Simpson, Sandford, Wilson Chasing Second UKPL Title of 2025 as UKPL Coventry Main Event Enters Day 2
The 2025 season of the 888poker UK Poker League is drawing to a close. The final of the £560 Main Event of UKPL Coventry, the last stop of the year, will kick off at noon local time today, with 47 players returning to the Grosvener Casino inside the Coventry Building Society Arena, and will conclude the past week of poker action.
Several Team 888poker members were among the bumper crowd of 303 entries who smashed the advertised guarantee by creating a prize pool of £143,925, but only Ian Simpson is still in contention to capture the £31,420 top prize. Simpson is no stranger to UKPL success, having conquered the Main Event at UKPL Newcastle in April. Starting Day 2 with 298,000 chips to his name, Simpson will have a healthy stack of 30 big blinds at his disposal on his hunt for title number two.
Simpson is not the only one left aiming to become a two-time UKPL champion, as this year's UKPL Reading champion Dale Wilson and UKPL Edinburgh victor Harry Sandford made it through their starting flights as well. With respectively 223,000 and 156,000 chips to their names, they are among the shorter stacks in the room as they chase continued UKPL success.
The chip lead, meanwhile, is in the hands of Terelle Tavares, who will return with a massive stack of 857,000 after steamrolling Day 1b. Day 1a chipleader Ding Fan is in close pursuit with 842,000 in chips, while Day 1d leader Qing Feng Zheng completes the podium, returning with a bag of 686,000.
Other notable names in the top ten include UK crushers Ryan Mandara and Alex Montgomery, and last lady standing Sinead Davenport.
Start of Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terelle Tavares | United Kingdom | 857,000 | 86 |
| 2 | Ding Fan | United Kingdom | 842,000 | 84 |
| 3 | Qing Feng Zheng | United Kingdom | 686,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Ryan Seary | United Kingdom | 598,000 | 60 |
| 5 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | 510,000 | 51 |
| 6 | Jack Rhodes | 506,000 | 51 | |
| 7 | Tyler Read | 501,000 | 50 | |
| 8 | Adam Wilkinson | United Kingdom | 491,000 | 49 |
| 9 | Sinead Davenport | United Kingdom | 473,000 | 47 |
| 10 | Alex Montgomery | United Kingdom | 452,000 | 45 |
Day 2 is the final day of the UKPL Coventry Main Event, and thus will play as many 40-minute levels as are needed to crown a champion, with the levels reduced to 30 minutes when the final five players have been reached. A shot clock will also come into play today. The blinds will restart in Level 16: 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante, and a small break will take place after every three levels. As has been standard this week, no dinner break is scheduled.
The returning players are not guaranteed a return on their investment yet, as only 38 spots will get paid. Once the bubble has burst, the minimum cash amounts to £1,070, with five-figure payouts awaiting the top four players. The action will also be streamed live on 888poker's YouTube and Twitch channels, on a 20-minute delay.
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 on the floor for the final day of the 2025 888poker UKPL season to report everything from when cards get in the air to the bursting of the bubble and the eventual declaration of a winner live. Stay tuned as the poker in Coventry will recommence shortly.