The winners from the first ever GPI American Poker Awards have been announced. The lavish ceremony was held at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills and was hosted by poker personality and TV commentator Kara Scott.
There were a total of thirteen categories. The winners in most of them were determined by a specially appointed Jury Panel. However, the winners in the Player of the Year and Female Player of the Year categories were determined by means of the GPI’s scoring formula. In other words, the awards were given to those American or Canadian poker players who have acquired the most points from their participation in tournaments throughout the season.
And here are the winners.
Daniel Colman became GPI Player of the Year. The player had an outstanding year. He won the Big One for One Drop event, capturing his first WSOP bracelet and the amount of $15,306,668. He managed to accumulate a total of 4,141.91 points in the GPI POY 2014 ranking.
The award for GPI Female Player of the Year went to poker pro Vanessa Selbst. The player gathered 2,431.88 points in the GPI ranking. Back in 2014, she won the WSOP No Limit Hold’em – Mixed Max Event #2 for $871,148, and also had several second and third finishes.
Chris Grove became Media Person of the Year. This award aims at celebrating those media personalities who have managed to connect fans of poker with the world of this fascinating game in the best possible way. Apart from poker, Grove is also known to be particularly interested in the U.S. gaming regulations.
The award for Industry Person of the Year was given to Adam Pliska, who is currently taking the position of WPT President. Mr. Pliska was honored for his significant contributions to the successful promotion and development of this industry.
Brandon Shack-Harris became Breakout Player of the Year. The American won the 2014 WSOP $1,000 Pot Limit Omaha Event #3 back in May 2014. He also had several second and third finishes in other WSOP events throughout the year.
Mark Newhouse won the Tournament Performance of the Year award for his 9th place in the 2014 WSOP Main Event. Back in 2013, he also finished 9th in the same event. Thus, it could be said that Newhouse is the first player in the history of poker that made two November Nines in two consecutive years.
The Event of the Year category had two sub-categories – one for an event with a buy-in fee over $2,000 and one for an event with a buy-in fee up to $2,000. The winner in the first category was the WSOP Main Event, held at Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, and the winner in the latter category was the WSOP Monster Stack event, which took place in the same venue.
The award for Poker Innovation or Initiative of the Year went to Twitch Opens Its Doors to Live Streaming Poker. This award is given to an organization or a single contributor that has introduced an innovation which serves poker and its fans in the best possible way.
“All In” for Kids Poker Tournament Presented by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia & WPT Foundation became Charitable Initiative of the Year. The event was held in New York on October 29, 2014 and aimed at raising money for food allergy research at the hospital. The impressive amount of $910,000 was collected.
PokerStars blogger Brad Willis won in the Poker Media Content of the Year category for his “WSOP 2014: Stages/Never stop fighting”.
Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu became Poker’s Best Ambassador. The winner in this category was voted by the public. And bearing in mind Negreanu’s hard work to promote the game as well as his outstanding ability to openly express his opinion about the industry and what is best for it, and to connect with his fans, it could be said that he perfectly fits in the definition of poker ambassador.
Last but not least, the award for Lifetime Achievement in Poker went to Steve Lipscomb for his many contributions to the industry and particularly, for founding the World Poker Tour. The winner in this category was exclusively voted by the Jury Panel.
