Harry Sandford Completes GUKPT Edinburgh Hat Trick With High Roller Victory
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It has been quite the year for London's Harry Sandford. The grinder had 31 tournament cashes between 2015 and 2024, almost all in low-stakes events and never with a prize exceeding $2,200. However, since the start of 2025, Sandford has been on fire, racking up more than $200,000 in cashes. He continued his hot streak with an impressive victory in the £1,650 GUKPT Edinburgh High Roller this week.
Sandford started the year with a fourth-place finish in the £560 buy-in 888poker UKPL Portsmouth Main Event, a result good for £20,005. In June, Sandford won the £560 buy-in 888poker UKPL Edinburgh Main Event for a new career-high of £23,960. That prize remained Sandford's best for less than a month because he won the £240 Mini Main at GUKPT London in July for £46,060.
In August, Sandford finished fourth in the £1,250 GUKPT Luton Main Event for another £17,120.
Fast-forward to October, and Sandford made his way to Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, for the GUKPT running there. After finishing third in the £200 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo for £1,340, and fourth in the £250 Pot-Limit Omaha for £1,380, Sandford took down the £1,650 High Roller for £22,180.
The £1,650 High Roller attracted 48 entrants who created a £68,390 prize pool. The compact field meant only the top six finishers received a slice of the pot. Jack Hardcastle was the first high roller to cash, his sixth-place finish coming with a £4,100 payout.
Fraser Bellamy's 50th recorded live cash was a fifth-place finish worth £5,480 before Mitch Johnson bowed out in fourth for £7,520.
Third-place and £10,940 went to Kyle Scott. This was Scott's fourth five-figure score in Scotland, having recently scooped £14,270 for a runner-up finish in the PartyPoker Tour Glasgow Main Event.
Scott's elimination left Sandford heads-up against Serghei Zgalvoci, a player celebrating his birthday in style. Zgalvoci held a four-to-one chip lead over Sandford, but the in-form up-and-coming star won three all-ins in a row to spoil Zgalvoci's party. The runner-up took home a career-best £18,180 thanks to a heads-up deal, leaving Sandford to add another £22,180 to his ever-growing live poker earnings.
£1,650 GUKPT Edinburgh High Roller Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Sandford | £22,180* |
| 2 | Serghei Zglavoci | £18,180* |
| 3 | Kyle Scott | £10,940 |
| 4 | Mitch Johnson | £7,520 |
| 5 | Fraser Bellamy | £5,480 |
| 6 | Jack Hardcastle | £4,100 |
2025 GUKPT Edinburgh Results
Sandford was the fifth player to become a champion at the GUKPT Edinburgh festival. Gary Armstrong triumphed in the £250 Mini Main Event for £20,840, while Chavdar Chankov captured the £200 No-Limit Hold'em Opener title and its £15,000 top prize.
William Winchester and Matthew Davenport also won, taking home £4,550 and £2,930 for their victories in the £250 Pot-Limit Omaha and £200 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo, respectively.
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,650 High Roller | 48 | £68,390 | Harry Sandford | £22,180 |
| £250 Mini Main Event | 523 | £108,300 | Gary Armstrong | £20,840 |
| £200 NLHE Opener | 440 | £72,140 | Chavdar Chankov | £15,000 |
| £250 Pot-Limit Omaha | 66 | £13,800 | William Winchester | £4,550 |
| £200 NLHE Turbo | 49 | £8,380 | Matthew Davenport | £2,930 |
Remaining GUKPT Edinburgh Schedule
GUKPT Edinburgh wraps up over the weekend. The table below shows which events are running and when.
| Date | Time | Event | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 17 Oct | 12:00 p.m. | £1,000 NLHE Main Event Day 1b | £150,000 |
| 12:00 p.m. | £110 Main Event Turbo Satellite | 10x seats | |
| 9:00 p.m. | £1,000 NLHE Main Event Day 1c Turbo | £150,000 | |
| Sat 18 Oct | 12:00 p.m. | £1,000 Main Event Day 2 | £150,000 |
| 1:00 p.m. | £340 NLHE GUKPT Cup Day 1 | £30,000 | |
| Sun 19 Oct | 12:00 p.m. | Main Event Day 3 | £150,000 |
| 12:30 p.m. | £340 NLHE GUKPT Cup Day 2 | £30,000 | |
| 1:00 p.m. | £150 NLHE Seniors | ||
| 3:00 p.m. | £330 PLO Bounty | ||
| Mon 20 Oct | 7:00 p.m. | £110 Online Closer Day 1 | £20,000 |
| Tue 21 Oct | 7:00 p.m. | Online Closer Day 2 | £20,000 |
