News

Popularity pushes UKIPT to expand Nottingham and Brighton events – posted 03.11.10

The UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) having only just begun last year in December is already proving to be an enormously popular tournament. To keep up with the demand the UKIPT will be expanding upcoming the Nottingham and Brighton events.

Last month at UKIPT Manchester an incredible 518 players turned out generating a prize pool of £259,000. Dutchman Joeri Zandvliet secured first place and title of UKIPT Manchester Champion along with £37,500.

UKIPT Nottingham will now be running from May 12 – 17 at Dusk Till Dawn, the largest and only poker-dedicated venue in the UK. UKIPT Brighton will be running from July 15 – 19 at the Rendezvous Casino.

Before those two expanded events the next stop on the UKIPT is Coventry April 8 – 11. Satellites will begin running shortly on PokerStars or players can buy in direct for an accessible £550 with a prize pool guarantee of £100,000.

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Dutchman Joeri Zandvliet takes UKIPT Manchester title – posted 02.15.10

A 21 year-old college student won £63,200 in the early hours of this morning at the final table of UKIPT Manchester.

Dutchman Joeri Zandvliet beat a field of 518 players here in Manchester, England where the UK and Ireland Poker Tour burst its cap to offer a ₤259,000 prize pool.

Zandvliet’s heads up opponent was Englishman Jack Ellwood who took second place for £37,500.

The final action almost mirrored the deciding hand at UKIPT Galway, with Zandvliet's safe pair of nines going up against Ellwood's over cards in the form of Ad-Qs.

Ellwood was favorite to win when he flopped top pair with a Qd. A brick on the turn for both players held the suspense before the 9d hit on the river making Zandvliet’s set.

UKIPT Manchester, the second stop on PokerStars.com’s UK and Ireland Poker Tour has been a success recording a cap busting field of 518 players and a prize pool of ₤259,000. A total of 206 players won their seats to the event online by playing on PokerStars.com.

The next stop on the UKIPT is Coventry April 8 – 11. Satellites will begin running shortly on PokerStars or players can buy in direct for an accessible £550 with a prize pool guarantee of £100,000.

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UKIPT Manchester finale set for £63,200 showdown – posted 02.14.20

Thirteen players begin the final day here at UKIPT Manchester where the final table is due to be set. The showdown is expected to run into the early hours of Monday morning where first place walks away with a hefty £63,200.

Day 2 finished in the small hours of Valentine’s Day where payout was made to places 14th – 72nd.

The start of Day 2 chip leader Mark Warnock cashed out in 24th with over £1,600. He beat Team PokerStars Pro Victoria Coren’s 25th place finish, who also cashed for £1,600.  

Jonathan Alley finished 14th for £2,200, and after the remaining 13 play down to the final nine today, final tablists are guaranteed a minimum payout of £3,650.    

According to PokerStarsBlog.com the current chip leader is UK player Jack Ellwood on a monster stack of 1,282,000. In second place is Joeri Zandvliet from the Netherlands on 939,000,

The average stack runs at 566,077 with seven players below the fold, so expect early double ups and bust outs.

For details of full payouts and latest chip counts visit the UKIPT Manchester information page.

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Field of 122 see start of Day 2 ₤259,000 prize pool – posted 02.13.10

UKIPT Manchester welcomed another 289 runners to the felt on Friday, making the combined field for this event a huge 518 players  and a massive ₤259,000 prize pool. The size of the field has exceeded all expectations, and Day 1b has provided another benchmark for live poker in the UK.

PokerStars.com qualifier Mark Warnock heads the overall chip count on 228,800.

Also in is the Day 1a chip leader Rupinder Bedi in second on 179,400 and Team PokerStars Pro Victoria Coren with 132,700 in fifth.

A total of 122 players will return on Saturday for Day 2 and play is scheduled to get under way at 14:00. We’ll then play down to a final table of nine who will return on Sunday to battle for the title of UKIPT Manchester Champion.

The action will be unmissable as we approach the business end of the tournament. To keep up to date with all of the latest chip counts and bust outs, as well as pictures from the event, take a look at the UKIPT coverage page.

