The Assassin kills it in Brighton

The PokerPlayer UK Tour returned this June for more top drawer low-stakes action, and after our stunning opener in Newcastle, expectations were high. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. With a healthy turnout, brilliant structure and a plenty of familiar faces going deep, PPUK Tour Brighton was arguably our most dramatic event yet. And for proud father Simon ‘The Assassin’ Griffin, it was a truly unforgettable two days.
   
When the final hand was dealt on Sunday, Griffin was stunned by what he’d achieved. Not only had he pocketed just shy of £3,000, a free seat to a GUKPT main event of his choice, entry to our next PPUK Tour in Coventry and a shinny PPUK Tour trophy, but he did it all for just $16.50. The online qualifier was understandably speechless. And to make things even sweeter, he’d beaten PokerPlayer at their own game.

Squaring off against editor and long-time chip leader Alun ‘The Bizzness’ Bowden (unofficial nickname) heads-up, Griffin was a slight underdog after knocking out Graham Parkin in third place. But that soon changed. After a few mid-sized pots, the 43-year-old business intelligence analyst had eked out a slender lead, and when he shoved preflop with A-K into Bowden’s tens, there was already an air on inevitability about the outcome. A King on the flop was good enough to seal the deal, leaving Griffin shaking his head in disbelief. But that’s just half the story.

Sunshine, happiness and suckouts

Griffin was no stranger to the PPUK Tour, having final tabled our first ever event in Bristol back in 2011, and he wasn’t the only former tour star trying their luck in Brighton. PPUK Tour Newcastle winner Dean Aldred was back to defend his title, along with the usual mix of PokerPlayer alumni, Punters Lounge enthusiasts and local grinders, each with their eyes squarely on the $11,100 prizepool.

But while the setting may change and the prizes improve, some PPUK Tour traditions are here to stay. Following his early bust in Newcastle, staffer Keir ‘OMG he’s a fish’ Mackay did what he does best in sunny Brighton, namely hitting the rail and propping up side events before the antes had clicked in. In his defence, he was all but crippled by Bowden rivering a straight flush to beat his nut flush, but few people shed any tears. Well, except for Kezay.

To make matters worse for the fish, Bowden ran hotter than the sun over two days, making hands and the occasional jaw-dropping call along the way. Top of the list was an audacious bluff catcher with Ace-high on the final table, but if you want to forget that in a hurry Kezay would really appreciate it.

Goliath Bubble

As ever, the race for the bubble was gruelling, with just 11 players making the money and several Grosvenor Poker online qualifiers chasing the Shoal Survivor prize and free entry into the next PPUK Tour event. With the clock edging into the early hours on Saturday, the always excellent tournament director Henry Wride decided it was time to call it a day and return for the final action on Sunday. But if eventual bubble boy Arthur Sinkiewicz felt aggrieved at having to come back only to hit the rail, he wasn’t upset for too long.

After busting in twelfth place, Sinkiewicz was rewarded with free entry to August’s GUKPT Goliath worth £120, where he’ll take on the masses for a shot at a guaranteed £100,000 prizepool. For the remaining eleven players, though, it was all about the PPUK Tour trophy and £3k first prize.

Frank Corbin was next to follow Sinkiewicz to the rail, while Dave Buckland, Alan Ellis and UKIPT side event winner Peter Wigglesworth just couldn’t get going on the final table, finishing tenth, ninth and eighth respectively. American Daniel Steinberg fell next, followed swiftly by local lad Jason Booth, as Parkin and Griffin began to stretch their leads. And then Bowden struck.

After raising from the button with Qs-10s, Bowden called Griffin’s small three-bet hoping to hit the flop hard. Two spades on the board was near perfect, and after completing his flush on the turn, PokerPlayer’s editor was happy to see Griffin shove with Aces, raking in a monster pot to claim over half the chips in play five-handed.

Two-on-one

The challenges of Ben Price and the dangerous Mizra Azmat were next to falter, leaving Griffin and Parkin to square-off against Bowden’s big stack. The pay jumps began to grab everyone’s attention, and with both Griffin and Parkin nursing short stacks, Bowden looked to have it in the bag. But a quick double up for Griffin with A-6 through Parkin’s sevens, followed swiftly by a knockout blow with Q-K against A-J left Parkin reeling and Griffin with more than enough chips to damage Bowden’s chances.

With the difference between first and second a whopping £1,000, plus the small matter of a £1k GUKPT seat to clear up, heads-up was paused while a deal was bashed out. Griffin, facing a 2:1 chip deficit, was happy to walk away with £2,770, leaving Bowden with £3,000 to waft in Kezay’s face. It proved a good decision for PokerPlayer, as Griffin made light work of heads-up, quickly edging out a lead before finishing the job with A-K.

‘I’m in shock,’ Griffin said afterwards. ‘It was a brilliant structure, unlike some crapshoots I’ve played elsewhere.  And I’d really recommend anyone who hasn’t played live before to give the tour a go.  The structure is slow enough for you to find your feet, and the dealers and players are very helpful and patient with new live players.’

Congratulations go to Simon and to everyone who made the effort to join us in Brighton. The PPUK Tour is nothing without its players, and we can’t wait to see all of you again, plus a few new faces, when the tour pulls into Coventry on August 11.

Keep your eyes on PokerPlayer.co.uk for more information on how you can qualify, and don’t forget to check out next month’s magazine for more from Brighton and great pictures from the event.

Here’s how PokerPlayer UK Tour Brighton finished up:

Where: G Casino Brighton
Buy-in: £110
Entries: 111
Prizepool: £11,100

1. Simon Griffin £2,770 + £1,000 GUKPT seat + PPUK Tour Coventry entry
2. Alun Bowden £3,000
3. Graham Parkin £1,500
4. Mizra Azmat £940
5. Ben Price £780
6. Jason Booth £560
7. Daniel Steingberg £440
8. Peter Wigglesworth £330
9. Alan Ellis £280
10. Dave Buckland £250