The Second Annual Global Poker Awards took place on Friday night at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA in Las Vegas. The red-carpet affair featured some a number of voter-determined awards and a few extra honors.
Maria Ho and Drea Renee hosted the ceremony, and Global Poker Index and Hendon Mob President Eric Danis spoke to welcome everyone.
GPI Players of the Year
Danis first presented the GPI Player of the Year awards to Kristen Bicknell, who topped the list of female players around the world for a third year running. She also just spent her 103rd straight week as the top-ranked female player.
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236102217230245888?s=20
Ho then introduced Alex Foxen, Bicknell’s boyfriend, who was the top-ranked poker player in the world for the second year running to take home his second GPI Player of the Year award.
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236102363561127937?s=20
By the Voters
Brent Hanks led into the Broadcaster of the Year award, and the other awards followed, with the winners highlighted below.Broadcaster of the Year:
--Hossein Ensan (Germany) at WSOP Main Event--Alex Foxen (US) at WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic--Bryn Kenney (US) at Triton Poker Super High Roller Montenegro--Phillip Hui (US) at WSOP Poker Players Championship
Charitable Initiative of the Year: Scott Wallenbachhttps://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236103239948369921?s=20Mid-Major Tour/Circuit of the Year:
--Road to PSPC--WPTDeepStacks--WSOP Circuit--RUNGOOD Poker Series
People’s Choice for Poker Personality of the Year:
--Joey Ingram (US)--Ryan DePaulo (US)--Lex Veldhuis (Netherlands)--Jonathan Little (US)
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236105250437607424?s=20Media Content of the Year (Written):
--Lance Bradley (Canada) for “A Fight for Fatherhood: The Biggest Win of Jason Young’s Life” on PocketFives--Alleyah Jadavji (Canada) and Hayley Hochstetler (US) for “Kevin Roster Spread Sarcoma Awareness at WSOP, Wants to End Life on His Terms” for PokerNews--Paul Seaton (UK) for The Unabridged Story of the Hendon Mob” at PokerNews--Martin Harris (US) for “Poker and Pop Culture” at D&B Publishing
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236106240268238848?s=20Tournament Director of the Year:
--Tony Burns of Seminole Hard Rock (US)--Paul Campbell of Aria (US)--Jack Effel of WSOP (US)--Matt Savage of WPT (US)
Podcast of the Year:
--DAT Poker Podcast with Terrence Chan, Ross Henry, Adam Schwartz, Daniel Negreanu--Poker Life Podcast with Joey Ingram--The Fives with Lance Bradley and Donnie Peters--The Grid with Jennifer Shahade
https://twitter.com/tchanpoker/status/1236158391027810307?s=20Vlogger of the Year:
--Jaman Burton (US)--Daniel Negreanu (Canada)--Brad Owen (US)--Andrew Neeme (US)
https://twitter.com/LexVeldhuis/status/1236282393994166275?s=20Media Content of the Year (Video):
--PokerGO for “Legends of the Game – Stu Ungar”--PokerGO for “The Big Blind with Jeff Platt featuring Mike Matusow, Norman Chad, and Sarah Herring --Sam Rega (US) for “Who Makes Money from Professional Poker” on CNBC--Joey Ingram (US) for “Investigating Mike Postle Hand Histories from Stones Live”
People’s Choice for Hand of the Year:
--Bryce Yockey takes historic hit against Josh Arieh in WSOP Poker Players Championship--Sam Trickett makes Stephen Chidwick fold the winning hand at Triton London $1M event--Thi Xoa Nguyen folds full house to Athanasios Polychronopoulos at PSPC--Ryan Riess makes 10-high all-in call at EPT Monte Carlo final table
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236113300187799552?s=20Industry Person of the Year:
--Phil Galfond (US)--Cary Katz (US)--Matt Savage (US)--Paul Phua (Malaysia)
Media Content of the Year (Photo):
--Antonio Abrego (US) for “Ryan Laplante in deep thought at the WSOP” at PokerNews--Joe Giron (US) for “WPT Champion Frank Stepuchin is lifted in victory” at WPT--Hayley Hochstetler (US) for “Doyle Brunson and Jack Binion at WSOP celebration” at WSOP--Drew Amato (US) for “Dario Sammartino folds at the WSOP” at Poker Central
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236126266215895041?s=20Player’s Choice for Toughest Opponent:
--Lance Bradley (Canada)--Haley Hintze (US)--Nick Jones (UK)--Joey Ingram (US)
Twitter Personality of the Year:
--Barny Boatman (UK)--Kitty Kuo (Taiwan)--Kevin Mathers (US)--Jamie Kerstetter (US)
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236121715429617664?s=20Event of the Year:
--Triton London Million for Charity)--World Series of Poker Main Event (WSOP)--World Series of Poker Big 50 (WSOP)--PokerStars Players Championship Bahamas (PSPC)
Special Honors
PocketFives President Lance Bradley gave the PocketFives Legacy honor to Shaun Deeb this year, who wasn’t there to receive it and merely told Bradley to read his speech that consisted of one word: “Thanks.”
Roland Boothby of The Hendon Mob traveled to Las Vegas to present the Hendon Mob Award to John Cernuto, better known to most as Miami John. He became the first player to record 500 tournament cashes in his career, doing so in 2019.
https://twitter.com/TheHendonMob/status/1148621161313570816?s=20
Danis presented the Jury Prize to all live tournament reporters in the poker industry. Tim Duckworth accepted it on behalf of his colleagues around the world.
https://twitter.com/tRaMSt0p/status/1236447481698738176?s=20
The last award of the night was the new Poker ICON award, one to honor a person who has contributed immeasurably to the game over decades. Johnny Chan, whose name is synonymous with poker, graciously accepted the award.
https://twitter.com/gpi/status/1236126172167225344?s=20
Comments