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Cap-busting field of 518 for UKIPT Manchester – posted 02.12.10

Live tournament poker in the UK is as strong as ever after the final field of UKIPT Manchester burst its cap of 500 players.

A total of 518 players made it to the second stop of Manchester on the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT).

The cap for the event was originally 300, but owing to stellar demand, sponsors PokerStars.com raised the cap a week before the tournament started to 500.

The final figure for the prize pool is due shortly, but with a guaranteed prize pool of £100k, the final figure looks set to be huge.

Back to yesterday’s action and the chip leader at the end of Day 1a’s play was Rupinder Bedi with 179400, closely followed by Christopher Brammer who has 126900, with Justin Adams well positioned in third place with 120500.

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228 players negotiate marathon Day 1a in Manchester – posted 02.12.10

Day 1a of UKIPT Manchester closed at a little after 03:30 on Friday morning from a starting field of 228. The card room was packed to the rafters as play began at 14:00 on Thursday afternoon, and after a steady stream of eliminations throughout the day.

We’re still waiting on chip counts, but check here before the start of play on Day 1a for news on the Day 1a chip leader.

The field here in Manchester was made up of a total of 127 PokerStars qualifiers, Team PokerStars Pros and PokerStars Players.

Unfortunately, the newest member of Team PokerStars Pro and Season 4 EPT Baden winner Julian Thew was unable to kick off his Team Pro career with a cash, after he was eliminated.

Another 250 or so fresh-faced players will convene at 14:00 today for Day 1b. The prize pool looks set be huge, and UKIPT Manchester is certain to post some record-breaking numbers for live UK poker.

Check back here for all of the news and results, and see the UKIPT coverage page for the latest chip counts and pictures from the event. 

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UKIPT Manchester starts today with 206 PokerStars Qualifiers – posted 02.11.10

The second leg of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour gets underway in Manchester this afternoon at 14:00 with 206 PokerStars Qualifiers in the running.

There are 206 PokerStars.com qualifiers who won their seats on-line, 64 PokerStars players who bought in directly through PokerStars.com, Team PokerStars Pros John Duthie and Victoria Coren and PokerStars Sponsored Player Teddy Sheringham all in the running.

The current field for the £500 + 50 Main Event is pegged at 273+ players with more expected before registration closes.

Players can still buy in directly at the G casino in person until Friday February 12 14:00 or can enter by calling the casino directly on +44(0)161 831 6370, and by asking for the cash desk.

Players can also buy in to a range of side events with affordable buy-ins starting from £100. Visit the UKIPT Manchester page for more information on the events on offer.

For information on chip counts, player lists and for photo galleries throughout the tournament visit the UKIPT Coverage page and for live updates check out PokerStarsBlog.com

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Cap for UKIPT Manchester skyrockets to 500  – posted 02.03.10

Demand for seats on the second stop of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) has skyrocketed past the planned cap to 500.

Event sponsor PokerStars.com said that owing to exceptional demand for UKIPT Manchester, which is offering players a £100k guaranteed prize pool, it had raised the cap to 500 to ensure players still had a chance to enter.

Players can still buy-in directly to the £500+50 Main Event by calling the G Casino direct on +44161 831 6370 now that satellite qualifiers on PokerStars have ended.

UKIPT Manchester takes place February 11 – 14. In addition to the Main Event there are also a host of affordable side events running throughout, with buy-ins ranging from £100 to £300.

From more information on the event please visit the UKIPT Manchester information page.

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UKIPT Manchester schedule announced – posted 29.01.10

The second leg of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will get underway in a fortnight (February 11 – 14, 2010) in Manchester with added side games.

PokerStars will be hosting a range of affordable buy-in side games ranging from £100-£300, alongside the £500+50 Main Event.

Players can find out more about the games on offer by visiting the UKIPT Manchester page where the full tournament schedule can be found.

The event in Manchester is the first leg to offer a £100k guaranteed prize pool and will be capped at 300.

