There have always been arguments about who the best player in the world might be. One thing that usually has not been argued, however, is who the best player in a given calendar year might be. Organizations like CardPlayer Magazine and the Global Poker Index have done magnificent work to trying to figure out who the best player in a calendar year might be, but of late there have been some changes in the tournament poker world that are corrupting that work. Thus, it is time that both CardPlayer and the GPI take one of two paths (both would be perfect) towards fixing their Player of the Year systems.
High Roller Events Have Corrupted the Overall Tournament Calendar
I have written about this before, but it has never been more evident than in 2021 that the High Roller events have spread like a fungus and are infecting the overall tournament poker scene. PokerGO has even gone as far as to create a touring series out of them (something that the World Poker Tour tried to do several years ago with WPT Alpha8 perhaps they were just a bit ahead of their time) in the PokerGO Tour, events with buy-ins north of $10,000 that the Average Joe poker player could only dream about getting into. That is not the way that poker is supposed to be and it certainly shouldnt dominate the regular tournament scene where someone proves their mettle.
There are several issues with High Roller tournaments that are problematic. First, they are populated with about three dozen regulars that are constantly take part. Most poker people would say that, if you were playing the same 36 people all the time, if you did not learn anything about their playing styles over a lengthy period of time, you probably shouldnt be playing poker. To allow 36 people to decide who the Player of the Year is just because they have boatloads of cash to toss around is not the way that poker was meant to be.
I am reminded of something that one of the greatest poker writers of all time, the late Lou Krieger, once wrote about the game of poker. He wrote the following (and I am going to separate it away so it can be respected):
Poker is a microcosm of all we admire and disdain about capitalism and democracy. It can be rough-hewn or polished, warm or cold, charitable and caring, or hard and impersonal, fickle and elusive, but ultimately it is fair, and right, and just Not only is poker good for you, its the American way where winners play fair, have the right stuff, and nothing else matters except, perhaps, a bit of luck every now and then.
Note that nowhere in there did Lou state anything about spending a crapload of money. Poker is supposed to be an egalitarian game, not an elitist game. CardPlayer Magazine and the GPI can do one of two things (or both, in a perfect world) to change the way their rankings are compiled and return the game or at least how it is Player of the Year is determined back to that egalitarian goal Krieger stated.
Change #1 Set the (Player) Bar High
These High Roller events are not going anywhere, but it should actually be a tournament and not a glorified Sit and Go. In looking at some of Ali Imsirovics finishes for the year (no reason to pick on Imsirovic, but he is one of those players who almost exclusively plays the High Roller circuit), he received Player of the Year points from both CardPlayer and the GPI for tournaments that had as few as 30 ENTRIES note, that is entries, not the individual number of people. While CardPlayer does set a physical entry number limit on their POY rankings, both they and the GPI need to set that player bar higher, not as low as it is currently set.
For ANY tournament to earn points towards the POY, it should be set by CardPlayer and the GPI that there has to be a minimum of 75 PLAYERS individual players, not entries that have entered the tournament. This ensures that it is a serious event, not a little made for television (or streaming) event that is not drawing a decent number of players to contest. It is an actual tournament that puts the participants to the test rather than allowing a clique to get together to shuffle chips (and money) around. I would like to see that number set even higher, myself take it on up to 100 individual players, make sure that there is some challenge set for everyone, rather than just a small group.
Change #2 Separate Leaderboards
The GPI tried to do something like this for 2021, but they set the standards too low. The GPI does a normal POY that covers everything, but then they also compute a Mid-Major POY race that covers tournaments with a buy-in under $2500. Since they already do this, then they should take that figure a bit higher.
There should be TWO POY races established. One, of course, would be a High Roller POY that covers tournaments from $10,000 on up. The second would be the REAL POY, the players that have to routinely battle through fields hundreds (sometimes thousands) of players strong, show their skills and demonstrate that they are the BEST that poker has to offer not that they can beat 30 other people who like to torch stacks of cash.
For the REAL POY, you can make it tournaments with a buy-in of $10,000 and under. Yes, I know the High Roller POY goes $10K and up, but that is where the slight bit of overlap can occur. All $10,000 tournaments are not created equal there is a stark difference between taking on 700 players at the WPT L. A. Poker Classic and slumming at ARIA in one of their High Roller events along with 30 of your closest friends you have been playing with for years.
What Would Be the Difference?
