Alan Stearn Spins 3 Big Blinds into GUKPT Grand Final Title and Six-Figure Score
Winning poker tournaments isn't easy, mostly because players are at the mercy of Lady Luck for the most part. Your hands need to hold, and your bluffs need to get through; otherwise, you have no chance of glory.
Lady Luck was certainly shining down on veteran grinder Alan Stearn in the £2,000 GUKPT Grand Final Main Event. After finding himself all-in, Stearn legitimately thought he'd been eliminated and had packed away his belongings, only to discover he had been left with three big blinds. Fast-forward a few hours, and those three big blinds turned into £125,645 and the title of 2025 GUKPT Grand Final Main Event champion, Stearn's first live victory since 2010.
2025 GUKPT Grand Final Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Stearn | £125,645* |
| 2 | Jason Green | £94,525* |
| 3 | Tobias Kirby-Hogarty | £58,050 |
| 4 | Naoufel Smires | £38,340 |
| 5 | Billy Caffrey | £26,090 |
| 6 | Tuan Le | £18,910 |
| 7 | James Starkey | £14,640 |
| 8 | Martins Adeniya | £11,850 |
| 9 | Ben Winsor | £9,850 |
*reflects a heads-up deal
The £2,000 GUKPT Grand Final Main Event drew in a 334-strong crowd, who created a £569,640 prize pool that the top 44 finishers shared. Such luminaries as Robert Douras, Kevin Allen, Harry Sandford, Timothy Chung, Ross Boatman, the legendary Neil Channing, Tom Hall, and Calogero Morreale were among the talented players who saw a return on their investment.
National Poker League (NPL) leader Thomas Clack did his chances of securing a £40,000 GUKPT sponsorship package no harm by finishing in 11th. The final table was set when Laith Edris bowed out in tenth place.
Ben Winsor, the only player in GUKPT history to win the Grand Final twice, busted in ninth. Winsor was left short-stacked after a clash with Billy Caffrey didn't go to plan. He then ran queen-ten into pocket queens and found no help from the board.
The dangerous Martins Adeniya was the next to fall, his final 15 big blinds going into the middle with ace-queen and losing to the dominating ace-king of Caffrey.
Seventh-place and £14,640 went to James Starkey, who committed his last 11 big blinds with king-seven and lost to the ace-jack of Tobias Kirby-Hogarty. Starkey flopped a king, but an ace landed on the turn to send him to the cashier's desk for the second five-figure haul of his fledgling career.
Tuan Le crashed out in sixth for £18,910 after a clash with Stearn. Le opened with queen-jack and bet all three streets of a four-seven-queen-nine, five board, only to be raised all-in on the river. Le called and was shown Stearn's set of nines.
Next to go was Caffrey, a player with only £710 in recorded cashes before this impressive result. Caffrey was the big stack at the start of five-handed play, but his ace-seven lost to ace-jack, then jack-ten to ace-king to go from hero to zero in a short space of time. Caffrey picked up a career-best £26,090 for his efforts.
The final four became three when Morocco's Naoufel Smires ran out of steam. A big pot was brewing as Smires four-bet all-in for 40 big blinds with ace-king. Jason Green snap-called with pocket kings, which held, sending Smires to the rail. Those of a certain age may recall that Smires finished fourth in the 2016 edition of the GUKPT Grand Final for £40,850. He banked £38,340 this time around.
The GUKPT Grand Final reached the heads-up stage after the untimely demise of Kirby-Horgarty. He lost two big hands against Stearn in quick succession to crash out in third for a career-high £58,050.
Stearn and Green paused the tournament clock to discuss a deal. A deal was struck that locked in £94,526 for Green, £103,644 for Stearn, leaving £22,000 and the coveted trophy to play for. Amazingly, Green won his seat in this tournament via a £5 raffle!
An exciting heads-up battle concluded with Green moving all-in after flopping bottom two pair and Stearn outdrawing him on the turn. Green bowed out in second place, leaving a delighted Stearn to write his name in the GUKPT's history books.
