Qing Feng Zheng Leads After Busy Day 1d of 888poker UKPL Coventry Main Event; Davenports Both Make Day 2
Day 1d of the 888poker UK Poker League Coventry £560 Main Event turned the Grosvenor Casino inside the Coventry Building Society Arena into a full house. The clock read 147 entries at the end of late registration, nearly as many as the prior three starting flights combined. Totaling 303 entries, the 2025 edition of the UKPL Coventry crushed last year's numbers and smashed the guarantee to create a prize pool of £143,925 and a top prize of £31,420.
At the end of the night, 25 players were left standing, with Qing Feng Zheng atop the counts with a stack of 686,000, good for 69 big blinds when play resumes on Day 2. The second-biggest stack belonged to Ryan Mandara, following at a respectable distance with 510,000 in chips. The English crusher has amassed over $2,000,000 in live earnings as per The Hendon Mob, but a UKPL trophy still eludes him.
The same can not be said for fellow regular Alex Montgomery. Montgomery shipped the £230 UKPL Opening Voyage last year in Coventry and will be looking to add the Main Event to his ever-growing resume of victories this time around. His 452,000 chips placed him sixth on the leaderboard when the dust had settled, just below last lady standing Sinead Davenport. Davenport's husband and Grosvenor Pro Matthew Davenport also survived Day 1d, albeit with a short stack of 137,000.
End of Day 1d Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qing Feng Zheng | United Kingdom | 686,000 | 69 |
| 2 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | 510,000 | 51 |
| 3 | Jack Rhodes | 506,000 | 51 | |
| 4 | Adam Wilkinson | United Kingdom | 491,000 | 49 |
| 5 | Sinead Davenport | United Kingdom | 473,000 | 47 |
| 6 | Alex Montgomery | United Kingdom | 452,000 | 45 |
| 7 | Wayne Peach | United Kingdom | 448,000 | 45 |
| 8 | A.S. | 424,000 | 42 | |
| 9 | Robert Douras | United Kingdom | 416,000 | 42 |
| 10 | Jerome O'Shea | United Kingdom | 396,000 | 40 |
888poker ambassadors Josh Manley and Nick Eastwood were among the casualties of Day 1d and will thus not be making an appearance on Day 2. They were joined on the rail by the likes of James Bott, Rhys Keen, and Timothy Ebenezer.
The 47 players who progressed to Day 2 will start their battle for the 38 paid spots tomorrow, Sunday, October 16, at noon local time, with blinds restarting at Level 16: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante. Day 2 is the final day of the Main Event, meaning as many as 40-minute levels will be played as are necessary to crown a champion.
UKPL Coventry Main Event Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £31,420 | 11 | £2,160 | |
| 2 | £23,340 | 12 | £1,850 | |
| 3 | £16,080 | 13 | £1,700 | |
| 4 | £10,650 | 14-15 | £1,570 | |
| 5 | £7,340 | 16-17 | £1,450 | |
| 6 | £5,330 | 18-19 | £1,350 | |
| 7 | £4,170 | 20-22 | £1,270 | |
| 8 | £3,670 | 23-25 | £1,190 | |
| 9 | £3,170 | 26-29 | £1,140 | |
| 10 | £2,660 | 30-33 | £1,090 | |
| 34-38 | £1,070 |
PokerNews will be present to live report Day 2 of the final UKPL leg of the year, giving updates all the way from the "shuffle up and deal" until the winner has been declared. Tune back in tomorrow as the final day of the 888poker UK Poker League Coventry Main Event will come to a spectacular conclusion.