Uk-Poker.co.uk

The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Summer Series is one of the most popular and enjoyable UK poker tournaments on the calendar. Composed of several top class events, the GUKPT Summer Series attracted plenty of attention this year with many big name stars still out in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2010. Sniffing an opportunity or two amid a weakened field, many UK online poker pros attended the GUKPT Summer Series events in Newcastle and Walsall over the weekend.

The £500 main event in Walsall, which featured a top prize of £7,220, was won by Leamington Spa’s Stephen Thompson, whilst the £300 main event in Newcastle was taken down by the curiously named Hugh Frew, who threw everything at his heads-up opponent, Boris Mutch, to win £6,340. Another round of GUKPT Summer Series events is due to take place in Sheffield (21st – 25th July) and Dundee (22nd – 25th July) later this month, before which time the GUKPT Club Championship events are scheduled to occur. UK poker’s team in Las Vegas, however, ought to have returned by then.

The WSOP 2010 has marked a record-breaking time for British players; having won five WSOP bracelets to date, no other nationality besides the US has won so many events at the tournament. Steve Jelinek, Mike Ellis, Richard Ashby, Praz Bansi and James Dempsey have all won bracelets at this year’s WSOP, making it a truly remarkable period for British players.

Over the weekend, in Event 43, the $10,000 buy-in HORSE World Championship, Richard Ashby almost made it six for British players. A field of 241 players battled hard to make the 24 paid positions, which is perhaps unsurprising considering that the prize pool was worth $2,265,400. Ashby managed to finish a close second to Ian Gordon ($611,666) and, although he did not win another coveted bracelet, he secured $378,027 for his troubles.