The 2nd Annual Global Poker Awards were held inside the PokerGO Studio on Friday night in Las Vegas with Robert Campbell winning 2019 Breakout Player of the Year, while The Double Down’s own Tim Duckworth accepted the Award of Merit on behalf of tournament reporters.
The Global Poker Index (GPI) kicked off 2020 by announcing all the national GPI Player of the Year winners which included Kahle Burns and Connie Graham for Australia, and Hamish Crawshaw and Sosia Jiang for New Zealand. Following a new and improved voting system, the 2nd Annual Global Poker Awards would expand to present more than 20 awards as the show was streamed for free on PokerGO.
“The Global Poker Index team is hard at work on this expanded Global Poker Awards event, filled with new awards and experiences for attendees and the viewing audience,” said Eric Danis, GPI president. “We’re delighted that the Global Poker Awards have become a repeating annual event that is growing in scope and significance among the poker industry.”
The show kicked off by presenting Alex Foxen with the GPI Player of the Year award, and his girlfriend Kristen Bicknell with the GPI Female Player of the Year award. With awards set aside for players and industry members, it would be Australian Robert Campbell in contention to win GPI Breakout Player of the Year.
Campbell’s fellow nominees included Spain’s Ramon Colillas, England’s Ben Farrell, and American George Wolff. Campbell won two WSOP bracelets on his way to collecting the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year award. Colillas won the PokerStars Players Championship for US$5.1 million and cashed 18 times. Farrell broke through and won the Zynga Poker WPT500 Las Vegas and followed that with a win in the Goliath Phamous Poker Series Main Event on his way to collecting 25 cashes for 2019. Wolff won over US$1.6 million for 2019 which was highlighted by a British Poker Open win and nine top three finishers on his way to collecting 23 cashes.
Although none of the GPI Breakout Player of the Year nominees were in attendance, it would be Campbell being awarded the GPI trophy. Campbell left a video message which opened with a joke at the expense of Burns.
“Thanks so much to the Global Poker Index,” Campbell said. “This is fantastic and I’m so honoured to be here even though I’m not here. Sorry about that. I couldn’t be happier. People are asking me, ‘Rob what are you going to do next year with all this great stuff that has happened to you?’ Well I’m going to try and win another bracelet because this necklace is pretty tight.”
With the Global Poker Award nominees finalised in advance, one award wasn’t public knowledge until the night of the show. GPI President Eric Danis presented the Award of Merit to all tournament reporters, and it would be Australia’s Tim Duckworth accepting the award on behalf of his colleagues around the world.
“We want to firstly thank the GPI for recognizing our contribution to this industry,” Duckworth said. “Thank you to our wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, and family members who have supported our careers as some of us are on the road more than we’re home. We also want to thank everyone that has given us an opportunity and hired us. From casinos and poker tours, to poker media sites, and other publications – we all appreciate you immensely for giving us a chance.”
Other award winners included Johnny Chan who picked up the Poker ICON Award, while “Miami” John Cernuto was presented the Hendon Mob Award for recently eclipsing 500 career cashes.
2nd Annual Global Poker Award Winners
Poker ICON Award: Johnny Chan
Hendon Mob Award: “Miami” John Cernuto
GPI Breakout Player of the Year: Robert Campbell
Final Table Performance of the Year: Phillip Hui – WSOP Poker Players Championship
Players Choice for Toughest Opponent: Stephen Chidwick
People’s Choice for Poker Personality of the Year: Jonathan Little
People’s Choice for Hand of the Year: Ryan Riess – Makes 10-high all-in call at EPT Monte Carlo
Streamer of the Year: Lex Veldhuis
Vlogger of the Year: Andrew Neeme
Industry Person of the Year: Paul Phua (Triton Poker)
Tournament Director of the Year: Matt Savage
Event of the Year: PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) Bahamas
Mid-Major Tour/Circuit of the Year: RunGood Poker Series (RGPS)
Journalist of the Year: Joey Ingram
Broadcaster of the Year: Nick Schulman
Podcast of the Year: The Grid by Jennifer Shahade
Media Content of the Year (Written): Poker and Pop Culture by Martin Harris
Media Content of the Year (Photo): Drew Amato – Dario Sammartino Folds at WSOP
Media Content of the Year (Video): Joey Ingram – Investigating Mike Postle Hand Histories
Twitter Personality of the Year: Jamie Kerstetter
Award of Merit: Tournament Reporters (accepted by Tim Duckworth)
The GPI is a ranking of live tournament poker players around the world, and players are ranked weekly based on their performances. There are several factors including finishing percentage factor, buy-in factor, and an aging factor, and after all scores are calculated, players are ranked accordingly.
- Images provided courtesy of the Global Poker Index
