Seb Crane Prevents History Being Made in the GUKPT Luton Main Event
The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) first ran in January 2007; Praz Bansi emerged victoriously in the GUKPT Bolton Main Event. In the 17 years since every GUKPT Main Event champion has been male, but that almost changed this weekend in Luton. However, almost is the operative word.
The £1,250 buy-in GUKPT Luton Main Event saw 284 entrants create a £299,910 prize pool that the top 33 finishers shared. Katie Swift, a member of Team Grosvenor, was one of those entrants. Swift navigated her way into the top 33, then to the final table before finding herself heads-up against Seb Crane.
Swift had previously reached three GUKPT Main Event final tables and was the runner-up in the 2015 edition of the Goliath. Unfortunately for Swift and her legion of fans, the wait for a female GUKPT Main Event champion continues because she fell at the final hurdle.
2024 GUKPT Luton Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seb Crane | £66,000 |
| 2 | Katie Swift | £49,300 |
| 3 | Dean Wilson | £34,040 |
| 4 | Luke Porter | £22,640 |
| 5 | Callum Gordon | £15,750 |
| 6 | Ali Abdulzahra | £11,550 |
| 7 | Thomas Clack | £9,170 |
| 8 | Stefan Voudouri | £7,950 |
| 9 | Abdul Ahmed | £6,900 |
Stars were out in force in the GUKPT Luton Main Event, with several seeing a return on their investment. John Bousfield was the first player eliminated in the money places. The likes of Matthew Davenport, Kully Sidhu, Kevin Allen, Paul vas Nunes, Calogero Morreale, and Yucel "Mad Turk" Eminoglu also cashed. Daniel Scridon fell in tenth to set the final table.
Abdul Ahmed, who finished fifth in the £1,650 GUKPT Luton High Roller last week, busted in ninth when he three-bet shoved for 12 big blinds with ace-deuce over the top of a Swift opening raise. Swift called with ace-ten, Ahmed didn't catch up, and it was curtains for him.
Stefan Voudouri joined the list of busting players after opening from the button with pocket jacks. Crane set Voudouri all-in for the rest of his 21 big blind stack with king-ten, and Voudouri obliged with a call. A king on the flop was enough to reduce the player count by one and give those at the final table some more elbow room.
The final seven became six when Thomas Clack ran out of steam. Down to six big blinds, Clack jammed with ace-ten and looked in great shape against Luke Porter, who called with the dominated king-ten. Porter was only dominated until the flop when a king reared its head. No ace for Clack, and he bowed out in seventh.
The remaining players were now guaranteed a five-figure sum for their efforts. Ali Abdulzahra was the first to get his hands on such a prize. Abdulzahra got his last 20 big blinds into the middle with ace-jack and found himself up against the pocket eights of Crane. Ace-jack failed to melt those snowmen, and Abdulzahra crashed out in sixth, a few days after finishing second in the £1,650 High Roller.
Callum Gordon's latest deep run ended in a fifth place finish. Gordon had previously finished as the runner-up in the 2023 and 2024 GUKPT Blackpool Main Event but was cut down in fifth in Luton. Gordon three-bet all-in with pocket threes and ran straight into the pocket jacks of Porter. The jacks held, and the GUKPT Luton Main Event was down to only four players.
Having won the GUKPT London Main Event in January, Porter hoped to join the list of players with two Main Event titles. However, the Poker Gods had other ideas. Porter got his stack in with ace-queen only for Crane to wake up with ace-king. No ladies appeared on the community cards, and Porter headed to the cashier's desk.
With Porter done and dusted, a first-time GUKPT champion would be crowned at this Luton Main Event. It would not be Dean Wilson because he got into a raising war with Crane that ultimately saw him four-bet shove 36 big blinds with ace-six, only for Crane to call with ace-queen. Crane's queen-kicker played on a king-high board, and heads-up was set.
Crane held a massive 120 big blinds to 20 big blinds lead over Swift at the start of heads-up play, but the tenacious Swift was not going down without a fight. Swift clawed her way back and then soared into the lead when her pocket fours prevailed against king-nine of clubs.
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Swift extended her lead and looked set to become the tournament's champion. Crane was all-in with ace-six against Swift's ace-four, and Swift flopped two pair. According to the PokerNews Odds Calculator, Swift was a 63% favorite but that changed completely when a five on the turn paired the board and counterfeited Swift's hand. A chopped pot now looked most likely, but a three on the river meant Crane's six-kicker played, and he doubled up.
The ball was now in Crane's court, and Lady Luck appeared to be on his side. Crane looked down at king-queen before moving all-in. Swift called off her 12 big blinds with ace-jack. Swift's hand remained best on the flop and turn, but a fourth heart on the river improved Crane to a flush, eliminating Swift in second place after a three-hour heads-up marathon.
Congratulations to Crane, who walked away with £66,000, his first five-figure haul, and the title of GUKPT Luton Main Event champion. Crane was magnanimous in victory, praising Swift for her heads-up abilities and acknowledging that luck played a significant role in his win, the sign of a true champion.