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UKIPT Manchester Satellites now Underway – posted 01.04.10

Satellites for the UKIPT Manchester event are now running. The event will take place from the 11th of February to the 14th and will be the UKIPT’s first stop in the UK. The buy-in for the Main Event is priced at an affordable £550 with a guaranteed prize pool of £100k.

Satellites for UKIPT can be reached from the PokerStars client by selecting “Events” from the available tabs then “Special”. From the list that appears select one of the UKIPT options to be in with a chance of taking your place at UKIPT Manchester.

Last month at UKIPT Galway 259 players hit the felt creating an incredible prize pool of €471,400. After four days of play Irish player Padraig Parkinson took home the top prize of €125,000. Do you have what it takes to achieve Poker glory? Find out now by downloading the PokerStars client where you can win a prize package which includes travel, accommodation and Main Event entry to the UKIPT via our satellites.

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Irish Legend Parkinson keeps UKIPT Galway trophy on home soil  - posted 12.14.09

Irish poker champ Padraig Parkinson has won UKIPT Galway to scoop the top prize of €125,000. Parkinson, who came third in the WSOP Main Event in 1999 for $489,125, beat a field of 259 players here in Galway, Ireland after four days of action on the felt that generated a €471,400 prize pool.

Parkinson’s heads up opponent was none other than UK stalwart Paul Marrow aka the ‘Diceman’ who took second place for €82,000.

The final showdown game came approximately seven hours into the final table with all-in coin flips seeing Marrow’s pocket sixes crushed when Parkinson made a pair of Queens on the flop holding A-Q.

The story repeated itself in the deciding hand when Marrow shoved after making pocket twos on the flop only to be called by Parkinson who had made pocket queens on the board, holding Kh-Qh.  

PokerStarsBlog.com was on hand to report the presentation:

“The ensuing winner's presentation was an emotional affair with runner up Paul Marrow welling up and saying that even though he really wanted to win the heads up he wanted Parkinson to be Irish champion just as much. Parkinson, who is never one to be short for word, said, 'I was born just down the road so I can't believe that I won it. If anyone wants a drink, I'm buying!'”

UKIPT Galway, the inaugural stop on PokerStars.com’s UK and Ireland Poker Tour has been a success recording a field of 259 players and a prize pool of €470,400. A total of 104 players won their seats to the event online by playing on PokerStars.com.

The next stop on the UKIPT is Manchester February 11 – 14. Satellites are running now on PokerStars and or players can buy in direct for an accessible £550 with a prize pool guarantee of £100,000.

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Final Table set for UKIPT Galway – posted 12.13.09

The final table for the inaugural UKIPT event in Galway has been decided. Paul Marrow from the UK leads the pack to the final table with 1,000,500 and where the average stack is 575,444 (approx. 36 big blinds).  

Hot on Marrow’s heels is PokerStars Qualifier Ben Lefew from the USA with 928,500 in second place. Lefew is joined at the final table by fellow PokerStars Online Qualifier Michael Graydon from Ireland who stands in fifth with 585,000 – just above the average.

All nine will battle it out for a first prize of €125,000 and will walk away from tomorrow’s final table with a minimum payout of €9,000. Action starts at 14:00 and is expected to run into the early hours of Tuesday.

In other news, the action at Day 3 UKIPT Galway concluded with players cashing from 36-10 place. A total of €104,400 in prize money was paid out to players with amounts ranging from €2,800 to €7,000.  

Notable cashes included Team PokerStars Pro John Duthie who walked away with €2,800 in 35th place. APPT Macau Season 3 Main Event winner Dermot Blain grinded through the tournament to take €7,000 for 12th. He was joined by tournament high flier and PokerStars Qualifier Christopher Brammer who also took €7,000 in 13th. Matt Perrins, the IPT Venice Champion, also made the money and finished 23rd for a payday of €3,400.

For full breakdown of results visit the UKIPT Galway coverage page and for live reporting of the final table tomorrow visit the PokerStarsBlog for up to the minute reports.

