Former GPI No. 1 ranked player posts a $442,339 score at the GG Spring Festival
The high-stakes poker tournament circuit probably needs no reminder that Stephen Chidwick is one of the all-time greats. The English high roller proved that point yet again at the GG Spring Festival Thursday, adding another title to one of the most impressive resumes in the history of poker.
Chidwick took down the latest $25,500 High Roller at the ongoing online tournament festival at GGPoker. Event #H-93: $25,500 Super High Roller saw Chidwick emerge victorious from a field of 96 entries and earn a $442,339 payday.
Tuesday’s win adds to a list of accomplishments for Chidwick that includes more than $34 million in live tournament earnings, and another $5.2 million in online earnings according to the PocketFives database. The PocketFives records don’t include GGPoker results, however, and that platform is where Chidwick has posted many of his recent big online scores.
Event #H-93 ended up with a predictably stout final table lineup, full of the world’s top tournament players. The names finishing second through ninth are all too familiar with the sight of Chidwick ending up on top at the end of a high-stakes tournament.
GG Spring Festival Event #H-93: $25,500 Super High Roller final table results
| Place | Player Name | Playing From | Prize |
| 1 | Stephen Chidwick | Canada | $442,339* |
| 2 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $435,832* |
| 3 | Nick Petrangelo | Canada | $433,578* |
| 4 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | $254,135 |
| 5 | Stephen O’Dwyer | Ireland | $195,918 |
| 6 | Sami Kelopuro | Finland | $151,037 |
| 7 | Sam Greenwood | Canada | $116,438 |
| 8 | Samuel Vousden | Finland | $98,644 |
| 9 | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | $69,201 |
Is Stephen Chidwick (still) the best tournament player in the world?
Chidwick’s prowess on the live high roller tournament circuit has earned him the respect of his peers over the past half-decade. Many of Chidwick’s frequent foes consider him poker’s top tournament player, which is no small accomplishment considering the skill level at the top of the high roller poker economy.
Chidwick has spent 47 weeks as the No. 1 player in the Global Poker Index rankings over the course of his career. He last held that spot for the week of June 17, 2020.
The live high-stakes tournament scene is where Chidwick has earned the lion’s share of his nearly $40 million in recorded live and online tournament earnings. COVID-19 shut down the world’s highest-stakes live tournaments over the course of the last 13 months, but that’s about to change.
PokerGO announced the return of its signature high roller live events Wednesday, which are now incorporated into the newly former PokerGO Tour. Upcoming events like the U.S. Poker Open, Poker Masters, and Super High Roller Bowl have seen Chidwick cash big in past years.
With the live high roller tournament scene back in action, it could be time for Chidwick to return to his familiar place atop the GPI rankings.
Thursday’s GG Spring Festival $25,500 Super High Roller saw Chidwick as the official champion per the terms of a three-way deal at the final table. Other players in that agreement included Daniel Dvoress (2nd - $435,832) and Nick Petrangelo ($433,578).
Featured image source: Flickr/World Poker Tour
