First Annual Global Poker Awards Set for April 5th

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Over the last couple of years, the Global Poker Index has awarded the best and brightest in poker and in the poker industry with the European Poker Awards and the American Poker Awards. Now, the GPI is moving forward with a new endeavor and looking to merge multiple awards events to form the Global Poker Awards.

On Thursday, the GPI sent out a press release announcing the new endeavor and will join forces with both Poker Central and PokerStars to celebrate accomplishments by both players and industry members around the world.

First Global Poker Awards Kicks Off April 5th

The Global Poker Index announced Thursday the creation of the Global Poker Awards, a “celebration of poker excellence.” Both the GPI and Poker Central made the announcement via press release and announced that the inaugural Global Poker Awards will kick off on April 5th from the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.

According to the release, the Global Poker Awards will merge various awards programs, primarily the European Poker Awards and the American Poker Awards. It will celebrate the accomplishments of not just poker players, but also poker media members, and industry professionals from around the world.

This year’s ceremony will hand out twenty awards from a list of categories that will be released at a later date. Similar to other award shows from the GPI, a nomination panel will vote to select the finalists for each category a few weeks before the ceremony. Afterward, a jury panel featuring industry members will vote on the actual winners.

According to GPI President Eric Danis, “Our global initiatives behind the European Poker Awards and the American Poker Awards come together starting this year. We’re excited to bring recognition to the poker world’s best players and most prominent industry contributors on an unprecedented scale.”

PokerStars to Sponsor – PokerGO to Stream Live

Similar to last year’s American Poker Awards, PokerStars will be the featured sponsor for the Global Poker Awards. This makes sense considering they are considered to be the premier online poker room in the world. Also, several influential poker industry members are affiliated with PokerStars.

The press release also revealed that the event will be live streamed on PokerGO. This will be a dramatic step up in production considering that the live streaming of the event last year was substandard to say the least.

Poker Central President Sam Simmons spoke on the event, stating, “We’re thrilled to deliver streaming coverage of the first-ever Global Poker Awards show live from the PokerGO Studio. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the industry’s best and brightest while providing PokerGO subscribers a front row seat for all the festivities.”

Will This Be a True Awards Show or an Industry Glad Handing Event?

The combination of award events to form the Global Poker Awards is a natural evolution considering the nature of the industry, but one has to wonder whether this show will be a true awards show or basically a bunch of “company guys patting each other on the back.”

In past years, there have been some that have pointed out that these shows are almost too predictable regarding which nominees will be awarded, and that some nominees were at a disadvantage because they were not viewed as part of the “it crowd” in the poker industry. For example, it’s hard to see how Poker’s Biggest Influencer is Cary Katz or Jaime Staples is the best Poker Streamer. Doug Polk’s shutout of the awards last year was very telling to some.

If this year’s Global Poker Awards is approached like a true awards show and awards given based on merit rather than popularity or being part of the “preferred insiders,” then the show should be enjoyable. Otherwise, the awards show will become a farce and poker fans will likely turn away in droves.