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Players enter the money at UKIPT Galway Day 3 – posted 12.13.09

The bubble burst at the end of Day 2 UKIPT Galway with 36 players set to begin Day 3 with a guaranteed minimum payout of €2,800. The chip leader is UK player Matt Perrins, who earlier this year took down IPT Venice for €200,000. Will he do the double here in Ireland?

Perrins stands on 430,500, with PokerStars Sponsored Player Reggie Corrigan in second on 373,500. PokerStars Qualifier Christopher Brammer makes it through a second day of play as a continued high flier by holding fourth place with 276,000.

Brammer starts Day 3 along with nine other players who won their seats online with PokerStars.com. Unfortunately, Day 2 saw Team PokerStars Pro take its share of casualties with John Duthie remaining to fight for its pride. Duthie starts Day 3 in 29th place with a stack of 61000. The average starting stack for Day 4 is 140k.    

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170 players begin UKIPT Galway Day 2 for €125,000 top prize – posted 12.12.09

Day 2 here at UKIPT Galway begins with 170 survivors of the 259 players that began Day 1, all of whom are competing for the top prize of €125,000.

The prize pool for UKIPT Galway hit a monster €471,400 when registration closed at 18:00 yesterday. First place pays €125,000 and payout is to the top 36 with a minimum payout of €2,800. The field was made up of 259 players hailing from over 22 different countries, with the UK and Ireland leading the way.

The current chip leader at the start of Day 2 is Gavin O Rourke from Ireland with 104,000, which makes him a clear front runner. In second place is PokerStars Qualifier Christopher Brammer from the UK on 81,975, closely followed in third by Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth on 81,850.

Dermot Blain, who won the APPT Macau event earlier this year for USD$514,472, graced the felt and is hanging in there with 14,150 where the average stack stands around 30,500.

A total of 55 PokerStars Qualifiers move forward to Day 2 along with Team PokerStars Pros John Duthie and JP Kelly.

Action begins promptly at 14:00 today so join us back here for the latest updates and be sure to check out the coverage page for our latest chip counts and pictures.

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Field of 259 lead start of UKIPT Galway – posted 12.11.09

A field of 259 poker players descended on the beautiful city of Galway, Ireland for the start of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT).

Players travelled from over 22 countries around the world including Russia, Germany and Canada to take part in the €2,000 Main Event. Ireland showed the strongest contingent with over 147 players out in force for the host nation. A total of 52 players from the UK made their way across the waters for a slice of an estimated €471,380 prize pool.

Play got underway promptly today at 16:00 but luckily registration was left open until 18:00 to cope with a last minute surge in demand.

Be sure to check out PokerStarsBlog.com for live reporting and join us back here at the end of the day for official chip counts and pictures from the day on our coverage page.

UKIPT premieres with 116 PokerStars Players – posted 12.09.09  

A boon to UK poker players occurs this Friday with the start of the UK Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT). Galway, Ireland plays host to the first stop on the tour and a total 104 players have won entry to the €2,000 Main Event by playing online with PokerStars.com.

Action at the four day event begins this Friday December 11 at 16:00 with a cap of 400 players. Celebrities in the field include football legend and PokerStars Sponsored Player Teddy Sheringham, Team PokerStars Pro UK players John Duthie (2009 WSOP Heads-Up, 2nd $386,636), Jude Ainsworth (PokerStars SCOOP 1st $963,338) and JP Kelly (1st, 2009 WSOPE Main Event $225,535).  

Check the live coverage page for the latest chip counts, player lists and pictures from the day and be sure to check out live updates from the PokerStars Blog to follow the drama as it unfolds.

