Portugal's Andrea Leal Turns £150 into £14.5K at PartyPoker Tour London
The PartyPoker Tour is currently at the Genting Stratford in London, where the season's grand final is in full swing. Several side events have crowned their champions, including the £150 buy-in Mini Main Event.
The PartyPoker Tour Mini Main Event attracted 726 entrants, creating a £90,750 prize pool. Portugal's Andre Leal was the player who came out on top, turning his £150 investment into a bankroll-boosting £14,530.
Leal only had four live cashes on his Hendon Mob profile before this victory. Those results, all in his native Portugal, totalled €5,409. Leal can now boast a five-figure haul.
£150 Mini Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andre Leal | Portugal | £14,530 |
| 2 | Antanas Hristov | Bulgaria | £9,250 |
| 3 | Sofia Irene | United Kingdom | £6,800 |
| 4 | Sebastian Constable | United Kingdom | £5,100 |
| 5 | Sidharth Menda | India | £4,100 |
| 6 | Adewale Keshinro | United Kingdom | £3,200 |
| 7 | John Squibb | United Kingdom | £2,480 |
| 8 | Barry O'Shea | United Kingdom | £1,820 |
| 9 | Safak Senyuksel | United Kingdom | £1,350 |
Safak Senyuksel was one of the shortest stacks when the nine-handed final table's first hands were dealt. He can count himself unlucky with how he busted because he was all-in with pocket queens for his last nine big blinds, and up against the ace-jack of Adewale Keshinro. An ace on the flop was not what Senyuksel wanted to see, and he was gone in ninth.
Next to fall was Barry O'Shea, who committed 7.5 big blind stack from early position with ace-three of clubs. Sofia Irene reshoved from late position with pocket tens, which held on a king-high board.
An ill-timed move by John Squibb cost him his tournament life. Sidarth Menda min-raised to 400,000 from under the gun, Sebastian Constable called only for Squibb to squeeze all-in from the big blind for 680,000 in total. Menda ripped in his 17 big blind stack, which folded out Constable. Menda flipped over pocket kings, which were crushing Squibb's lowly nine-five. A jack-high board was safe for Menda's kings, and the final table was left with only six players.
Those six became five during the next level when Keshinro bowed out. Having lost all but 2.5 big blinds running ace-seven of diamonds into Atanas Hristov's ace-king, Keshinro was eliminated during the next hand, holding seven-four against Constable's ace-jack that rivered a jack.
Another jack on the river reduced the player count during the next level. Leal min-raised to 600,000 with ace-jack, then called the 2,500,000 jam from Menda, which he made with pocket threes. The baby pair remained true right up to the river, when the jack of spades ended his dreams of becoming the PartyPoker Tour London Mini Main Event champion.
Leal then scored another elimination when his pocket fives held against Constable's ace-six. Constable had shoved for nine big blinds from the button, and Leal reshoved from the small blind. Four of the five community cards were higher than Leal's fives, yet they held.
The Mini Main Event progressed to the heads-up stage when Irene fell in third. Leal min-raised to 800,000, and Irene defended he big bling. Irene check-raised a 550,000 continuation bet to 2,300,000 on a ten-seven-seven flop, but Leal stuck around. Irene shoved for 7,700,000 on the nine of spades turn, and Leal insta-called. Irene showed queen-ten but was in a world of pain against Leal's jack-seven. A brick on the river, and Irene was gone.
Leal held a substantial 24,000,000 to 6,300,000 chip lead over Hristov going into heads-up, and it took only one hand to conclude the tournament. Hristov min-raised to 800,000, Leal three-bet all-in, and Hristov called. It was ace-eight of hearts for Leal against the dominating ace-queen in Hristov's hand. Leal improved to a flush by the river and became the 2025 PartyPoker Tour London Mini Main Event champion.
Attention now turns to the £500 buy-in, £100,000 guaranteed Main Event. Each of the previous four PartyPoker Tour Main Events has far exceeded its £100,000 guaranteed amount, including the inaugural London leg in April. It saw 491 entrants build a £216,703 prize pool; Getnet Kassa got his hands on the trophy, the title, and £38,408 top prize.
Lead image courtesy of Nunzia Esposito and the PartyPoker LIVE Tour
