Global Poker Awards: Little, Moreno, Owen and Veldhuis – the People’s Choice

global-poker-awards-little-moreno-owen-and-veldhuis-the-peoples-choice

The poker community has spoken; Jonathan Little, Johnnie Moreno, Brad Owen and Lex Veldhuis make the shortlist for the People’s Choice Award at Friday night’s Global Poker Awards ceremony.

global-poker-awards-little-moreno-owen-and-veldhuis-the-peoples-choiceIf you think being a professional poker player is an odd way to make a living then how about an Art Crimes Investigator?

That’s the title embossed on the business card of Arthur Brand, who last week, recovered Pablo Picasso’s 1938 masterpiece “Portrait of Dora Maar,” after someone stole it from a yacht moored in the South of France back in 1999.

After a fruitless three-year search, Brand finally found the painting after underworld sources revealed how a businessman had received it as payment for something or other and he didn’t know what to do with it (hang it somewhere, maybe?)

It sounds like the online voting form for the Global Poker Awards (GPA) in the hands of the 130 people chosen as the Nomination Panel.

We didn’t do a great job, did we.

The GPA apologised.

The public had the opportunity to drag the Nomination Panel kicking and screaming into the 21st Century with the open ballot for the People’s Choice Award.

So who are poker’s hidden Picasso’s?

The GPA People’s Choice Award Nominations

When voting for the world’s top rap stars, you don’t choose a country music singer, and it seems when putting the poker community through the whetstone, content providers receive the sharpest focus.

YouTube content provider, Brad Owen, celebrated hitting the 100,000 YouTube subscriber count by making an appearance on the short list of four.

It’s safe to say that Owen was a tad mystified after his initial GPA snub.

Johnnie “Vibes” Moreno has more than 27,000 YouTube subscribers, and he was another player snubbed by people like me, in favour for people like Lex Veldhuis, who also made the short list (his third nomination).

Rounding out the four is Jonathan Little.

Little’s inclusion is special because he also got this far last year, a level of consistency showing his importance in the poker world as a content provider and inspiration to those who bothered to vote.

It’s been an interesting fortnight for Little.

Last week, the World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club member sent a variety of pros to the ranks of the French Foreign Legion after suggesting on Twitter that live tournament grinders who cash the most, are the biggest losers in the game.

And this week, Little made an appearance in Forbes online magazine talking about his early career, his choice of investment strategies, and much more.

Check it out.

The People’s Choice Short List

Jonathan Little
Brad Owen
Johnnie Moreno
Lex Veldhuis

The GPA takes place on Friday night, and you can watch the entire event live as a PokerGO subscriber.