Main Event Schedule

Thursday 10th December
Time	Event
20:00	Player Party
Friday 11th December
16:00	€2,000 Main Event Day 1
Saturday 12th December
14:00	€2,000 Main Event Day 2
Sunday 13th December
14:00	Main Event Day 3
Monday 14th December
14:00	Main Event Final Table

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UK and Irish players hit road to riches with UK Ireland Poker Tour – posted 10.30.09

UK and Irish poker players have cause to celebrate this December as PokerStars unveils the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) – the newest and most exciting tour from the PokerStars.com stable of live events. The UKIPT promises to bring a unique festival-like poker experience to a variety of locations throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The first stop takes place in conjunction with the Irish Poker Championship (IPC) on December 11 in Galway, Ireland. The IPC is one of the top tournaments in Europe and for the first time ever is brought to you by PokerStars.com

Scheduled stops include iconic cities such as Dublin and London. Throughout the tour poker players can immerse themselves in the rich and diverse cultural of the UK and Ireland before stepping up to the felt to prove they are the best in the region.

Buy-ins for the UKIPT run from an accessible £500 through to €2,000.  You can also qualify online by playing our satellites which are running now.  Buy-in to the online satellites for just a few dollars or qualify for free by using your PokerStars Frequent Player Points.

When it comes to live poker events, you’re in good hands with PokerStars.com, who also run the prestigious European Poker Tour London event where winners have walked away with huge cash prizes. At EPT London Season 6 players from all over the world came together to create a record breaking prize pool of £3,540,500. Aaron Gustavson from the USA managed to take home an incredible £850,000. Season 5’s London event saw America’s Michael Martin win an astonishing million pounds – the biggest winnings the London event has ever seen.

Will you scoop the next big prize in the UK and Ireland?

The UKIPT is bringing poker back to its roots. This poker tournament is for the man on the street who dreams of winning big. Buy-ins are low, allowing the novice and beginner to get their first taste of live tournament action. For the professional, there is the chance to win kudos by being crowned the best in the region as well as fabulous big money prizes. Take up the challenge to win life changing amounts of money. Download the PokerStars client now where you can win a prize package which includes travel, accommodation and main event entry to the UKIPT via our satellites.

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PokerStars qualifier Aaron Gustavson wins EPT London Main Event -posted 10.08.09

American Aaron Gustavson beat Team PokerStars PRO and World Champion Peter Eastgate today to win the EPT London Poker Festival Main Event and a £850,000 first prize.

Online pro Gustavson, 23, was one of 149 PokerStars qualifiers at the £5,300 event. A total of 730 players entered the tournament creating a prize pool of £3,540,500 and making it the biggest poker tournament ever held in the UK.

Gustavson and Eastgate, who wins £530,000 as runner-up, started their heads-up battle straight after dinner. It lasted just seven hands when Gustavson's A-Q beat Eastgate's A-9.

Gustavson said: "I'm speechless, totally overwhelmed. I don't think it's going to hit me for a quite a while. Having this title is amazing -a dream come true."

Gustavson, known online as "Aguskb", plans to spend some of his winnings buying a house in Vegas and a Porsche. He also wins entry into the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final. He has a string of successes on PokerStars including winning the PokerStars Sunday Warm Up for $135,000 and 12th place in the PokerStars $530 NLHE World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) event last month.

Also in the final was PokerStars qualifier Martin Gudvangen from Norway (4th place, £227,000), British PokerStars player Dominic Cullen (5th place, £173,000) and Raymond Wu from Taipei, a member of Team PokerStars Asia, who finished 7th for £87,000.

A total of 104 players cashed including Kevin Schaffel, the PokerStars-sponsored World Series of Poker "November Nine" finalist, Friend of PokerStars Darus Suharto, Team PokerStars PROs Maria Mayrinck and Arnaud Mattern, as well as the PokerStars-sponsored former England footballer Teddy Sheringham.

This season's EPT London Poker Festival featured 16 different events. Side event winners included Team PokerStars PROs Joe Hachem, Jason Mercier and William Thorson.

The next EPT event this season is EPT Warsaw from October 20-25, 2009. Satellites are running now, as well as for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January.

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World champion Peter Eastgate makes EPT London final - post 10.07.09

We've gone from 730, to 318, to 111, to 24 and now -after five days of intense and dramatic poker, we are down to our final eight at the EPT London Main Event.

Today's final table players hail from eight countries on four continents but all have just one goal in mind -becoming the next EPT London champion and taking home the £850,000 first prize.