There would be a substantial difference if you implemented these two guidelines. First off, Imsirovic would probably not be the POY of a REAL POY ranking on CardPlayer or the GPI because most of his work was done in tournaments over the $10K mark. You would see someone like a Qing Liu, who won a WPT event one night and came back the next evening to nearly do it again, or even Brian Altman, who does a majority of his dirty work in the tournaments under $10K, receive the POY honor for their demanding work.
This is not a slam against the High Roller events, Imsirovic, Bryn Kenney or a multitude of other players who seemingly play these tournaments exclusively. It is a slam, however, on the fact that they are not taking on all comers; they prefer to play the same 30-50 people that they KNOW HOW THEY PLAY. That is arguably the biggest challenge in poker is taking on people you have never even seen before, learning their tendencies, and then figuring out the right approach to take that is the egalitarian nature of poker.
Instead of rewarding the 30-50 people playing High Roller tournaments, give them their little tour and their own POY. Reward the hardworking people who ply their trade in Florida, or Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, or Baltimore, or any of the other places where the poker COMMUNITY gathers to enjoy the game. That is what a Player of the Year award is supposed to do, not reward who had the most money to fling around at a given time. Hopefully CardPlayer and the GPI will institute these new changes the minimum player numbers and the separation of the tabulations so we can have a true indicator (or, at least as close as possible) of who had the best year.
Read more:
How to Fix the Player of the Year Rankings - Poker News Daily
- Podcast: Lexi Gavin-Mather talks about her life in poker and finding love on the circuit - PokerStars - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Crypto Whales Bet 300K USDT On A Crazy Hand Of Poker At CoinPoker - Cryptonews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Two implicated in poker box theft | News - Jamaica Star Online - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Taxi driver and tattoo artist held after cops find poker boxes in car | Loop Jamaica - Loop News Jamaica - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Two charged after theft of poker boxes from St Elizabeth bar - Jamaica Observer - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Introducing Lukas "RobinPoker" Robinson's Poker on a Boat: The WPT Voyage Experience - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Support The Quad City Areas VFWs During This Poker Run - 97X - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Poker Player Ryan Garcia Upsets Heavily Favored Devin Haney in What Should Have Been a Title Fight - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Dustin Melanson Crushes Final Table to Become WSOPC Playground Main Event Champion - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Above the Felt's Poker Room Grand Opening in Wisconsin - World Casino Directory - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Poker in the Ears Episode 305: Lexy Gavin-Mather Tells Her Poker Story - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Poker Hall of Famer Crandell Addington Passes Away at 85 - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The best NBA poker players of all time - Dunkest - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Best Offshore Poker Sites for the US Players in 2024 - ReadWrite - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- "Groundbreaking Ruling" Sees Poker Sites Ordered to Refund Losses to Players - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Josh Reichard Leads Final 16 in WPT SHRPS; Lonis, Linde & Tice in Contention - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- BetMGM And Z4 Nevada Online Poker Rooms Expected In 2025 - PlayUSA - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- BR Boat Club hosts 35th annual poker run to benefit Dreams Come True - Unfiltered with Kiran - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- News: Poker player forfeits chip lead for birth of his son - pokerstrategy.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The 6 Best Tether Poker Sites in 2024 USDT Poker Sites Reviewed - Cryptonews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Lorenz Schollhorn Wins the Biggest-Ever WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- World Series of Poker Broadcast Schedule Released - CardsChat.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Tarpon man used housemate's shotgun to ambush him after night of poker, police say - Tampa Bay Times - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Bubble Bursts on Day 2 of WPT SHRPS as 101 Players Advance; Josh Reichard Leads - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- "Dirty Diaper" Comes Back to Haunt Rigby as Opponents Play it Back at WPT SHRPS - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- "One of My Biggest Dreams": Reigning POY Bin Weng Reflects on WPT SHRPS Victory - PokerNews.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- 'Like poker night for women': Younger generations are clicking with mahjong - The Jewish News of Northern California - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Robin Weigert ('We Were the Lucky Ones') reveals that tennis, poker and water parks helped the cast bond for the ... - WiscNews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Millions of Dollars on the Table in This Week's High Stakes Poker Episode - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Ben Ludlow Riding Wave of Momentum onto WPT Voyage - World Poker Tour - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- News: WSOP Mystery Millions to award the bracelet at random - pokerstrategy.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- ACR Poker Guaranteeing Thousands Of Online Seats With Venom Fever - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Blind River Bar Reopening In Time For Tickfaw 200 Poker Run - SpeedontheWater - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Mystery Bounties, Ontario Online Poker and the Sale: Q&A with Partypoker's Jaime Staples - Pokerfuse - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- News: Second half of 2024 WPT schedule is out - pokerstrategy.