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GPI Announces Second Annual American Poker Awards Nominees

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The Global Poker Index (GPI) has announced its list of nominees for the second annual American Poker Awards, to be awarded next month.  The Alex Dreyfus-led GPI debuted its American Poker Awards — and also, the cross-pond European Poker Awards — last year to a warm response, and this year’s ceremony promises more of the same.

apa-imageThe upcoming second annual APA ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 25th, 2016, at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.  Last year’s edition drew many of the best and brightest from the poker world, with many of poker’s most well-known players and industry professionals on hand this time as well.

The American Poker Awards honors excellence across several different categories and events.  Here are this year’s nominees, along with this writer’s pick as to who’s going to get the nod:

TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Jonathan Duhamel, WSOP One Drop High Roller
Mike Gorodinsky, WSOP Poker Players’ Championship
Joseph McKeehen, WSOP Main Event
Anthony Zinno, WPT L.A. Poker Classic

I think this one is wide open, and any of the four nominees would be a worthy winner.  In this case, I think the wire-to-wire way in which Joe McKeehen dominated the WSOP Main Event’s “November Nine” finale ought to merit strong consideration, and yes, that’s my pick.

MOMENT OF THE YEAR

Anthony Zinno goes back-to-back winning WPT Fallsview, WPT L.A. Poker Classic
Over 22,000 players enter WSOP Colossus for chance at a gold bracelet
Phil Hellmuth wins bracelet #14 – WSOP 10K Razz Championship
Daniel Negreanu busts 11th in the WSOP Main Event

Anthony “AntZinno” Zinno pulled off one of the rarest of all poker feats in winning back-to-back WPT events.  He gets the nod here over Negreanu’s exit from the WSOP ME just short of the final table.  Hellmuth’s record-setting 14th bracelet win extended his own record, but that entire tourney drew just 103 players, so… meh.  And the Colossus tourney was wonderful, but it’s not a “moment.”  So it’s Zinno, almost by default.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Joshua Beckley
Asher Conniff
Cate Hall
Kelly Minkin

Cate Hall had a wonderful 2015, and was virtually unheard of on the poker scene before that.  Further, in what should be an element of the decision (but probably isn’t), she’s shown herself to be socially active and responsible and a fine representative of the game in public media.

EVENT OF THE YEAR (BUY-IN UP TO $2,000)

WSOP The Colossus, Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
WPT500 at ARIA, Las Vegas
WSOP Millionaire Maker, Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
WPTDeepStacks – DSPT Championship, Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, Calgary

It’s the WSOP’s Colossus here, noting again that’s it’s an event — a spectacle, even! — and not a moment.

EVENT OF THE YEAR (BUY-IN OVER $2,000)

Super High Roller Bowl, ARIA, Las Vegas
WSOP Main Event, Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
WSOP One Drop High Roller, Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, Hollywood, FL

Given the semi-secretive way in which the awards are awarded, expect this to be the APA category that the WSOP doesn’t win.  That leaves either the WPT’s popular Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown or the GPI’s own Super High Roller Bowl, which debuted in 2015 to a generally warm reception.  Flip a coin.  I’ll opt for the WPT winning here, just because it’s the most politically judicious outcome.

INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR

Jack Effel, WSOP Vice President and Tournament Director
William Mason, Seminole Hard Rock Director of Poker
John Pappas, Poker Players Alliance Executive Director
Matt Savage, TDA Founder, WPT Executive Director

All solid choices.  I’ll opt for Matt Savage, who is perennially nominated for all kinds of these “industry” awards and deserves them when he gets them.  And then the APA should honor Jack Effel or Nolan Dalla the next year.

CHARITABLE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Chad Brown Memorial Tournament (Maria Ho, Vanessa Rousso)
Charity Series of Poker (Matthew Stout)
Tiger’s Poker Night (hosted by Tiger Woods, WPT Foundation)
WSOP One Drop High Roller / Little One for One Drop

Matt Stout’s Charity Series of Poker is a new enterprise that’s drawn quite a bit of acclaim.  It’s not nearly up to the size of the WSOP’s annual “One Drop” tourneys, but it’d be a great thing to see Stout’s initiative snag the award.  The Chad Brown Memorial tourney is a solid choice as well.

MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR

Joey Ingram
Kevin Mathers
Donnie Peters
Jason Somerville

Here’s the most problematic category, one that the APA and GPI might want to consider splitting this into two categories in the future — one based on written content and one based on video content, such as Twitch.  As for who wins here, the betting choice is Somerville, for his groundbreaking work in utilizing Twitch as a poker-content destination.  KevMath is always an excellent choice and does yeoman’s work year-round,  so it’s hard to point to a single accomplishment.  I’m not aware of anything Donnie Peters’ done distinctively while editing at PN, and though I like Donnie, I just see that one as being an industry-goodwill nomination.  Ingram’s nomination is the APA’s comic-relief nomination entry, since loud does not equal good.  So Somerville should win quite easily here.

POKER PRESENTER OF THE YEAR

Sarah Herring
Kara Scott
Joseph Stapleton
David Tuchman

All good.  I love Stapes but choose Kara Scott here for all-around excellence.

POKER INNOVATION OR INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Poker Central launches 24/7 television network
SHRPO (in conjunction with PNIA) livestreams four FT’s in same room/at same time
WSOP adds online bracelet event (with live final table)
WSOP introduces ‘The Colossus’

A difficult category, for sho’.  The WSOP’s online bracelet and SHRPO’s multiple FT livestreams have both been done before, if not in exactly the same way.  That leaves the WSOP’s hugely successful Colossus and the launching of Poker Central, which isn’t really a “TV” network at all but provides online video content.  I’d give this one to the the WSOP’s Colossus (making it a double winner), but I wouldn’t be surprised to see something else win here.

MEDIA CONTENT OF THE YEAR

BUST, an Insider’s Account of Greenville’s Underground Poker Scene (Brad Willis)
Faraz Jaka Homeless Poker Millionaire, CNN Money (Jaka, Gayles, Carson)
Jason Somerville’s record Twitch Broadcast during WCOOP in September 2015
Joe Giron shoots photo of Negreanu crumbled on the floor after ME elimination

Veteran poker photog Joe Giron should win this, because he caught a great moment in capturing Negreanu’s crushing elimination just shy of the WSOP ME’s “November Nine” finale.  Otis (Brad Willia) always serves up one or two elegant pieces a year, but he won last year.  CNN Money’s piece on Faraz Jaka was a solid read but comes from a mainstream outlet (not a poker one), and this is the wrong category to honor Somerville’s Twitch work.  So… Joe Giron.

Two other APA awards will also be given out at the February ceremony: Byron Kaverman will be presented with the 2015 GPI Player of the Year Award, while Kelly Minkin gets the trophy for 2015 GPI Female Player of the Year.


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