Global Poker Awards predictions

The Global Poker Awards have announced their nominations and every year I make my predictions on who will win. Not who deserves to win, who I think will win. 

This year is a little different for me because, for the first time, I am nominated for some awards, which makes making predictions anxiety-provoking, to say the least. Also nominated this year is our very own LemOn36.

I’ve only made predictions on the categories I feel I have a good hunch about.

BEST X/TWITTER PERSONALITY

• Barry Carter (England)
• Prediction: Caitlin Comeskey (USA)
• Jamie Kerstetter (USA)
• Marle Spragg (USA)

The three women I am competing with here are, and I am not just being polite, my comedy heroes in poker, along with Nikki Limo I think they are the funniest people in the space. I do not have it in me to dare to hope or dream that I could beat any of them, despite the many kind words people have said about my nomination. Caitlin Comeskey is up for four awards this year, I personally think other people will win the other categories she is in, and I can’t see her walking away empty-handed, so she is my pick. 

BEST FINAL TABLE PERFORMANCE

• Prediction: Barny Boatman (England), EPT Paris
• Daniel Negreanu (Canada), WSOP Poker Players Championship
• Stephen Song (USA), EPT Barcelona
• Scott Stewart (USA), WPT World Championship

Negreanu winning the Players Championship was a fan favourite moment which I loved too, but Negreanu is polarising within the poker industry itself. Barny Boatman is not, he is loved by pretty much everyone behind the scenes in poker. So I think he wins this. 

PLAYERS CHOICE FOR TOUGHEST OPPONENT

• Stephen Chidwick (England)
• Isaac Haxton (USA)
• Jason Koon (USA)
• Prediction: Adrian Mateos (ESP)

This is always a silly award because it always goes to Stephen Chidwick, but I personally think Mateos has surpassed him this year as the best player in the world right now. 

BEST JOURNALIST

• Sarah Herring (USA)
• Prediction: Nick Jones (England)
• David Lappin (Ireland)
• Brad Willis (USA)

I hate not picking my good friend David Lappin, whom I also believe was a dark horse for best on-air talent and who thoroughly deserves this nomination. Journalist is a strange term in poker because I think most of us are advocates, not journalists. I think Nick Jones wins this because he is very visible on social media with very well-researched and detailed threads on matters of regulatory importance in the US. So for that reason, I believe he is the first name people think of when you fuse the words ‘poker’ and ‘journalist’. However, Lappin is arguably a more prolific and more well-shared writer, who puts a lot of effort into his turn of phrase. If anyone takes it from Jones, I think David might be the one. 

BEST SHORT-FORM CONTENT CREATOR

• Caitlin Comeskey (USA)
• Prediction: Nikki Limo (USA)
• Gregory Liow – Greg Goes All In (Canada)
• Marle Spragg – Marle Poker (USA)

Again, these women are my comedy heroes and I think momentum goes a long way. Nikki is the person whose stock has risen the most this year and I think she wins this. 

RISING STAR IN CONTENT CREATION

• Václav Dušek – Lemon Poker (Czechia)
• Josh Kasen (USA)
• Prediction: Abby Merk – Abby Poker (USA)
• David Richards – Poker With A Purpose (USA)

Sorry LemOn36, I am overjoyed the Global Poker Awards are recognising us non-Americans and you truly deserve this nomination. But Abby Merk has gone from unknown to household name in 2024, she will win this as much as I want my friend to take it down instead.  

BEST EVENT

• Prediction: ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational, Wynn Las Vegas
• EPT Barcelona Main Event, Casino Barcelona
• Irish Open Main Event, Royal Dublin Society
• World Series of Poker Main Event, Horseshoe Las Vegas

It was a freeroll, which means it wins by default for me. 

BEST PODCAST

• Poker in the Ears (James Hartigan & Joseph Stapleton for PokerStars)
• PokerNews Podcast (Chad Holloway, Kyna England, Mike Holtz)
• Prediction: The Chip Race (David K Lappin, Dara O’Kearney, Barry Carter for Unibet Poker)
• Thinking Poker (Andrew Brokos, Carlos Welch)

I only have a very small influence on this podcast so I don’t mind being cocky and saying it will win for the third time. Everyone who has a podcast has said several years in a row that Thinking Poker should win, but I think the podcast that wins is the one that most people have heard of/is liked by the judging panel. Thinking Poker is the best strategy podcast, but I think The Chip Race is the best overall podcast because it is very well-researched and there is something for everyone, it’s a very diverse show with a wide array of guests from all parts of the game.  

BEST POKER BOOK

• Beyond GTO: Poker Exploits Simplified (Dara O’Kearney, Barry Carter)
• On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything (Nate Silver for Penguin Press)
• Poker Pioneer: The Autobiography of Tom McEvoy (Tom McEvoy, Brad Smith)
• Prediction: Trapped (Joseph Stapleton, Neil Gibson for Twister Comics)

I am delighted to be nominated but I don’t mind saying we will probably come in 4th place on this one. Joe Stapelton did the most interesting thing in print publishing last year and not only do I want him to win, I think he will. 

BEST MEDIA CONTENT: SHORT-FORM VIDEO

• Jesse Fullen (USA) – Jack Binion reminisces about the World Series of Poker
• Marle Spragg (USA) – That one dealer who runs a tight ship
• Prediction: Nikki Limo (USA) – What’s it like playing poker as a woman
• Caitlin Comeskey, Abby Merk (USA) – Who tf is Jared Jaffee?

I think the funniest video of the year was Whale Music by Marle Spragg but that didn’t even make the list. Either way, I think Limo’s video was brilliant and, like before, she has that momentum right now. 

BEST MEDIA CONTENT: PHOTO

• Drew Amato (USA) – The ghost of Jason Mercier
• Enrique Malfavon (USA) – The thrill of victory!
• Danny Maxwell (Ireland) – Barny GOATMAN
• Prediction: Rachel Kay Winter (USA) – Misery, Not Mystery

I just love the WPT photo, not for the guy, it’s the smile from the lady with the mystery box that makes this so comical. I think everyone will look at it and laugh, so for that reason, I think it wins. 

BEST POKER LIVE STREAM (FANS CHOICE)

• King’s Resort Live
• Poker at The Lodge
• PokerGO
• Prediction: Triton Poker

The production values and the quality of the players are world-class on Triton streams, and unlike PokerGO they are free. This seems like a no-brainer to me. 

Who has your vote? Let us know in the comments: