Punnat Punsri Headlines 2025 GPI Player of the Year Winners

By Samantha Doyle

08 Jan 2026

Samantha Doyle 08 Jan 2026

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Punnat Punsri wins GPI Player of the Year with 4,458 points.
Kristen Foxen dominates female category, sets new earnings record.
Omar Lakhdari shines in mid-major events with 2,786 points.

The numbers are in, the rankings are final, and the Global Poker Index has confirmed its 2025 Players of the Year. This season’s results produced one historic first, one familiar champion, and one reminder that volume still matters.

At the top of the lists: Punnat Punsri, Kristen Foxen, and Omar Lakhdari.

A Breakthrough Year for Punnat Punsri

Punnat Punsri’s rise to GPI Player of the Year marks a landmark moment for Asian poker. The Thai pro finished 2025 with 4,458 points, narrowly ahead of Jesse Lonis and Artur Martirosyan in one of the closest POY races on record.

Seven tournament victories, 60 in-the-money finishes, and more than $10.6 million in earnings formed the backbone of his campaign. The defining result came on the Triton circuit, where Punsri captured a $2.6 million Triton Main Event, cementing his reputation at the highest stakes.

The final margin of victory, just eight points, reflected a season-long battle that wasn’t decided until the very end.

2025 GPI POY

Position	Player	Country	Points
1	Punnat Punsri	Thailand	4,458
2	Jesse Lonis	USA	4,450
3	Artur Martirosyan	Russia	4,323
4	Alex Foxen	USA	4,295
5	Brandon Wilson	USA	4,219

Kristen Foxen Extends Her Hold on the Female Rankings

Kristen Foxen’s dominance of the Female Player of the Year category continued in 2025, as she secured her fifth title in eight seasons. Her final tally of 3,734 points left little doubt, with a gap of more than 700 points to second place.

Beyond the rankings, Foxen reached a major career milestone by overtaking Vanessa Selbst as the top-earning female player of all time. That change came during a third-place finish in the $125,000 Triton Jeju Main Event, worth $1.1 million.

With additional highlights including a PokerGO Cup win and more than $4.6 million in annual earnings, Foxen’s season combined consistency with headline results.

2025 GPI Female POY

Position	Player	Country	Points
1	Kristen Foxen	Canada	3,734
2	Cherish Andrews	USA	2,993
3	Meng Ling Lin	China	2,836

Lakhdari Leads the Mid-Major Category

The Mid-Major Player of the Year title went to Omar Lakhdari, whose 2025 schedule focused on open-field events with buy-ins capped at $2,500.

Lakhdari accumulated 2,786 points, powered by wins across Europe and beyond. His résumé included a WSOP Circuit Ring in Middelkerke, a WPT Prime title in Chamada, and two Main Event victories at the Chamada Poker Series.