The Nightly Turbo: Rettenmaier Eyes GPI Player of the Year, Online Poker in Nevada, & More
Marvin Rettenmaier seems to be having his way with World Poker Tour events this year. Could his success on the tour result in a Global Poker Index Player of the Year award? We'll cover that story, plus the latest in Nevada's online poker race, in this edition of the Nightly Turbo.
In Case You Missed It
Did you miss ESPN's coverage of the 2012 World Series of Poker on Tuesday? Get caught up in our recap.
The World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic is coming to a close this week. Lynn Gilmartin took a look at the luxurious resort and surrounding areas of Northern Cyprus for the latest Video Vault.
On Tuesday, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission confirmed a proposed settlement between the group that makes up Absolute Poker and the U.S. Government. What does it mean for players who have money frozen on the sites? Read the story to find out.
"Mad" Marvin Chasing Glory
There were no changes atop the Global Poker Index Player of the Year standings on Wednesday, meaning David "ODB" Baker occupied the top spot for the fourth consecutive week.
Baker claimed the pole position after a very productive World Series of Poker, but his reign could end next week. German poker pro Marvin Rettenmaier, who sits second in the rankings, made the final table of the World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic on Wednesday and could take over the top spot if Baker fails to add points to his total in the coming days. Rettenmaier won the WPT Championship at Bellagio in May and is seeking his second WPT title in less than three months.
The only new addition to the top 10 this week was Tommy Vedes, who cashed five times at the 2012 WSOP. Vedes' big score this year came at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown, where he claimed his second career WPT title and $779,520. Vedes knocked Erik Cajelais out of the top 10, but Cajelais is virtually guaranteed to return after finishing 7th in the WPT Cyprus Main Event this week.
Here's a look at the Top 10 of the Global Poker Index Player of the Year standings:
| Place | Player | Total Score | Change in Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Baker | 715.90 | -- |
| 2 | Marvin Rettenmaier | 682.08 | -- |
| 3 | Jonathan Duhamel | 668.79 | -- |
| 4 | Dan Smith | 662.47 | -- |
| 5 | Kyle Julius | 637.63 | -- |
| 6 | Phil Ivey | 629.12 | -- |
| 7 | Daniel Negreanu | 607.28 | -- |
| 8 | Andrew Lichtenberger | 605.49 | -- |
| 9 | Tommy Vedes | 605.49 | +10 |
| 10 | Samuel Chartier | 583.37 | -1 |
The Global Poker Index Player of the Year, presented by PokerNews, honors the player who has the strongest performance in live tournaments during the calendar year, according to the USA Today Global Poker Index point system.
For the full GPI Player of the Year standings, head on over to GlobalPokerIndex.com.
In other news, the GPI was sold to Zokay Entertainment this week. For a closer look at that development, check out the story at PokerNews.com.
South Point Casino Approved for Online Poker License
The race for real-money online poker in Nevada is on, and it looks like the South Point Casino could reach the finish line first.
On Wednesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board granted tentative approval for the South Point to offer legalized real-money online poker as an operator, manufacturer and service provider. The South Point will next meet with the Nevada Gaming Commission on Aug. 23 for final license approval.
With the testing of its technology expected to be completed in the coming weeks, South Point anticipates its poker site to be up and running by October, which would make it the first intrastate real-money poker room in Nevada's history. South Point has been running a free-to-play site since last year in anticipation of Internet poker legislation.
Read more here at PokerNews.com.
Life as a PokerStars Pro
The fourth documentary highlighting members of Team PokerStars Online was released on Thursday. The latest short film features Grzegorz "DaWarsaw" Mikielewicz, a poker pro from Poland who first discovered the game in the back of a bowling alley.
The documentary takes a look inside Mikielewicz's life as a poker player in Warsaw. A film crew followed him around for three days to capture his lifestyle on and away from the virtual felt of PokerStars.
"The whole three days were great fun," Mikielewicz said. "I really liked all the guys from the crew and I was really happy being able to show them my home city. As far as I know they liked it a lot."
Mikielewicz joined Team PokerStars Online in 2004. Since then, he's never recorded a losing year while grinding mid-stakes tournaments, sit-and-gos and cash games.
Without further ado, here's the film:
More on Mikielewicz can be found at the PokerStars Blog.
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Sound like something you're interested in? If so, check out the rest of the requirements at the PokerNews Career page, and then send us an e-mail.
Best. Party. Ever.
According to PokerNews' Lynn Gilmartin, the World Poker Tour party in Cyprus on Tuesday was possibly the best poker party ever. Was she exaggerating? Have a look for yourself:
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