Classy Clarke wins GUKPT Bolton

Classy Clarke wins GUKPT Bolton

Monday, 12 August 2013

Old Trafford apart, Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has enjoyed something of a torrid summer after failing to take the Ashes down under. His poker-playing namesake has no such worries though after winning the GUKPT Bolton Main Event yesterday.

Clarke pocketed a first prize of £20,000 after working his way through the 133 entrants who had each paid the £500 buy-in. Sunday's final table action was done and dusted in less than six hours with Clarke starting as he meant to go on after eliminating Martin Hogarty in ninth when his 10s held against AK.

Liam Batey and James Conway both followed soon after, running top pair top kicker into a set and losing a flip with pocket 33. On both occasions it was Todd Robinson who was the victor and it looked like he was set to steamroller the table.

Kerry O'Connor was the next to go, again at the hands of Robinson who ended up on the right side of another flip.

Clarke then eliminated Don Alpert in fifth and Alan McLean in fourth. McLean's exit was especially unlucky rivering a straight flush only to run into Clarke's royal flush.

After Mark Dyson hit the rail in third it was left to Clarke and Robinson to battle it out for the title with the former holding a slight chip lead at the start of heads up play. It didn't take long for all the chips to hit the middle with Clarke calling Robinson's four-bet shove with 88. He was flipping, with Robinson revealing A9. The board gave Robinson no help, sending him to the rail in second place with a £14,140 score.

Clarke becomes the second member of his family to win a GUKPT Main Event, following in the footsteps of his dad Brian who won the Main Event in Blackpool in 2008.

The final table positions and payouts were as follows:

1st - Michael Clarke £20,000
2nd - Todd Robinson £14,140
3rd - Mark Dyson £8,810
4th - Alan McLean £5,480
5th - Don Alpert £4,330
6th - Kerry O'Connor £3,320
7th - James Conway £2,660
8th - Liam Batey £2,000
9th - Martin Hogarty £1,500

The next GUKPT action is the massive Goliath tournament at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry which runs from Tuesday 20th August until Monday 26th August and features four Day 1s. The buy-in is just £100+£20 which for a £200,000 guaranteed event represents incredible value. Qualifers are also running at GCasino Poker.

Image courtesy of www.grosvenorukpokertour.com/.



Tags: Michael Clarke, Todd Robinson, GUKPT Bolton