Hasmukh Khodiyara has taken down the penultimate leg of this year’s Genting Poker Series. Khodivara outlasted the second-largest field of the season to claim his maiden major victory along with the £50,000 first prize.
Taking place at the Genting Club in Sheffield, 568 players signed-up for the tournament, which went on for three intense three days before the final nine was set.
Heading into the final table, Khodivara along with Stephen McGrath and Rob Fleet held the bulk of the chips. But it wasn’t long before McGrath and Fleet locked horns and it was Fleet who came off worse, hitting the rail in seventh place.
The next four players followed soon after and it was left to McGrath and Khodiyara to battle it out for the title. McGrath had the chip lead, but some solid play from Khodiyara turned the tables and it wasn’t long before the man from Leicester found himself on the verge of victory.
The final hand saw all the chips go into the middle with McGrath holding Qs-Ts verses Khodiyara’s Ah-Jh. The flop missed both players and blanks on the turn and river meant that Khodiyara’s ace-high was enough to win the hand and the title. The win is Khodiyara’s second big finish of the year, his first being a 5th place at the UKIPT Nottingham earlier this year for £62,500.
Here is how the final table finished up:
1. Hasmukh Khodiyara -£50,000
2. Stephen McGrath – £31,750
3. Matt Myford – £22,400
4. Simon Higgins – £18,000
5. Shola Akindele – £14,050
6. Rob Boon – £11,200
7. Rob Flett – £9,000
8. Danny Hook – £6,750
9. Tim Chung – £4,500
The GPS Tour heads to London’s Fox Poker Club for the Grand Final next month. Play is scheduled to begin on the 1st December and this year’s Main Event has a £200,000 guaranteed prize pool.
