The opening Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) of 2020 is over, and Artan Dedusha is the first player to win a main event trophy.
Anteing up at Grosvenor’s London Victoria Casino, Dedusha had to overcome a tough final table to win.
Indeed, with a £300,000/$390,500 guarantee and £1,500/$1,950 buy-in, many of Britain’s top pros were chasing a six-figure payday.
Bumper Field for GUKPT Opener
GUKPT cashiers collected 379 buy-ins over the course of two starting flights, easily beating the entries needed to cover the guarantee. Moreover, the large turnout means the tournament will go down as one of the largest GUKPT main events in history.
With a share $665,900 up for grabs, players of all skill levels were pushing the pace. However, as it often does, the cream slowly rose to the top. By the close of Day 2, two-time EPT champion Victoria Coren-Mitchell was one to watch.
A former regular inside London’s Grosvenor Victoria, Coren-Mitchell was among those chasing chip leader Dedusha. However, with 1.1 million chips and 17 players left, Dedusha looked a tough man to beat.
As expected, he didn’t have things his own way on the final day. With 2019 GUKPT Grand Final champion Benjamin Winsor joining Coren-Mitchell at Sunday’s final table, Dedusha faced threats from two sides.
Despite the illustrious company, the day belonged to Dedusha. After Jack O’Neil and Damian Bell fell in seventh and sixth, respectively, Dedusha took his first significant scalp.
Looking down at pocket threes, Dedusha called an all-in from Coren-Mitchell holding king-queen. A potential straight on the 2♠J♦T♦ flop gave Coren-Mitchell hope. However, that soon faded after the 4♦ and 4♥ fell on the turn and river.
Grosvenor Favorite Falls
With the finale down to four, Dedusha’s air of invincibility grew a few hands later. After raising from the button, he called a three-bet from a player known only as Mo, sitting in the big blind.
The 8♣7♣2♠ flop elicited a check from MO and a 300,000-chip bet from Dedusha. Mo responded with an all-in, and Dedusha called with pocket sevens.
With a set in hand, Dedusha was well ahead of Mo’s A♣A♠ and that’s how things stayed. The K♥ and 3♦ completed the board and earned Dedusha another pot.
Patrice Brandt was next to fall before GUKPT veteran Benjamin Winsor suffered the same fate. Despite trying to overturn a 4:1 chip deficit, Winsor couldn’t gain any traction and, eventually, made a move with pocket fives. Dedusha called with Q-T and a 10 on the board gave him the final pot of the day.
$1,750 + $195 GUKPT London Main Event Result
- Artan Dedusha – $178,866
- Benjamin Winsor – $118,789
- Patrice Brandt – $72,455
- Mo – $45,683
- Victoria Coren-Mitchell – $30,677
- Damian Bell – $22,191
- Jack O’Neill – $16,972
With first GUKPT of 2020 over, Grosvenor’s tournament is busy prepping for more action. In addition to eight more GUKPTs, Grosvenor will be aiming for another record turnout when it’s 2020 Goliath gets under in July.
