2025 888poker UKPL Coventry
Two spots from the money, Jack Rhodes moved all in for 102,000 under the gun, being looked up by Alex Montgomery in middle position.
Jack Rhodes: K♣Q♠
Alex Montgomery: A♦Q♥
The board ran out an inconsequential 7♣3♦9♣8♥9♠, sending Rhodes to the rail and leaving the field on the stone bubble.
Over at another table, Stefan Lazar had pushed all in on the cutoff and saw James Alner call off in the small blind for about 50,000.
James Alner: 7♠7♣
Stefan Lazar: A♣J♦
Lazar paired up on the K♥9♥J♥ flop for a big lead, although the 10♥ turn provided Alner with plenty of chop outs. His fate as bubble boy was sealed on the 4♣ river, however, being the final player to depart without a cash.
The 38 remaining players all pocketed a minimum of £1,070 for making it to the money, and play continued on Day 2 of the UKPL Coventry Main Event.
Ian Simpson and Ding Fan had gathered a pot of 91,000 chips in the blinds when Simpson got his 298,000 in on a 9♥4♥3♠ flop, being covered by Fan.
Ian Simpson: A♦9♠
Ding Fan: K♣9♣
Simpson's top kicker remained in play when the 10♠9♦ runout gave both players trip nines, seeing him soar up the rankings as he ended with just under 60 big blinds in his stack.
Darshan Patel was down to just 47,000, which he pushed in from the cutoff. Wantao Tang called in the big blind.
Darshan Patel: A♠Q♦
Wantao Tang: 10♥8♥
Both players paired the K♦A♣8♣ flop, but Patel's top pair remained best on the 6♣4♠ runout to double up.
Qing Feng Zheng pushed all in from the small blind, and Serghei Zglavoci called off in the big blind for his stack of 127,000.
Serghei Zglavoci: A♣Q♦
Qing Feng Zheng: Q♠3♠
Both players made two pair on the 9♠5♣Q♥2♦9♥ runout, but Zglavoci's kicker remained in play to secure the double-up.
Two away from the money, Stefan Lazar got his 110,000 chips in from the button against Matthew Wright in the cutoff.
Stefan Lazar: J♠J♥
Matthew Wright: A♦7♥
Wright turned some extra outs on 8♦6♦3♠10♦, but the 7♣ river was not enough to beat the jacks of Lazar.
Level: 18
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
Wantao Tang raised to 25,000 in the hijack. Yucel Eminoglu put in a small three-bet to 68,000 from the small blind, which Tang called after inquiring about Eminoglu's stack.
Eminoglu bet 60,000 on the K♣5♠8♣ flop, seeing his opponent quickly call. Both players then checked the 10♠ turn, but Eminoglu picked the aggression back up on the 3♥ river with a bet of 115,000.
Tang swiftly laid his hand down, and Eminoglu tabled 6♦2♥, telling Tang, "I won't let you steal my blinds."
Richard Wells was down to 55,000, which he shoved in from the cutoff. It folded to Vitor Paiva in the big blind, who called with the covering stack.
Richard Wells: Q♦J♥
Vitor Paiva: K♠Q♣
Wells was dominated by Paiva's hand, and the 8♠2♠7♠2♣4♦ runout left both players unimproved to confirm Wells' elimination.