button in SafariDouble Delight for 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson at UKPL Manchester
Table Of Contents
It's been a special week for 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson, who bagged the two most prestigious titles at the UKPL Manchester festival.
After defeating a 49-player field to win the UKPL High Roller on Friday night, he backed it up by topping the 345-player UKPL Main Event for combined cashes of over £54,000.
He adds another Main Event title to his collection to go with his 2013 Irish Open, as well as the 888poker LIVE Madrid, and UKPL Newcastle Main Event titles he won in 2025.
UKPL Manchester Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Simpson | £38,000 |
| 2 | Ali Mallu | £25,400 |
| 3 | Lewis Spencer | £16,700 |
| 4 | Ronnie Marland | £11,000 |
| 5 | Tom Cazaletz | £7,500 |
| 6 | Callum Morgan | £5,400 |
| 7 | Gaoyang Yang | £4,200 |
| 8 | Mohammed Ifzail | £3,400 |
| 9 | Colin Myott | £2,840 |
"Wild Game" says Simpson
It's fun making one final table, let alone two, and speaking exclusively to PokerNews Simpson says he's desperate to watch them back.
"There were some of the game's toughest opponents to contend with, mixed in with some wild cards taking us completely out of the normal game trees," he said. There’s always more to learn in this game."
"It’s such a wild game we play"
A single cash for Simpson during the WSOP in Las Vegas wasn't the summer he was wanting, but the "wild game" certainly had success in store for him upon his return.
"I came home [from Vegas] and the online grind wasn’t much kinder. Then at the UKPL Manchester, I get back-to-back wins in the High Roller and the Main Event. It’s such a wild game we play.
"I only have a couple more live events this year, UKPL Coventry and 888 Live London. Before then I’m hoping to get in a good amount of study, and plenty of time on my Twitch channel playing on 888Poker."
Simpson had thanks for his rail, and especially for his wife Emma.
"I couldn't do this job without her. She puts in a hard shift during my live trips, not only working crazy hours at her job, but also taking care of our wonderful daughter whilst away."
UKPL Manchester High Roller Final Table Results
His victory in the High Roller was helped by a pivotal moment nine-handed with just six places paid. After an open, Simpson three-bet A♠K♣ from the button and Josh Manley four-bet K♥K♦ from the big blind. The money went in, only for Simpson to stay alive thanks to an ace on the river of a J♠10♥5♦5♥A♣ board.
Yucel Eminoglu went on to be the bubble boy, as Simpson battled with British poker regular Andy Wilson, with Wilson eventually having to settle for second place.
| Rank | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Simpson | £16,620 |
| 2 | Andy Wilson | £11,400 |
| 3 | Martin Byrne | £7,600 |
| 4 | Harry Sandford | £5,230 |
| 5 | Niall Grace | £3,800 |
| 6 | Josh Manley | £2,850 |
