Football might not be coming home, but Grosvenor’s popular GUKPT is. After being stuck on the sidelines since March 2020, the live tour is making its long-awaited return to London this week.
The action gets underway on July 14 at the Poker Room, aka the Vic. In addition to a £1,250 ($US 1,787) main event, there will be a selection of side events running through July 25. The festival is significant because it’s the first GUKPT of the new season and the first one since COVID-19 put the world on lockdown.
What’s more significant, however, is that restrictions in play at the start of the series won’t be there when it ends.
Two different looks for GUKPT London
All remaining COVID restrictions in England are set to be dropped on July 19. Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed as much during his speech in the House of Commons.
“This step forward is about balancing the harms that are caused by COVID with the undeniable harms that restrictions bring,” Javid said today.
This means players attending GUKPT London will be required to wear facemasks this week, but won’t be required to do so as of Monday, July 19. CardsChat spoke to a Grosvenor Poker representative for clarification on this issue. “You will be required to wear a facemask up until July 19,” Grosvenor’s representative told CardsChat.
This would make GUKPT London the first European poker series (that we know of) to start with COVID restrictions in place, but end without any.
The organizers are hoping this will be the start of a successful return. While there are concerns that England may reintroduce COVID restrictions in the winter, Grosvenor is using GUKPT London to resume its live tour. Leg 2 is scheduled to take place next month in Manchester before the tournament bandwagon travels across the UK. It will return to London in December for the GUKPT Grand Final.
Live poker players in England looking for a positive end to 2021
The unique situation at GUKPT London is a sign of the times. Live poker returned to England in May when stage three of Boris Johnson’s roadmap was triggered. That meant certain live entertainment venues could reopen with restrictions in place.
🏴 Football is coming home tonight 🏴
♦️♣️Poker is coming home next week! ♠️♥️
The GUKPT is back next week as it returns to the home of UK Poker. The Poker Rook in London! pic.twitter.com/hJ4MQ06fIj
— Grosvenor Poker (@GrosvenorPoker) July 11, 2021
Poker rooms across the country have been bustling ever since, with players happy to wear facemasks and respect social distancing measures so they could ante up. GUKPT London will start with these restrictions in place, but finish without them. Everyone involved will be hoping that’s the way things stay throughout 2021 and beyond.
