The poker community witnessed a grand celebration of talent and achievement on Saturday at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas during the 5th edition of the GPI/THM’s Global Poker Awards. The ceremony was not just a gathering but a tribute to the remarkable contributions and achievements within the poker world throughout 2023. The event, led by the Global Poker Index, put a spotlight on both the player’s exceptional performances and the industry’s notable contributions.
Special Honors and Memorable Wins
This year’s Global Poker Awards saw a series of special accolades awarded ahead of the ceremony. The late Doyle Brunson was posthumously awarded the Poker Icon Award, a touching tribute accepted by PokerGO’s Mori Eskandani. Casey Kastle received The Hendon Mob Award for his unique achievement of cashing in tournaments across 50 different countries. Nadya Magnus was recognized with the Global Poker Award for Charitable Community Initiative for her generous donations of tournament seats, particularly to female players.
GGPoker’s “Game of Gold” was celebrated with the GPI Order of Merit for its innovative blend of poker and reality TV, captivating audiences worldwide. Fans also had their say, voting for the Craziest Pre-Flop Action of ALL-TIME at the @tritonpoker Series London as their favorite hand.
Bert “Girafganger” Stevens has won the 2023 Streamer of the Year, marking his superiority over other notable streamers in a highly competitive field.
Notable Achievements and Acknowledgments
The event honored outstanding individuals and entities across various categories. Worth noting was that there were no double winners, which proved the wide distribution of talent and achievement recognized this year. Marle Spragg and Caitlin Comeskey, among others, were highlighted for their contributions, with Comeskey’s trophy incident adding a touch of human excitement to the proceedings. When she received her trophy, she accidentally dropped it, adding its first signs of wear to it.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) and PokerStars came out as the gala’s biggest winners, with WPT taking home awards for its WPT Prime series and WPT president Adam Pliska being named Best Industry Person. PokerStars also scored multiple wins, including the Best Stream category for PokerStars Live and Toby Stone winning Best Tournament Director.
A Night of Emotions
The ceremony balanced humor with moments of seriousness and remembrance. The “Jeff Platt Curse” provided a light-hearted exploration of an ongoing joke within the community – a growing meme/trend that implies that anyone with chips in a tournament that does an interview with Platt is doomed to go broke, while the remembrance of poker figures, including Doyle Brunson, who passed away in 2023, added a sad note to the evening.
The 5th Global Poker Awards thus wrapped up as a memorable night that not only celebrated the past year’s achievements but also highlighted the strong community spirit and the diverse talents that make the poker world so vibrant. The event proved the ongoing evolution of poker, both on the felt and in the broader industry, promising an exciting future for the game and its players worldwide.
Here’s a full list of the winners from the 2024 Global Poker Awards
- Poker Icon Award: Doyle Brunson (posthumously)
- The Hendon Mob Award: Casey Kastle
- Global Poker Award for Charitable Community Initiative: Nadya Magnus
- GPI Order of Merit: GGPoker “Game of Gold”
- Fans Choice for Best Hand: Craziest Pre-Flop Action of ALL-TIME at Triton Series London
- Streamer of the Year: Bert “Girafganger” Stevens
- Overall 2023 GPI Player of the Year: Bin Weng
- 2023 Female Player of the Year: Kristen Foxen
- 2023 GPI Mid-Major Player of the Year: Nick Pupillo
- PokerGO Tour Player of the Year: Isaac Haxton
- Best Mid-Major Circuit/Tour: WPT Prime (WPTP)
- Fans Choice for Toughest Opponent: Stephen Chidwick
- Best Media Content: Written: “The Tales of Billy Baxter: The Final Days of Stu Ungar” (David Hill for WPT.com)
- Best Tournament Director: Toby Stone
- Best Media Content: Video: PokerGO: Doyle Brunson Celebration of Life
- Best Vlogger: Jaman Burton “TheDrawingDeadVlog”
- Best X/Twitter Personality: Marle Spragg
- Best Final Table Performance: Daniel Sepiol, WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas
- Best Podcast: The Chip Race Poker Podcast (David K Lappin, Dara O’Kearney for Unibet Poker)
- Best Stand-Alone Festival/Series: Wynn Millions Poker Series
- Best Media Content: Photo: Rachel Kay Winter: “Schulman Cool”
- Best Short-Form Content Creator: Caitlin Comeskey
- GPI Breakout Player: Jans Arends
- Fans Choice: Best Live Stream: PokerStars Live
- Best Event: World Series of Poker Main Event
- Fans Choice: Best Trophy: Asian Poker Tour Taipei Lion Trophy
- Best Industry Person: Adam Pliska
- Fans Choice: Poker Personality: Gregory Liow “Greg Goes All In”
- Best Broadcaster: Ali Nejad
