An Asian First and Unstoppable Kristen
Thai player Punnat Punsri emerged as the overall winner of the Global Poker Index 2025. In a dramatic finish, he edged out his American rival Jesse Lonis by just under 7.5 points — Punsri amassed a total of 4,458.06 GPI PoY points, while Lonis had 4,450.65 points.
Punsri achieved an impressive seven tournament victories throughout the year and made it into the TOP 10 on 35 occasions, amassing live tournament winnings of nearly $11 million. This achievement made him the first-ever Asian player to top this prestigious global ranking. Punsri excelled particularly in the Triton, WSOP, EPT, and APPT series, and even defended his title as Thailand's National Player of the Year.
In the GPI women's leaderboard, there were no surprises as Kristen Foxen claimed the GPI Female Player of the Year title for the fifth time in eight years. Kristen demonstrated her exceptional dominance by securing over $4.65 million in winnings in 2025.
Her major accomplishments included a 3rd place finish in the September Triton Super High Roller event (earning $1.1 million) and three tournament wins on the PokerGO Tour. Interestingly, in 2025, Kristen Foxen also became the top female in history according to total earnings — surpassing the legendary Vanessa Selbst on the All-Time Money List of the Hendon Mob database.
In the category of GPI Mid-Major Player of the Year 2025 (players with buy-ins up to $2,500), Omar Lakhdari from France triumphed. Over the year, he achieved nine podium finishes, including a victory in the WSOP Circuit Main Event and a title from WPT Prime. Lakhdari also defended his title as Algeria's National Player of the Year for the third consecutive time (and the eighth overall).
Jesse Lonis Triumphed According to CardPlayer
A popular leaderboard is also that of CardPlayer magazine, according to which Jesse Lonis from the USA was named the Player of the Year 2025. At just 30 years old, Lonis showcased an extraordinarily consistent performance on the high roller and major tournament circuit. During the year, he scored eight tournament titles and 27 final tables, amassing 10,687 points and winning over $11.6 million. He narrowly edged out Punnat Punsri (10,540 points) and Alex Foxen.
Lonis's remarkable run included multiple seven-figure wins — for instance, he won the Triton Poker Main Event in Montenegro in April for a staggering $3.4 million, propelling him to the top of POY rankings. In total, Lonis accumulated approximately $12 million for the year, confirming his status as the world's most successful tournament player of 2025 according to CardPlayer.
Sources: GPI/Hendon Mob, CardPlayer, WSOP, PokerStrategy, Triton, Flickr
