Yucel "Mad Turk" Eminoglu Shows the Young Guns How It's Done
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Yucel "Mad Turk" Eminoglu got the 2024 GUKPT Grand Final off to the best of starts by winning the £560 Midi Main event for £26,330. The poker veteran, who qualifies for Super Seniors events, showed the young guns of Luton how to get the job done. The tournament saw 247 entries compete for a piece of the £118,560 prize pool.
The likes of Michael Howard, Alex Montgomery, and Dean Clay finished in the money places but ran out of steam before the nine-handed final table was set. Everyone at the final table guaranteed themselves at least £2,850, with the top three finishers turning their initial investments into five-figure sums.
£560 GUKPT Grand Final Midi Main Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yucel Eminoglu | £26,330 |
| 2 | Adam Bonham | £19,690 |
| 3 | Tony Phillips | £13,630 |
| 4 | Lin Chen | £9,130 |
| 5 | Tom Clack | £6,400 |
| 6 | Sebastiaen Jung | £4,740 |
| 7 | Matt Bonham | £3,800 |
| 8 | Zhicheng Miao | £3,220 |
| 9 | Christopher Yong | £2,850 |
Christopher Yong's time at the final table was limited to an hour. Yong committed his last seven big blinds with ace-eight of hearts and ran into the pocket aces of Adam Bonham. An eight on the river was too little too late for Yong, and he had to make do with a £2,850 score.
Fresh from his runner-up finish at GUKPT Blackpool earlier this month, Zhicheng Miao found himself at this final table. Unfortunately for Miao, his latest deep run ended in an eighth-place finish worth £3,220.
Matt Bonham was eliminated in seventh for £3,800 and Sebastien Jung joined him at the cashier's desk with a payout slip for £4,740.
You must win your coinflips to win poker tournaments, but it appears Thomas Clack didn’t get that particular memo. Clack's ace-king couldn't get there against Adam Bonham's pocket tens in a 50 big blind flip, and had to console himself with £6,400.
2024 GUKPT Grand Final Schedule Released; Includes £250K Guaranteed Main Event
Lin Chen has enjoyed some superb results over the past couple of years, not least his victory in the £1,250 GUKPT Blackpool Main Event in 2023. Chen fell short of another win when he squeezed all-in for 22 big blinds with king-nine, and Tony Phillips looked him up with pocket eights. No king or nine appeared on the community cards, and Chen was done and dusted.
The final three locked in at least £13,630 for their efforts, and it was Phillips who claimed that sum. Phillips won the 2009 GUKPT Newcastle Main Event for £47,200 but fell in third in Luton.
Adam Bonham finished third in the 2023 edition of the £2,000 GUKPT Grand Final and in the £3,000 High Roller, narrowly missing out on victories. He fell at the final hurdle here, his king-queen of hearts losing to Eminoglu's ace-deuce courtesy of an ace on the flop. Bonham banked £19,690, leaving Eminoglu to claim the title, trophy, and £26,330 top prize.
Eminoglu's Best Year of His Career
Eminolgu is one of the most popular characters on the British live poker circuit. Affectionately known as "Mad Turk" due to his sometimes unorthodox playing style, Eminoglu has live cashes dating back to 2005.
A consistent casher, Eminoglu has cashed for six figures in four of his years on the circuit. He won $105,547 in 2012, finished with $261,656 in earnings in 2021, and another $192,230 in 2023.
2024 is already guaranteed to be Eminoglu's best year regarding winnings. As we enter the final month of the year, Mad Turk has over $520,000 in live poker tournament scores. A fourth-place finish in the £1,500 GUKPT Coventry UK Open came with £78,340. Eminoglu followed up that result with several five-figure hauls before finishing second in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Super Seniors event for a cool $238,748, losing out to Sean Jazayeri for the bracelet.
He may be in his sixth decade but Eminoglu is showing no signs of slowing down just yet.
The 2024 GUKPT Grand Final Continues
The 224 GUKPT Grand Final runs until December 3. The £250,000 guaranteed Main Event starts on November 28, and Eminoglu is expected to be in the thick of the nation. Expand the table below to see the remaining tournaments and satellites at the 2024 GUKPT Grand Final in Luton.
