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For the sixth time, the PokerGO studio at ARIA Las Vegas was filled to the brim with a mix of the industry’s biggest names, notable players, and well-beloved content creators to celebrate the Global Poker Awards.
No fewer than 38 awards were handed out during the two-hour show, including a second win for 2022 GPI Female Player of the Year Cherish Andrews, who was once again recognized and gave a heartfelt speech about her brother who passed away during her career year.
The GPI/THM-organized event was hosted by Drea Renee and Jeff Platt, with the latter receiving a trophy of his own for Best On-Air Talent. The event recognized various players, creators and industry contributors over a variety of categories such as Player’s Choice for Toughest Opponent (Adrian Mateos), Best Stand-Alone Poker Festival (Irish Poker Open), and Best Poker Live Stream (Poker at the Lodge).
Veteran vlogger Brad Owen was named Best Vlogger for the third time in his career, edging out rising stars such as Corey Eyring. Poker.org‘s Brad Willis was named Best Journalist, while Barny Boatman‘s epic final table performance at EPT Paris won Best Final Table Performance.
PokerStars Strikes Gold
Boatman’s victory at a PokerStars-hosted event — which resulted in the poker legend joining the team — kicked off a big night for the brand. The Red Spade was well-represented in the winner’s circle, with popular streamer Benjamin Spragg named Best Streamer for the second time in his career. Marle Spragg accepted the award on Spraggy’s behalf and later received gold herself by winning Best Short-Form Content Creator.
Francine Watson, an industry veteran and key driver behind hit shows such as The Big Game on Tour, won Best Industry Person, while the show itself got the nod in the category Best Episodic Poker Series. Nikki Limo, who appeared as the Loose Cannon in the show, was voted the winner in Best Media Content: Short-Form Video.
The Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP), incredibly popular in South America, was crowned Best Mid-Major Tour/Circuit by defeating popular staples such as the RunGood Poker Series and the World Series of Poker Circuit.
PokerStars ambassador Alejandro Lococo was voted Most Entertaining Player by the fans, defeating freshly minted ambassador Caitlin Comeskey. Comeskey, who won Best Short-Form Content Creator last year, was nominated in four categories but ultimately ended up empty-handed.
International Field Recognized; Carter, O’Kearney Win Two Awards
The awards were well-divided globally, with the BSOP mentioned above and the recognition of Lococo showcasing the increasing South American influence in the poker industry. The European side also received their fair share of prizes, with UK’s Barry Carter walking away with both Best X/Twitter Personality and Best Poker Book for his work on Beyond GTO: Poker Exploits Simplified. The book was co-authored by Dara O’Kearney, who also was recognized for Best Poker Podcast with The Chip Race.
PokerNews was nominated in several categories, including Best Written Content, Best Poker Podcast, and Live Reporter of the Year. Long-time PokerNews photographer Danny Maxwell won Best Media Content (Photo), while content creator Abby Merk was unanimously recognized as Rising Star in Content Creation.
For a complete list of winners, check the table below.
Yori Epskamp
Senior Content Manager
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