button in SafariAdam Wilkson Comes Back from 5 Big Blinds to Win the 888poker UKPL Reading Main Event
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You have likely crossed paths with Adam Wilkinson if you have played a major live poker event in the United Kingdom during the past 20 years. The popular grinder is a regular in British poker tournaments, but despite more than 120 cashes, a Main Event title has continued to elude him.
Wilkinson has finally got the monkey off his back after coming out on top of a 313-strong field in the £560 888poker LIVE UKPL Reading Main Event, a result good for £32,010. During his post-victory interview, Wilkinson said that today was his day and that after coming back from a mere five big blinds, his stack continued growing.
The top 38 finishers won a slice of the £150,000 prize pool. Lorenc Boci, Calogero Morreale, Bryan Taylor, Michael Rosaman, Adam Neal, and final table bubble boy Lee Mulligan were among those who saw a return on their investments.
888poker LIVE 2026 UKPL Reading Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Wilkinson | £32,010* |
| 2 | Stephen Bean | £26,190* |
| 3 | Franky Green | £15,500 |
| 4 | Antoan Atanasov | £10,290 |
| 5 | Robin Gue | £7,030 |
| 6 | Yucel Eminolgu | £5,120 |
| 7 | Muhamed Mia | £3,970 |
| 8 | Josh Barker | £3,240 |
| 9 | Emma Barnes | £2,720 |
*reflects a heads-up deal
Emma Barnes was the final table's first casualty, bowing out in ninth for £2,720, her second largest live score.
Eighth place and £3,420 went to Josh Barker, who was left with a meager three big blinds after losing a coinflip to Wilkinson. Barker got his nano-stack into the middle with ace-queen and lost to Stephen Bean's pocket tens.
Next to fall was Muhamed Mia. He had previously finished third in the UKPL Luton Main Event and ninth in the UKPL Reading Main Event in 2024. Mia's third UKPL Main Event final table appearance ended in a seventh-place finish worth £3,970 after his ace-king couldn't beat Antoan Atanasov's pocket jacks.
The dangerous Yucel "Mad Turk" Eminoglu fell in sixth after a clash with his close friend, Wilkinson, who later said he thought Eminoglu was going to refuse to give him a lift home after he'd busted him. Eminoglu collected £5,120, which takes his lifetime earnings ever closer to the $2.4 million mark.
Robin Gue, who won this event in 2024 and finished eighth last year, bowed out at the hands of Atanasov. Gue's last five big blinds went into the middle holding pocket deuces, which lost to ace-seven courtesy of an ace appearing on the board. Gue banked £7,030 for this latest result, the second largest prize of his live career.
According to The Hendon Mob Database, Atanasov only had one cash to his name before the UKPL Reading Main Event, one worth £280 from a £100 No-Limit Hold'em turbo tournament in Luton a month ago. He can now boast of a £10,290 score after navigating to a fourth-place finish in this event. Atanasov's last eight big blinds were committed while holding king-queen, which was up against Wilkinson's pocket fives. A king on the flop looked to have secured a double for Atanasov, but a five on the river gifted Wilkinson a set, and it was game over for Atanasov.
The tournament became an all-male affair with the exit of Franky Green in third. Green was all-in for 11 big blinds with ace-seven against Bean's king-four. A king landed on the flop to leave Green needing help from the turn or river, but it never arrived. Green scooped £15,500 for her impressive deep run.
Wilkinson and Bean struck a heads-up deal that lessened the pay jumps. The final hand of heads up saw Bean all-in for 20 big blinds with ace-six of clubs against Wilkinson's pocket jacks, and those fishhooks remained the best hand, sending Bean home in second for £26,190 and securing the title and £32,010 for Wilkinson.
888poker LIVE 2026 UKPL Reading Results
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £560 Main Event | 313 | £150,000 | Adam Wilkinson | £32,010 |
| £1,100 High Roller | 47 | £50,000 | Jacob Bryant | £16,620 |
| £250 Opening Voyage | 186 | £50,000 | Rostyslav Mozghovyi | £11,590 |
| £200 Big Shot | 97 | £16,125 | Tom Panell | £4,309 |
| £150 Seniors | 26 | £4,800 | Omar | Khan |
| £220 KO Rumble | 42 | £5,000 | Darren Sherwood | £1,680 |
The next 888poker LIVE UKPL stop isn't until mid-September when the tour heads to the Grosvenor Casino Bury New Road in Manchester. September 15-20 are the dates of UKPL Manchester. Main Event satellites will be available online at 888poker.
