GPI/THM (Global Poker Index / The Hendon Mob) has released the list of finalists for 17 categories in the upcoming 4th annual Global Poker Awards, to be presented in Las Vegas in early March.
The 17 categories comprise the majority of the 29 awards that will be presented at the PokerGO Studio on March 3, 2023. The finalists (listed below) survived preliminary voting conducted among the GPA's voting committee, which consists of dozens of poker players, media, and industry representatives. Four "Fans Choice" categories remain open to voting by the poker public at globalpokerindex/awards.
Five poker personalities received were tabbed as finalists in two distinct categories. Jamie Kerstetter made the final four in Best Twitter Personality (which she won last year), and as Best Broadcaste. WSOP Main Event champ Espen Uhlen Jørstad is nominated in Best Final-Table Performance and in the Breakout Player category, marking his debut in any GPA categories.
The other three double finalists are Ethan “Rampage” Yau (Breakout Player, Best Vlogger), Marle Spragg (Media Content: Video for "Solvers", Best Twitter Personality), and Stephen Song (Best Tournament Performance and Players Choice for Toughest Opponent). Song has already locked up two other Global Poker Awards to be presented in March as 2022's overall and mid-major Player of the Year.
PokerOrg's two nominees were eliminated from consideration in preliminary-round voting. Eric Hollreiser, the founder and CEO of PokerOrg parent Triple Barrel Media, was nominated in the Best Industry Person for his leading role in transforming PokerOrg into a new and different flavor of poker platform, one that continues to strive to be the voice of the playes and of the game. This writer's piece on cancer survivor Mary Ghiglione's unique poker tale also earned a nomination in the Best Written Content category.
The Global Poker Awards finalists are as follows:
PLAYERS CHOICE FOR TOUGHEST OPPONENT
- Brian Altman (USA)
- Stephen Chidwick (England)
- Alex Foxen (USA)
- Stephen Song (USA)
BEST FINAL TABLE PERFORMANCE
- Daniel “Jungleman” Cates (USA), WSOP 50K Poker Players Championship
- Espen Uhlen Jørstad (Norway), WSOP Main Event
- Daniel Negreanu (Canada), Super High Roller Bowl VII
- Stephen Song (USA), WPT Prime Championship
GPI BREAKOUT PLAYER
- Angela Jordison (USA)
- Espen Uhlen Jørstad (Norway)
- Alejandro Lococo “PapoMC” (Argentina)
- Punnat Punsri (Thailand)
- Ethan “Rampage” Yau (USA)
COMEBACK PLAYER
- Phil Ivey (USA)
- Alex Keating (USA)
- Taylor von Kriegenbergh (USA)
- Daniel Weinman (USA)
TWITTER PERSONALITY
- Phil Galfond (USA)
- Will Jaffe (USA)
- Jamie Kerstetter (USA)
- Marle Spragg (USA)
BEST STREAMER
- Kevin Martin “kevinmartin” (Canada)
- Benjamin Spragg “Spraggy” (England)
- Jon Van Fleet “apestylespoker” (USA)
- Lex Veldhuis “LexVeldhuis” (Netherlands)
BEST VLOGGER
- Jaman Burton (USA)
- Mariano Grandoli (ARG)
- Brad Owen (USA)
- Ethan “Rampage” Yau (USA)
RISING STAR IN CONTENT CREATION
- Natalie Bode (USA)
- Caitlin Comeskey (USA)
- Jesse Fullen (USA)
- Lexy Gavin-Mather (USA)
BEST INDUSTRY PERSON
- Ryan Beauregard (USA)
- Jack Effel (USA)
- Mori Eskandani (Iran/USA)
- Tana Karn (USA)
BEST TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
- Paul Campbell (USA)
- Ray Pulford (USA)
- Matt Savage (USA)
- Toby Stone (England)
BEST EVENT
- EPT Barcelona Main Event
- Triton Poker Coin Rivet Invitational
- World Series of Poker Main Event
- WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas
BEST MID-MAJOR CIRCUIT/TOUR
- RUNGOOD Poker Series (RGPS)
- Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT)
- World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC)
- WPT Prime (WPTP)
BEST BROADCASTER
- James Hartigan (Ireland)
- Jamie Kerstetter (USA)
- Jeff Platt (USA)
- Nick Schulman (USA)
BEST PODCAST
- Only Friends Podcast (Matt Berkey (USA), Melissa Schubert (USA), Landon Tice (USA)
& Friends) - Poker in the Ears (James Hartigan (Ireland), Joseph Stapleton (USA) for PokerStars)
- PokerGO Podcast (Timothy Duckworth (Australia), Donnie Peters (USA), Remko
Rinkema (Netherlands) for PokerGO) - The Chip Race Poker Podcast (David Lappin (Ireland), Dara O’Kearney (Ireland) for
Unibet Poker)
BEST MEDIA CONTENT: WRITTEN
- Tim Fiorvanti (USA) for WPT.com: Andrew Moreno Made Good on a 15-Year Dream
- Connor Richards (USA) for PokerNews: The Endlessly Creative Side of Poker Hall of
Famer Erik Seidel - Jennifer Shahade (USA) for the Wall Street Journal: How Becoming a Poker Pro Helped
Me Accept a Personal Tragedy - Robbie Strazynski (Israel/USA) for Cardplayer Lifestyle: In the Name of the Father, the
Son… and the Poker
BEST MEDIA CONTENT: VIDEO
- Caitlin Comeskey (USA): A love letter to the investigation parody
- Joey Ingram (USA): Emergency Investigation: Garrett vs Robbi on Hustler Live
- Gregory “Greg Goes All In” Liow (Canada): Poker vlogger who doesn’t understand that
the voice over is done in post - Marle Spragg (USA): Solvers
BEST MEDIA CONTENT: PHOTO
- Antonio Abrego (USA) for PokerGO: “Oooooooooooo yeah!”
- Hayley Hochstetler (USA): Glantz Pulls Million Dollar Bounty
- Alec Rome (USA) for PokerNews/WSOP: Schindler Wins First WSOP Bracelet
- Spenser Sembrat (USA) for PokerNews/WSOP: “That First Bracelet Feeling”
Featured image source: GPI/THM
