For a little island the UK punches above its weight in the poker world – here’s what went down in 2014
3: Top of the pops
Stephen Chidwick: Global Poker Index, May 2014
It hasn’t been the best year for UK players. Jack Salter was our biggest winner with two huge second place finishes in the EPT Grand Final and the WSOP APAC Main Event. Craig McCorkell flew the flag in the WSOP Main Event but was unlucky to go out in 13th.
Stephen Chidwick has been the most consistent performer though, and that saw him break into the top ten of the GPI rankings in May, and again in September and October. It gets better for the UK pro as well – his biggest cash of 2014 came just as we went to press at EPT Prague, where he finished third in the Super High Roller for $436k. This, along with two other six-figure scores, takes his 2014 haul over the $1m mark.
2: Book of Moorman
November 2014
Chris Moorman has long been flying the flag for UK poker online. As the first player to win $10m in online tournaments, it’s no surprise that his first strategy book was the most anticipated since Doyle Brunson’s original Super/System. If you haven’t bought your copy of Moorman’s Book of Poker yet, you’re probably not threatening the top of the PocketFive rankings. Silly! Buy it from Amazon now.
1: Dusk Till Dawn doubles down
WPT Nottingham, November 2014
The UK’s biggest and best poker club, Dusk Till Dawn, ran off with the trophy last year after saving the seemingly doomed ISPT event. This year they’ve gone back-to-back after another stellar 12 months, which culminated in them offering (and hitting) two $1m guaranteed tournaments in the space of a few weeks. First off came the WPT500, with a $1m guarantee for a £500 buy-in. PKR pro Eleanor Gudger took full advantage of the mega spin-up with her biggest win of £140k.
She came back, along with 353 other players, to contest the £3k WPT Nottingham main event. A stacked final table saw Patrick Leonard, Antoine Saout, Tamer Kamel and Ben Warrington lose out to Matas Cimbolas who took home the giant trophy and £200k.
PokerPlayer magazine is now free on your phone or tablet!
Download the latest version of PokerPlayer on Android or iOS now
Living in the US? Get American PokerPlayer for Android or iOS here
