£1,100 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2023 UKIPT Nottingham
£1,100 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 UKIPT Nottingham
Buy-in
£1,100
Prize Pool
£1,177,920
Entries
1,227
Level
35
Blinds
125,000 / 150,000
Ante
150,000
Entries
10
Players Left
1
Level 35
: Blinds 125,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
The PokerStars UKIPT Season Finale Main Event, running at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham, has reached its conclusion and a new champion has been crowned.
It was a rapid-fire final table. After around five hours of play, Vincent Meli of France emerged as the outright winner.
Meli, 43, has lived in London for 15 years and played poker professionally for nine of them. His focus has always been on live cash games and, having taken some time off just before Covid, he switched to tournaments. He's found the change difficult and hadn't managed to lock up any significant results. That is, until he locked up the UKIPT Nottingham Main Event.
Meli was up against Patrice Brandt heads-up. Brandt, originally from Germany but now local to Nottingham’s Dusk Till Dawn, has had a successful year. Taking down the Sunday Million on PokerStars was one of the highlights of the 40 year old pro’s recent results, along with "some other big scores” online, as well as deep runs in live tournaments.
A total of 1,227 entries were made across five starting flights, which generated a prize pool of £1,177,920. Of those, 185 players made it through to Day 2 to lock up the £1,650 min-cash. Ten players returned on Day 3 to compete for the title.
As soon as the tournament reached the final two players, a deal was made. Brandt came into the heads-up as chip leader and so took slightly more from the chop. The pair decided to leave £2,000 behind to play for, as well as the coveted PokerStars trophy.
It was a short heads-up battle. Meli soon found himself pulling ahead and Brandt was forced to shove his short stack. After losing the flip, Meli was crowned the champion.
Brandt took £168,425 for what was technically a second place finish. Meli, meanwhile, earned £159,325 and the trophy.
UKIPT Nottingham Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vincent Meli | France | £159,325* |
| 2 | Patrice Brandt | Germany | £168,425* |
| 3 | Andrew Tuxworth | United Kingdom | £90,070 |
| 4 | Thomas Middleton | United Kingdom | £69,250 |
| 5 | John Farrell | Ireland | £53,300 |
| 6 | Jack Nolan | United Kingdom | £41,000 |
| 7 | Matthew Bonham | United Kingdom | £31,400 |
| 8 | Niall Murray | United Kingdom | £24,200 |
| 9 | Guillermo Nuez | Spain | £18,650 |
* Denotes heads-up deal
Final Day Action
With the field for the event so big, action didn't quite reach the final table in time for Day 3. Ten players returned to the felt to play for the title. Alessandro Spina was first to exit after losing a big pot to Brandt, then shoving short and busting to Murray. Action then broke for the start of the official final table.
Despite getting a double up early in the day, Guillermo Nuez was the first player to bust the final table after shoving with a short stack and busting to Thomas Middleton. Meanwhile, Meli and Brandt continued to chip up.
Niall Murray was next to go after shoving from the button and getting called by Brandt, who held with ace high to send Murray to the rail. Matthew Bonham, who came into Day 3 as the chip leader, had found himself short after losing several big pots. He shoved with king queen and was called by Meli holding pocket nines. Meli held and Bonham was eliminated in seventh place.
In what was shaping up to be a very fast final table indeed, several players then busted within the space of an hour. Jack Nolan raised with pocket jacks and Brandt shoved with ace king. Brandt made a full house and sent PokerStars qualifier Nolan to the rail in sixth place. John Farrell had been nursing a short stack since the start of Day 3 and had successfully laddered up several places. He called all in from the big blind with a short stack and lost the hand to bust in fifth place.
A few minutes later, Meli shoved from the button with pocket nines and Thomas Middleton called with ace seven. Meli held and Middleton was knocked out in fourth place. Andrew Tuxworth had also laddered up several places and was sat on the shortest stack as play went three-handed. He attempted to squeeze from the big blind and was called by Brandt, who held with ace high to bust Tuxworth in third place.
