button in SafariBryan Taylor Continues Transition to Tournaments With Another Victory
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Scotland's Bryan Taylor was a relative unknown quantity, unless you were a cash game grinder, until he became the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Edinburgh champion in October 2025. During his winner's interview, Taylor revealed that he was primarily a cash game player, but one who had decided to give tournament poker a whirl. It is fair to say that Taylor has taken to tournament poker like a proverbial duck to water.
Since his victory in the 2025 GUKPT Edinburgh Main Event in October 2025, which came with a £43,920 prize, Taylor has finished in the money in 19 tournaments. Nine of those cashes have been final table appearances, including a fourth-place finish in the £340 GUKPT London Mini Event in January for £13,910, a third-place finish in the £250 Mini Main at the more recent 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival.
Today, Taylor can add another cash, final table appearance, and outright victory to his Hendon Mob profile after taking down the £2,000 High Roller event at the latest GUKPT London festival.
Taylor was one of 72 entrants in the GUKPT London High Roller; he helped to create a £123,120 prize pool that the final nine finishers shared.
Ben Glazebrook was the first in-the-money player to bow out. Ajay K, Ahmad Abdelhadi, and Elisha Maarek followed Glazebrook to the cashier's cage, the latter scooping £6,650 and pushing her winnings through the $80,000 mark.
Ireland's Conor O'Driscoll busted in fifth and collected the tournament's final four-figure prize, namely £8,860.
Grovenor regular Arun Sood was relieved of his stack in fourth place, with the 2023 GUKPT Blackpool champion Ian Gascoigne crashing out in third for £17,230, which sent the £2,000 High Roller into the heads-up stage.
Heads-up pitted Taylor against the dangerous Ravi Sheth, a player who goes deep in GUKPT events with alarming regularity. No deal was struck despite a £13,000 difference in the payouts, meaning Taylor collected another £38,780 when he came out top; Sheth received a £25,860 consolation prize.
Taylor may still be better-known as a cash game player, but it is his name that tops the current 2026 National Poker League (NPL) standings. There's still a long way to go and a lot of poker to be played, but if Taylor remains at the NPL's pinnacle, he'll receive a £40,000 Diamond Package, and then, maybe then, people will know him as a tournament grinder.
£2,000 GUKPT High Roller Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Taylor | £38,780 |
| 2 | Ravi Sheth | £25,860 |
| 3 | Ian Gascoigne | £17,230 |
| 4 | Arun Sood | £11,950 |
| 5 | Conor O'Driscoll | £8,860 |
| 6 | Elisha Maarek | £6,650 |
| 7 | Ahmad Abdelhadi | £5,170 |
| 8 | Ajay K | £4,560 |
| 9 | Ben Glazebrook | £4,060 |
Mini Main Victory is Ali Sarkeshik's First in 22 Years
Ali Sarkeshik ended a 22-year title drought by taking down the £330 GUKPT London Mini Main for £28,220. Sarekeshik last lifted a trophy in July 2004 when he won a €5,000 Limit Hold'em event at the Rendez Vous a Paris at the now-defunct Aviation Club de France.
The £330 Mini Main drew in 612 entrants who fought it out for a slice of the £173,170 prize pool. Such luminaries as the aforementioned Bryan Taylor, Yucel Eminoglu, Tamer Kamel, Dale Wilson, Robert Douras, Mariusz Czech, Calogero Morreale, and Philippe Souki cashed but fell short of a final table appearance.
There was a steady flow of eliminations throughout the final table, starting with Joe Hindry busting in ninth. With only four players remaining, a deal was struck that lessened the pay jumps' severity before play continued.
Portugal's Helder Casaca-Sena fell in fourth for £15,830 before Ashkan Ahmedov fell in third for £17,360. It's been quite a few weeks for Ahmedov because he went deep in the 2026 Irish Open Main Event, eventually busting in 30th place for €13,780.
Sarkeshik faced Keith Littlewood heads-up for the trophy. The two veterans clashed until something finally gave. Just as his beloved Manchester United had done during the week, Littlewood had to admit defeat as he fell in second place for a £28,630 payday, which left Sarekshik to lift the trophy and bank £28,220.
£330 GUKPT London Mini Main Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Sarkeshik | £28,220* |
| 2 | Keith Littlewood | £28,630* |
| 3 | Ashkan Ahmedov | £17,360* |
| 4 | Helder Casaca-Sena | £15,830* |
| 5 | Goonjan Mall | £7,920 |
| 6 | Antony Hallam | £5,640 |
| 7 | Andrew Probyn | £4,180 |
| 8 | Clive Macey | £3,200 |
| 9 | Joe Hindry | £2,550 |
Remaining 2026 GUKPT London Schedule
