Ian Gascoigne Enjoys a Career-Best Score in the 2023 GUKPT Blackpool Main Event
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The penultimate leg of the 2023 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) took place in the seaside town of Blackpool, and its £1,250 buy-in Main Event attracted 347 entrants. Those players created a £360,430 prize pool, and it was Ian Gascoigne who emerged victoriously from the battle, helping himself to a career-best score of £62,198 after a three-handed deal.
Blackpool has always been a popular stop on the GUKPT, and this latest edition was no different. A whole host of stars navigated their way into the top 34 finishing positions where and saw a return on their investment. Such luminaries as Michael Kane, Kully Sidhu, Waheed "Wadey" Ashraf, Tom Middleton, Robbie Bull, Mitch Johnson, and Phil Clarke bagged themselves some prize money.
2023 GUKPT Blackpool Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Gascoigne | £62,198* |
| 2 | Callum Gordon | £73,675* |
| 3 | Josh Radley | £61,127* |
| 4 | Ludovic Geilich | £25,230 |
| 5 | James Mahone | £16,580 |
| 6 | Tom Gill | £12,250 |
| 7 | Tim Chung | £9,010 |
| 8 | Sebastien Jung | £7,570 |
| 9 | Kevin Parkes | £6,490 |
*reflects a three-handed deal
Kevin Parkes was the first player eliminated from the nine-handed final table, his last eight big blinds going into the middle with ace-queen only to lose to Tim Chung's pocket queens. Parkes collected £6,490 for his efforts.
Sebastien Jung was the next player heading to the cashier's desk. Like Parkes, Jung was down to eight big blinds at the start of his final hand. Jung committed his short stack with ace-seven, Josh Radley called with ace-jack of spades, and improved to a flush to reduce the player count by one and resigned Jung to a £7,570 score.
Career Best Score as Timothy Chung Wins Biggest Ever GUKPT London Main Event
Chung was leading the way with only seven players remaining, but he still fell in seventh place for £9,010. Having lost the chip lead to Gascoigne, Chung moved all-in for six big blinds with pocket jacks, but lost the flop to the king-queen in the hand of Radley. No doubt Chung will be back in action in the GUKPT Grand Final on November 30.
Sixth place and £12,250 went to Scotland's Tom Gill, which was a career-best haul for him. Gill was involved in a clash with James Mahone that saw Gill's pocket nines lose to king-jack. The hand left Gill running on fumes, and he busted from the tournament on the very next hand.
Despite helping himself to Gill's 14 big blind stack, Mahone was the next player out of the door. Mahone collected £16,580 for his deep run, the second five-figure prize of his short live poker career.
Scotland's Ludovic Geilich Takes Down GUKPT Edinburgh Main Event
All eyes were on Ludovic Geilich when only four players had chips in front of them. The dangerous Scotsman has a penchant for closing out tournaments thanks to his relentless aggressive style, but he had to settle for fourth and £25,230 this time around. Geilich three-bet shoved from the big blind or 20 big blinds with pocket fives after Callum Gordon had opened on the button. Gordon called with ace-nine, spiked a nine on the flop, and Geilich was gone.
The final three players struck a deal to lessen the pay jumps, with each taking home over £60,000. Radley was the main beneficiary of the deal because he bowed out in third. Rdley won his GUKPT Blackpool Main Event seat in a satellite, and turned that satellite win into an impressive £61,127.
Gascoigne and Gordon locked horns heads-up, both guaranteed their largest-ever live result. In the end, Gascoigne did enough in the one-on-one battle to get the job done, and leave Gordon to officially finish in second place with a £73,675 prize. Gascoigne became the 2023 GUKPT Blackpool Main Event champion, exorcising the demons of his sixth-place finish in this event back in 2012. He scooped a career-high £62,198.
Dan Bedson Win the 2022 GUKPT Grand Final For £105,000
Season-Ended Grand Final Runs November 23 to December 3
There is not much time for rest and recuperation for the GUKPT Blackpool grinders because the season-ending GUKPT Grand Final commences on November 23 at The Poker Room, formerly The Vic, in the heart of London.
A £1,250 Midi Main Event kicks off the festival, but it is the £2,000 GUKPT Grand Final Main Event, running from November 30, that everyone has their eye on. Daniel Bedson is the reigning champion, having outlasted 327 opponents in 2022, a result worth £105,000. Stay tuned to PokerNews to discover who the 2023 GUKPT Grand Final champion is.