Action went heads-up between Brandt and Meli. Players immediately looked at the deal numbers and, moments later, had settled on a straightforward deal. Brandt was chip leader at the time, so he took £168,425 from the deal. Meli happily accepted £157,325.
Players left £2,000 and the trophy behind to play for.
As the heads-up progressed, Meli wrestled the chip lead from Brandt, showing a river bluff and winning a big pot with pocket jacks against Brandt's pocket fives. Brandt was left short and shoved from the button with pocket threes. Meli called with queen six and hit a queen on the river to end the game.
Brandt finished in second place. Meli won the extra £2,000 and the trophy, bringing his total prize money up to £159,325. He is the UKIPT Season Finale Main Event champion.
This concludes PokerNews coverage of UKIPT Season Finale, but be sure to check out our live reporting hub for more coverage of exciting tournaments around the globe.
Level 35
: Blinds 125,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Vincent Meli has been crowned the UKIPT Season Finale Main Event champion. After a heads-up deal was made, he takes £159,325 and the PokerStars trophy. Standby for the recap on PokerNews.
Level 35
: Blinds 125,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Patrice Brandt moved all in from the button for 2,800,000, less than ten big blinds. Vincent Meli put his chips in the middle for the call. The cards were flipped.
Patrice Brandt: 3♦3♣
Vincent Meli: Q♥6♥
The board ran out 10♠4♠A♦5♥Q♦. Brandt held with his threes up until the river, when Meli paired up his queen to win the pot.
Brandt was eliminated from the tournament in second place. Because of the deal numbers agreed earlier, he takes the biggest prize of £168,425.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
36,810,000
3,000,000
|
3,000,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 35
: Blinds 125,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Patrice Brandt raised to 600,000 from the button and Vincent Meli reraised to 2,500,000, which Brandt called.
The flop came 9♣10♠2♠. Meli continued for 1,000,000 and Brandt called. The turn was the 10♦. Meli checked and Brandt bet 1,500,000, which Meli called.
The river came the A♠ and both players checked to showdown. Brandt showed 5♥5♠ for two pair with pocket fives and the tens on board. Meli showed J♥J♠ for two pair with pocket jacks and the tens on board to win the pot.
The following hand, Brandt lost a further 3,000,000 when Meli called his bluff on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
33,810,000
8,000,000
|
8,000,000 |
|
|
3,000,000
-8,000,000
|
-8,000,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 125,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Vincent Meli had chipped away at Patrice Brandt over the course of several hands.
In the latest, action was on the turn on a board of 10♣2♠J♠9♠. Meli checked and Brandt bet 850,000. Meli check raised to 2,500,000 and Brandt called.
The river came the 9♣. Meli led for 3,000,000 and Brandt deliberated before making the fold. Meli showed Q♣7♥ for a bluff.
"I have to show the bluff for PokerNews!", said Meli as he scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
25,810,000
11,810,000
|
11,810,000 |
|
|
11,000,000
-11,810,000
|
-11,810,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 125,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Patrice Brandt raised from the button and Vincent Meli called in the big blind.
The flop came 7♦Q♣4♥. Meli checked and Brandt continued for 900,000, which Meli called. The turn was the 10♥ and both players checked.
The river was the 2♥. Meli led for 1,800,000 and Brandt folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
22,810,000
1,810,000
|
1,810,000 |
|
|
14,000,000
-1,700,000
|
-1,700,000 |
Level: 35
Blinds: 125,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000
Level 34
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
A deal has been made. As chip leader, Patrice Brandt has taken £168,425 and Vincent Meli takes £157,325.
Players have left £2,000 behind to play for, as well as the coveted PokerStars trophy.
Players have also agreed to reduce blind levels to 30-minutes for the duration of the heads-up match.
Level 34
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Patrice Brandt and Vincent Meli are now discussing ICM deal numbers.