Article:2010 WSOP Power Rankings

With less than a week until the beginning of the 2010 World Series of Poker anticipation is building. Each week of the WSOP we'll have a new batch of WSOP Power Rankings with the Top 10 players.

The formula for the first set of rankings includes,

1. Recent success 2. Last years WSOP results 3. Likelihood to play many events 4. All-time success



1. Phil Ivey - The best player in the world and seven time bracelet winner. He won two bracelets last year and made the Main Event Final Table. Expect another big year from Mr. Ivey.

2. Jason Mercier - Mercier has taken the poker world by storm since breaking through at last years World Series. He won a bracelet and also final tabled the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Coming off a first place performance in the 25k bounty shootout at the 2010 NAPT Mohegan Sun, Mercier looks to ride the momentum into the summer.

3. Jeff Lisandro - Lisandro has won four gold bracelets, three of which came last year. He is a decent bet to win more bracelets this year as he is near unbeatable in stud.

4. Daniel Negreanu - After a solid 2009 WSOP and a runner-up finish in the WSOPE Main Event Negreanu hasn't made much noise with his play. When he's on there is no arguing he is one of the best, but will Negreanu show up ready to play?

5. Eric Baldwin - Basebaldy won his first bracelet last year and has kept the success going. 2009's Player of the Year from Card Player recently finished 2nd in the WPT Championship and is poised to make more noise.

6. Phil Hellmuth - After a disappointing WSOP last summer the poker brat looks to respond this year. Hellmuth got himself a life coach and has already reached two WPT final tables this year. With a fresh new mindset Phil attempts to extend his bracelet record to 12.

7. Sorel Mizzi - The only non bracelet winner on the list, no player has been hotter in 2010 than Mizzi. Since the beginning of the year Mizzi has won four tournaments and made nine final tables. He will play a lot of events and after finishing 2nd in the 5k PLO last summer Mizzi is hungry for his first bracelet. Oh yeah, he just won SCOOP Event #32 for 118k too.

8. Vitaly Lunkin - Vitaly was a pro amongst pros at last summers WSOP. After winning a bracelet in 2008 Lunkin entered 2009's WSOP still a relative unknown. He changed that by winning the 40k No-Limit Holdem, taking 2nd in the 10k PLO Championship, and 4th in the 50k HORSE. Lunkin proved he can play with the big boys.

9. Daniel Alaei - The two-time bracelet winner took down the WPT Five Diamond Classic in December for a cool 1.4 million and recently finished 2nd in the 25k High Roller event at the L.A. Poker Classic. Alaei made two final tables at last years WSOP including a win in the 10k Omaha Hi/Lo Championship.

10. Scott Clements - One of the more underrated players in the game Clements is a two-time bracelet winner and made two final tables last year. He is one of the top Omaha players around. While he's stayed away from the high stakes in 2010 he has already won five tournaments and made ten final tables on the year. Watch for him to quietly perform well once again this summer.

Players to watch out for

- Scott Seiver - Faraz Jaka - Andrew Lichtenberger - Ashton Griffin - Tom Marchese

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