Following London Success UKIP Tour Now Heads to Nottingham
Professional poker player Gaspare Sposato has won the UK & Ireland Poker Tour’s ￡1,100 entry Main Event staged at London’s Hippodrome Casino. The Italian started the final day as chip leader. He held his position throughout the decisive final table to emerge with a ￡107,660 prize after a heads-up deal with second-placed Atanas Pavlov from Bulgaria.
The London UKIPT generated a ï¿¡696,000 prize pool, but ï¿¡1 million-plus is the promised pot for the tour’s next stop in Nottingham. ?PokerStars
2024’s UKIPT London Main Event was extremely popular and featured a significant increase in last year’s participation numbers. While the 2023 Main Event saw 375 entries (236 unique players) and produced a ￡359,040 prize pool, this year’s tournament attracted 725 entries (420 unique players). The field generated a ￡696,000 purse, which was distributed amongst the top 108 finishers.
A Birthday Trophy for the Winner
“I was only playing for the trophy. I was really close last year in Paris, but I lost heads-up, and many times tonight, I thought the same thing was going to happen again,” said Sposato after collecting his prize. “This trophy is a present for my wife, it was her birthday yesterday. It’s a great moment to be all together with friends and enjoy it.”
Main Event Final Table Result:
1. Gaspare Sposato (Italy) ï¿¡107,660
2. Atanas Pavlov (Bulgaria) ï¿¡99,340
3. Alessandro Pichierri (Italy) ï¿¡56,700
4. Candido Cappiello (Italy) ï¿¡43,600
5. Saigokul Kannan (UAE) ï¿¡33,600
6. Artús Giménez (Spain) ￡25,900
7. Colin MacAndrew (UK) ï¿¡19,900
8. Conor O’Driscoll (Ireland) ￡15,350
9. Joe Hindry (UK) ï¿¡11,800
Described by PokerStars as the “crown jewel of the UKIPT side events”, the ï¿¡330 London Cup was won by Norway’s Kent Roed after a dramatic heads-up battle with England’s David McConachie. The 376-entry event paid out ï¿¡108,288 in prizemoney, distributed amongst the 55 players that reached Day 2. Taking third was the 2013 UKIPT London champion, Robbie Bull.
UKIPT Cup Final Table Result:
1. Kent Roed (Norway) ï¿¡21,498
2. David McConachie (England) ï¿¡13,510
3. Robert Bull (Scotland) ï¿¡9,650
4. Elliott Panyi (England) ï¿¡7,420
5. Ivonne Montealegre (Costa Rica) ï¿¡5,710
6. Gonzalo Gonzalez Guy (Spain) ï¿¡4,390
The ten-day UK & Ireland Poker Tour London stop was a truly international affair, and it was a Belgian, Mallory Frere, who emerged as champion in the ï¿¡2,200 High Roller event. One hundred twenty-two entries saw this competition generate a ï¿¡234,240 prize pool. The winner took a ï¿¡59,940 share. Runner-up Alex Romero from Spain collected ï¿¡37,600 for his efforts.
A Million on the Line in Nottingham
Just one leg of 2024’s PokerStars UKIPT remains this season, the UKIPT Nottingham. Scheduled for November 8-18 at the Dusk Till Dawn card room, previous incarnations of this festival have been a highlight of the UK poker calendar. As it did in 2023, this year’s competition will feature a ï¿¡1 million guaranteed prize pool.
Last year, Frenchman Vincent Meli and German Patrice Brandt shared ï¿¡327,750 when finishing first and second in the Nottingham Main Event. Meli, a London resident, scored again in February 2024 when landing Manchester’s Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Main Event for a ï¿¡83,897 prize.
