination panel’s list of nominees and a final jury vote.
| NOMINEES FOR MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR |
| Lance Bradley Sarah Herring Joseph Stapleton David Tuchman |
Industry Person of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Awarded to the American casino employee, tournament staff member or tour operating worker deemed to have gone over and beyond for the game of poker during the 2016 poker season, as judged by the panel and jury members.
| NOMINEES INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR |
| Tony Burns (Seminole Hard Rock Tournament Director) Jack Effel (WSOP VP Intl’ Poker Operations, WSOP Director) Sean McCormack (ARIA Director of Poker Operations) Matt Savage (WPT Executive Tour Director, TDA Founder) |
Breakout Performance of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Awarded to the American poker player without a major poker title* heading into 2016 who enjoyed a breakout year on the live tournament circuit this season as judged by the nomination panel and the members of the jury. Furthermore, players who have reached the final table of a WPT or EPT Main Event and/or a WSOP bracelet or any High Roller or Super High Roller tournament prior to Dec, 31 2015 do not qualify for this category.
| NOMINEES FOR BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| Ari Engel Maurice Hawkins Ankush Mandavia Sam Soverel |
Tournament Performance of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Awarded to the American player judged to have had the single best tournament performance on the worldwide live circuit during the 2016 poker season.
| NOMINEES FOR TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR |
| Kristen Bicknell wins 2nd WSOP bracelet ($1,500 Bounty) Ari Engel wins Aussie Millions Maurice Hawkins wins WSOPC Cherokee, back-to-back WSOPC Mike Sexton wins WPT Montreal |
Mid-Major Circuit of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Award presented to the event judged to have been the best Mid-Major Circuit of the Year.
| NOMINEES FOR MID-MAJOR CIRCUIT OF THE YEAR |
| Heartland Poker Tour (HPT) Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) WPTDeepStacks (WPTDS) |
Event of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Award presented to the event judged to have been the best single tournament event presented in America
| NOMINEES FOR EVENT OF THE YEAR |
| Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Super High Roller Bowl WSOP Main Event WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic |
Charitable Initiative of the Year
Awarded by the Jury
Presented to the tournament or tournament series to have done the best job at raising awareness as well as raising funds for a noteworthy charitable organization.
| CHARITABLE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR |
| Dan Smith Charity Drive |
Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded by the Jury
| LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD |
| Mori Eskandani |
Moment of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Each year poker produces extraordinary moments. From a historic victory to a jaw-dropping elimination and everything in between, this Award is presented to the person who created THE moment that will remain forever etched in every poker fan’s memory
| NOMINEES FOR POKER MOMENT OF THE YEAR |
| Griffin Benger’s AA vs William Kassouf’s KK showdown at the WSOP Main Event Jason Mercier goes on heater: captures (2) WSOP bracelets and a 2nd in a week to secure WSOP PoY David Peters needing 3rd at EPT Prague to win GPI PoY does exactly that and takes the title from Fedor Holz Mike Sexton mounts unbelievable comeback to win his first WPT title at WPT Montreal |
Poker Media Content of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Awarded to the best poker article, blog post, picture, video or interview during the 2016 poker season published by an American journalist, industry member, blogger, or media contributor.
| NOMINEES FOR POKER MEDIA CONTENT OF THE YEAR |
| Bob, Charlie and a Life-Changing WSOP Main Event Journey (Lance Bradley, PocketFives) Life’s a Gamble (Mike Sexton, D&B Poker) Stu Ungar’s Last Chance Gone Wrong Documentary (Matthew Showell, PokerListings) Jason Somerville provides live Aussie Millions coverage on his Twitch channel |
Twitch Streamer of the Year
Awarded by the Jury
Awarded to the best American Poker Twitch Streamer – Sponsored by Twitch.tv
| NOMINEES FOR TWITCH POKER STREAMER OF THE YEAR |
| Kevin Martin “kevinmartin987” Jason Somerville “jcarverpoker“ Jaime Staples “pokerstaples” Parker Talbot “tonkaaaaP” |
Poker Podcast of the Year
Awarded by Nomination Vote & Jury
Awarded to the best poker podcast during the 2016 poker season published by an American.
| NOMINEES FOR POKER PODCAST OF THE YEAR |
| Poker Life Podcast with Joe Ingram Full Contact Poker with Daniel Negreanu PokerNews Podcast TwoPlusTwo Pokercast |
PocketFives Legacy Award
Awarded by the Jury
Awarded to an online poker legend who has also made significant contributions on the live tournament circuit
| POCKETFIVES LEGACY |
| Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy |
The Hendon Mob Award
Awarded to the player who accumulated the Most Results on the circuit in 2016
| THE HENDON MOB AWARD |
| John Holley |
Jury Prize
Awarded by the Jury
Matt Savage
| JURY PRIZE |
| Matt Savage |
If you have any inquiries regarding the GPI American Poker Conference and/ or Awards please don’t hesitate to email us at: contact@americanpokerawards.com