The final comprises some highly talented players, not least the Team PokerStars PRO and current world champion Peter Eastgate who is second in chips. Three PokerStars players have also made it into the final -American qualifier Aaron Gustavson is the massive chip leader with more than double Eastgate's stack. Martin Gudvangen from Norway, who is playing only his second EPT and Dominic Cullen from the UK are also through.

Finalist Raymond Wu, 24, from Taipei, a member of Team PokerStars Asia, has a loyal team supporting him on the rail -including his mother, girlfriend, friends, team mates and his manager.

The £5,000 Main Event attracted a record 730 players, making it the biggest tournament ever held in the UK and generating a £3,540,500 prize pool.

A total of 96 players have already cashed including Michael Berry, who won his seat via a PokerStars/Daily Mirror promotion, Kevin Schaffel, the PokerStars-sponsored World Series of Poker "November Nine" finalist, Friend of PokerStars Darus Suharto, Team PokerStars PROs Maria "maridu" Mayrinck and Arnaud Mattern and the PokerStars-sponsored UK footballer Teddy Sheringham.

EPTLive continues today at 12:00 today (October 7) with expert commentary in seven languages. See http://www.pokerstars.tv/channels/TPI/live.htmlfor full broadcast details.

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PokerStars qualifier Michael Berry leads field at EPT London -posted 10.06.09

PokerStars qualifier Michael Berry has free-rolled his way into a major chip lead in the EPT London Main Event. With only 24 players left as the tournament goes into its penultimate day, the entrepreneur from South Yorkshire, UK, could well be looking at an £850,000 happy ending.

Berry is one of thousands who took part in a special PokerStars online tournament run in conjunction with the Daily Mirror newspaper. Only 290 made the final and it was Berry who won the $12,000 package -a seat in the Main Event and five nights luxury hotel accommodation at the Hilton Metropole.

He finished day one with a below-average stack but bagged up at the end of Day 2 with a tidy 324,000. Now he's on 1,837,000.

Berry is not the only PokerStars player. Brazilian qualifier Rodrigo Dos Santos Caprioli is in second place with 1,647,000 while PokerStars player Benjamin Spindler, who came 3rd at the PCA in January, is on 1,110,000.

Still in the Main Event, which attracted a record 730 players generating a £3,540,500 prize pool is Team PokerStars PRO Peter Eastgate, the current world champion as well as Raymond Wu from Taiwan, a member of Team PokerStars Asia, and Kevin Schaffel, the
PokerStars-sponsored World Series of Poker "November Nine" finalist.

Another event which has proved immensely popular at the EPT London Poker Festival is the £200 Ladies Event which started yesterday and was still going strong at midnight. The big turnout -120 players -amazed everyone and included seven who won their seats online on through PokerStars.

EPTLive is providing coverage of the final two days of the EPT London main event starting at 12:00 today (October 6). See http://www.pokerstars.tv/channels/TPI/live.html for full broadcast details.

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Kevin Schaffel makes Day 3 of EPT London -posted 10.04.09

Kevin Schaffel, the PokerStars-sponsored World Series "November Nine" finalist, is among the chip leaders as EPT London goes into Day 3. Schaffel, from Florida, has been a golfer for more than 25 years. It's been a family affair for Schaffel at EPT London. He has been supported by his brother Jordan throughout the tournament, while his cousin, Martin, busted earlier in the day.

It was a brutal day for many players, with more than 200 heading for the door. The early hours of play tomorrow (October 5) will also be decisive -only 111 players remain and the money kicks in at 104 players. Most players will have their eyes set on the EPT title and the £850,000 first prize, rather than the £7,500 min cash on offer to the first eight players out.

Still in contention are numerous PokerStars qualifiers and players as well as Team PokerStars PRO Peter Eastgate, the current world champion, Raymond Wu of Team PokerStars Asia, Maridu Mayrinck from Team PokerStars PRO Brazil and the latest team member Arnaud Mattern from France.

A total of 730 players entered the EPT London Main Event, creating a total prize pool of £3,540,500.

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