Mark Burtman’s GPI Rankings
Live Best Cash
$63,180
All Time Money
$201,695
Don’t I look like an accomplished poker player? People look me up on the internet, and see all kinds of stuff. They think I won over $202,000 if you count the 800plus I won in tournaments last weekend at The Pensacola Dogtrack, but I have never seen a dog at the dog track. So, while the Global Poker Index says I won $201,695, it doesn’t tell the whole story. It doesn’t tell you all the tournaments I entered that I never made money on.
The first time I made a final table at the World Series of Poker was in 2003. On the way to the final table, I knocked 2 former World Champions, Johnny Chan, who was featured in the movie, Rounders, and Huck Seed. At the final table, I outlasted Daniel Negreanu. He finished 6th and I took 5th. I won $17,920, but my total winnings do not reflect that I put up $2,000 to enter that event. My goal was to play every tournament I could fit into my schedule. I did not make the money in any tournament for two years, but I refused to give up. Then in 2005, I won $63,180 at The World Series of Poker in the $1500 Seven Card-Stud Event. I kept meticulous records back then, because you could deduct your losses from your winnings for tax purposes. Between both World Series final tables, I lost more in entry fees than the $63,180 I took home in 2005. It’s hard to make a profit on the tournament trail when entry fees are in the thousands. What made it worse was the time I had to spend away from work and I didn’t get paid vacations.
I still managed to win a World Series of Poker Circuit even at Harrah’s in New Orleans in 2008 after not playing many tournaments for 3 years. That paid $33,058 with an entry fee of $550. Then, circumstances forced me to give up tournaments completely until I retired in 2024. I drove to Las Vegas, and entered 3 cheaper events without making the money, losing $4,500. In 2025, I decided to play a lot of poker with a focus on ring games, which are games you can get up from whenever you want. In tournaments, you have to play until you’re eliminated. I entered several small tournaments in Tunica, Mississippi, and I played 5 tournaments at The World Series in Las Vegas. Overall, I cashed in 5 tournaments, 4 in Tunica, and one at the WSOP.
I did not realize the Tunica events would turn up in my GPI rankings. The tournaments at The WSOP were $1500 entry fees. In Seven Card Stud, I finished 5nd out of 377, which was good enough for $3,041 for my third in the money finish of my life. In the final assessment, at the WSOP, I posted $7500 in entry fees for a net loss of $4,459. In one of those events, I was able to play against actor, James Woods who was very friendly. I was also able to get Huck Seed to do a selfie photo with me during a break to commemorate me knocking him out of the WSOP tournament in 2003 even though I misread him, but out drew him.
Not counting the World Series of Poker, it looks like I won $2,973. Not counting entry fees to any tournaments I played it looks like I won $6,014 last year. This year, according to my bankroll software, I’m showing a net profit of $1485 in tournaments at Pensacola Dogtrack. Just keep in mind how easy it is to skew the numbers.