Robert Douras Takes an Early 2026 National Poker League Lead
The 2026 National Poker League (NPL) is less than three months old, but its leaderboard is already packed with familiar names. Following the recent Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Manchester festival, Robert Douras finds his name at the top of the pile, having amassed 186.03 points, enough for a narrow lead over Bryan Taylor (169.39) and Brandon Sheils (143.51).
Those who follow the GUKPT and 888poker UKPL may be wondering why Sheils isn't leading the way after his impressive GUKPT London Main Event and High Roller double at the turn of the year. This has happened because the NPL uses players' 20 best results over the course of the year, and Douras has managed 17 qualifying cashes to Sheils' eight. Only Bryan Taylor and Calogero Morreale have hit double figures so far.
Douras' biggest case of the season thus far came at the recent GUKPT Manchester festival. He finished 18th in the Main Event for a £3,380 score. A day prior to that result, Douras was the runner-up in the £200 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo for £2,220.
Scotland's Bryan Taylor occupies second place in the NPL standings as he continues his transition from cash games to tournaments. Last October, Taylor won the GUKPT Edinburgh Main Event for a career-best $43,920. This year, Taylor banked £13,910 for a fourth-place finish in the £340 Mini Main at GUKPT London and another £6,610 when he finished seventh in the £2,500 High Roller at the same stop. He also reached the UKPL Luton Main Event final table, but had to make do with an eighth-place finish worth £5,020.
The aforementioned Sheils was fast out of the blocks in 2026 with a double victory at GUKPT London. Sheils' Main Event and High Roller victories earned him a combined £138,320. He followed that brace of results with a runner-up finish in the £1,100 UKPC High Roller for £20,500, although this does not count towards the NPL. Sheils had a GUKPT Manchester to forget, but everyone knows that form is temporary and that class is permanent.
The remaining top 10 are grouped together and will remain that way until each has at least 20 qualifying results. Tai Hoang (134.57), Calogero Morreale (134.31), Mariusz Czech (112.33), Yucel Eminoglu (111.69), Keith Littlewood (109.77), Wendy Watson (108.62), and Chris Balmforth (105.81) make up the current top 10 as of March 13.
NPL 2026 Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Douras | 186.03 |
| 2 | Bryan Taylor | 169.39 |
| 3 | Brandon Sheils | 143.51 |
| 4 | Tai Hoang | 134.57 |
| 5 | Calogero Morreale | 134.31 |
| 6 | Mariusz Czech | 112.33 |
| 7 | Yucel Eminoglu | 111.69 |
| 8 | Keith Littlewood | 109.77 |
| 9 | Wendy Watson | 108.62 |
| 10 | Chris Balmforth | 105.81 |
High Roller League Standings
Chris Balmforth is the man to catch in the early High Roller League standings. Balmforth's first Hendon Mob entry only came in late August 2025, but he has already made a name for himself.
So far in 2026, Balmforth has a fourth-place finish in the £1,100 PLO High Roller at GUKPT London, an eighth-place finish in the £2,500 GUKPT Coventry High Roller, a third-place finish in the GUKPT Manchester £1,100 PLO High Roller, and a third-place finish in the £1,500 GUKPT Manchester High Roller.
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Balmforth | 54.18 |
| 2 | Brandon Sheils | 36.10 |
| 3 | Yucel Eminoglu | 30.95 |
| 4 | Peter Stewart | 26.87 |
| 5 | Conor O'Driscoll | 25.37 |
| 6 | Stephen Blow | 24.65 |
| 7 | Timothy Chung | 24.03 |
| 8 | Bryan Taylor | 23.83 |
| 9 | Daniel James | 20.89 |
| 10 | Ryan Fronda | 19.16 |
Low Roller League Standings
Douras is a runaway leader in the Low Roller League, with a lead of almost 49 points. The 2026 NPL leader is racking up in-the-money finishes like they're going out of fashion. Can he hold onto this advantage in the coming weeks and months?
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Douras | 148.77 |
| 2 | Calogero Morreale | 100.02 |
| 3 | Bryan Taylor | 91.70 |
| 4 | Michael Howard | 86.93 |
| 5 | Stefan Lazar | 79.93 |
| 6 | Wayne Peach | 76.06 |
| 7 | Michael Rosaman | 72.53 |
| 8 | Robert Danks | 72.24 |
| 9 | Tai Hoang | 69.20 |
| 10 | Wendy Watson | 67.48 |
Players have ample opportunities to accumulate points across all three leaderboards, thanks to qualifying tournaments running around the clock. These include G200 and G300, Goliath, the Behemoth, 888poker UKPL, and GUKPT events, both live and online.
The next GUKPT stop runs from April 9-19 at the luxurious The Victoria in the heart of London.