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Over $1500 Added Value in our PokerNews Home Games on PokerStars in April - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- PokerNews Freerolls Every Weekend on WPT Global - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- NFL Draft is poker season, and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy might simply be its latest QB bluff - Yahoo Sports - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Local goes all-in with poker club - Sandusky Register - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- The Commerce Casino & Hotel and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Forge Historic Partnership - PR Newswire - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- World Series of Poker at Turning Stone awards record $6.2 million in winnings (See top players) - syracuse.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Jakub Michalak Puts on a Grand Performance in the Merit Poker Carmen Series High Roller - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Snake Helps Thief With Casino Robbery - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Life Outside Poker: Farah Galfond on Days of Our Lives, Balancing Poker & Family - PokerNews.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Commerce Casino Announced As New Home of The 2024 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions - Poker ... - CardPlayer.com - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Attention, Ontario Poker Players: You Can Win a WSOP 2024 Main Event Seat for Just $20 - Pokerfuse - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- Everygame Poker Launches Fast Fortune - Their Own Spin & Go Game! - Business Wire - April 2nd, 2024 [April 2nd, 2024]
- PokerStars UKIPT and ESPT Team Up for Spectacular Summer Stop in Spain - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- How poker chips sparked Marquette to its 87-69 comeback win over Western Kentucky - Marquette Wire - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Brett Murray Embraces His Role as The God of Thunder - World Poker Tour - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- $100000 Paid Out to Whistleblowers: How WPT Global Rewards "Integrity in Poker" - Pokerfuse - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Video Poker Takes Your Money In 10 Lines Of BASIC - Hackaday - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Plug Pulled 500 Hours Into Poker Bankroll Challenge: "We Just Take the L" - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Everygame Poker Offer Free Spins on Popular Slot Releases - World Casino Directory - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Everygame Poker's Easter Free Spins feature New Rockstar World Tour and No Deposit Bonus for Chinese Slot - WebWire - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Balatro's dev doesn't really care for Poker, almost named the game Joker Poker - GoNintendo - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Junglee Poker's Dhina Dhin Dha Tournament Series Wraps up with a Bang More Action-Packed Events Anticipated Ahead - The Week - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Fausto Tantillo Goes Runner-Runner to Snag the Chip Lead on Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- World Poker Tour turns to AI dubbing - Broadcast - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Fouad Rabahie Becomes the Maestro of ESPT Madrid Main Event - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- John Malkovich Reflects on Iconic Rounders Role as Teddy KGB in GQ Interview - PokerNews.com - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- This Week in Poker Podcasts for March 25, 2024 - Pokerfuse - March 27th, 2024 [March 27th, 2024]
- Rumored Ryan Garcia in Millions of Debt from Poker - HighstakesDB - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- 'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond credits church and poker for family reunion - Yahoo Entertainment - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- FRIESEN: Poker game pays off, as Jets join shootout in the 'Wild West' - Winnipeg Sun - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Sugen Singh Takes The Trophy in the 2024 Sunbet Poker Tour Time Square Main Event - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- High Stakes Legend Tom Dwan Signs with ACR Poker As ACR Pro - PR Newswire - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- DeSantis gave the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to run online sports bettings in Florida. Now the states racetracks and poker rooms are fighting... - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Theres another run at opening Dallas poker houses - The Dallas Morning News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Amidst Accusations, Tom Dwan Named Ambassador of Unregulated Poker Site - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Poker Returns to Potawatomi in Milwaukee on May 3 With Brand-New Room - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- PokerStars Players in India Moved to Junglee Poker Platform - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Triton Poker: Holz Cracks Aces for Fourth Title; Rokita Comes Out on Top in Rollercoaster Heads-Up - PokerNews.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Poker roguelike sensation Balatro sells more than 500000 copies in just 10 days - PC Gamer - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- News: Tomas Geleziunas goes back-to-back in the Dublin Poker Festival - pokerstrategy.com - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Top 10 Richest Poker Players Ever - Net Worth Rankings 2024 - Techopedia - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Your Questions About the Pennsylvania Online Poker Bill, Answered - Pokerfuse - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Virtue Poker (VPP) Do the Risks Outweigh the Rewards Monday? - InvestorsObserver - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Indie Poker-Like Game 'Balatro' Has Sold More Than 500,000 Copies in Two Weeks - Bloomberg - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- This Week in Poker Podcasts for March 11, 2024 - Pokerfuse - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]