Grosvenor Casinos’ GUKPT Grand Final is set to get underway this week with players from across Europe set to play for the lion’s share of at least £400,000/$515,000.
Kicking off on November 22, the £2,140/$2,750 main event will feature 60-minute levels and two starting flights before Day 2 starts on November 24.
Main Event Momentum
Alongside the action inside London’s Grosvenor Victoria Casino will be a selection of side events and cash games. However, for this season’s current GUKPT champions and those looking for a six-figure score, the main event will be the focal point of the festival.
For Grosvenor Casinos, this year’s finale will be another chance to improve on its recent run of positive results. Barring the opening season back in 2007, last year’s GUKPT Grand Final was only the third time the main event has surpassed 300 players.
The only time prior to that was in 2015 when Ben Winsor topped a 321-player field to take home $230,000. With 2017’s tournament generating a wave of positive momentum, the organizers will be hoping for more of the same on November 22.
Fraudster and Fighter Doubtful
As ever, this season’s current crop of champions will be given a free pass for the main event, but one player that might not be in the mix is Adam Lulat. The GUKPT Manchester winner was convicted of laundering $51 million earlier this year.
After pleading guilty to being part of an organized crime ring, Lulat was sentenced to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay his entire GUKPT purse ($95,000) to the UK’s tax authority (HMRC).
One player that GUKPT regulars will be hoping to see ante-up is retired boxing champion David Haye. After signing a sponsorship deal with Grosvenor Casinos, Haye is attempting to learn on the job ahead of next year’s Goliath event.
In his first professional event in November, Haye lasted just three hands before hitting the canvas. Despite being the most famous player in the GUKPT Blackpool side event, the live reporting team weren’t quick enough to witness his demise.
However it occurred, Haye’s performance suggests he might be better off watching the GUKPT Grand Final from the sidelines.
