After surrendering his lead at the top to Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier for a few weeks, Jason Mercier is back on the top of the world, according to the Global Poker Index (GPI).
Mercier, who currently ranks seventh in the 2012 Player of the Year (POY) race, enjoyed a great grind in September with a 27th place finish at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Grand Prix de Paris.
He followed that up with three impressive cashes at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) that included a final table eighth place finish at the main event itself.
There is only one newcomer in the top ten and it is the most famous face of all.
The most decorated WSOP player in history, Phil Hellmuth, moves up 20-places to take the number nine spot, in what is proving to be his greatest year in a career spanning a quarter of a century.
Hellmuth has once again thrown muck in the eyes of the disbelievers by amassing a personal fortune of over $4.3 million this year, rounded off by his outstanding 13th WSOP bracelet win, when he became the first-ever player to win both WSOP & WSOPE main event titles.
Hellmuth’s tremendous 2012 success places him in fourth spot on the 2012 POY leader board.
One other notable mover in the GPI takes the form of a 29-place long jump by Mike “SirWatts” Watson.
The former WPT champion making an impressive showing in the much smaller fields of the High Roller events, with a third place finish at the European Poker Tour (EPT) event in Barcelona followed by a win at the WSOPE Majestic High Roller in Cannes. SirWatts currently occupies the number 15 spot.
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