This week, the GPI ranking is once again topped by Jason Mercier with 4,245.59 points. The player has been ranking 1st for an eighth consecutive week. Mercier is closely followed by Byron Kaverman with 4,203.09 points and last week’s number 2 Anthony Zinno with 4,003.40 points. Scott Seiver with 3,935.50 points and Nicholas Petrangelo with 3,817.84 points are the other two players to comprise this week’s top 5 of the leaderboard.
A notable poker pro to re-enter top 300 after GPI’s latest update is Vitaly Lunkin. The Russian is known for his numerous appearances and victories at some of the world’s biggest poker tournaments. He returned to top 300 of the leaderboard after 15 weeks of absence. The player currently ranks 293rd with 1,686.65 points. He is also 986th in the GPI Player of the Year ranking with a total of 698.56 points.
Lunkin is proud holder of two WSOP gold bracelets. He won his first piece in 2008, when he topped the field of the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em. He also collected $629,417 for his triumph. Bracelet number two came a year later, when the 44-year-old Russian poker pro won the special 40th Annual No-Limit Hold’em event dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Series. Apart from the piece of jewelry, he also captured a total of $1,891,012, his best live cash so far.
In fact, Lunkin had his WSOP debut in 2006. Since then, he has won $3,942,285 in a number of Series events, making several final table appearances.
In 2009, the player also topped the field of the Russian Poker Tour RUB236,800 No-Limit Hold’em Event for a payout of RUB14,323,000 ($436,389). Lunkin’s list of achievements also includes a 1st place in the 2013 EPT Season 10 Barcelona €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller, when he defeated Erik Seidel heads-up to add €771,300 ($1,031,756) to his poker bankroll.
Last year, the Russian topped the field of yet another EPT event. He won the EPT Season 10 Grand Final €10,300 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo 6 Max for €180,400 ($250,246).
Currently, Lunkin’s live tournament earnings amount to $6,240,630 and he ranks 3rd in Russia’s all-time money list. As for his position in the general all-time money list, the professional poker player is 87th at present.
