£1,100 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2023 UKIPT Blackpool
£1,100 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 UKIPT Blackpool
Buy-in
£1,100
Prize Pool
£258,990
Entries
262
Level
23
Blinds
10,000 / 25,000
Ante
25,000
Entries
6
Players Left
1
Tuan Le Crowned PokerStars UKIPT Blackpool Main Event Champion (£53,630)
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
The PokerStars UKIPT Blackpool Main Event, running at Grosvenor Casino at The Sandcastle, has reached its conclusion.
A total of 262 entries were recorded across three starting flights, which made for a £258,990 prize pool. Of those, 40 players made it through to Day 2 to lock up the £1,710 min-cash.
Those 40 players were then whittled down to the last six players, who returned to the felt for the third and final day.
Tuan Le of the United Kingdom started Day 3 as chip leader and continued to chip up to emerge as the outright winner. He won the top prize of £53,630.
Ali Zia held on throughout the day and laddered up when Teodor Evstratiev clashed with Le for mountains of chips. Zia came second for £23,730 and Evstratiev finished third for £33,230.
UKIPT Blackpool Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tuan Le | United Kingdom | £53,630 |
| 2nd | Ali Zia | United Kingdom | £33,230 |
| 3rd | Teodor Evstratiev | Bulgaria | £23,730 |
| 4th | Jacob Mulhern | United Kingdom | £18,260 |
| 5th | Beihao Wang | China | £14,040 |
| 6th | Daniel Jackson | United Kingdom | £10,800 |
| 7th | Robert Boon | United Kingdom | £8,660 |
| 8th | Fraser Bellamy | United Kingdom | £7,220 |
| 9th | Maz Bako | United Kingdom | £6,010 |
Final Day Recap
Although stacks were relatively deep, the Final Day of the Main Event was over in the blink of an eye. None of the final six players seemed scared to get involved in pots, and so the tournament concluded within just three hours of restarting.
Daniel Jackson was the first to bust. Zia eliminated him to finish in sixth place after his ace-ten got there against Jackson's pocket nine.
Within the first hour and a half, Evstratiev chipped up to take the lead and then eliminated Beihao Wang in fifth place. Jacob Mulhern soon followed after his flush draw didn't come in after Le flopped top pair.
As the action went three-handed, Zia was sitting on a short stack, while Evstratiev and Le were close to even.
It looked like Zia would be next to go until the two big stacks clashed for all of their chips. After a blind versus blind raising war, Evstratiev got his flush draw in on the flop against Le's pocket aces. Le held to eliminate Evstratiev and enter heads-up with a significant chip advantage.
It was an advantage he would soon capitalize on. The first 20 hands of heads-up were uneventful, consisting mostly of single raises and bet-folds on the flop. Zia then took a hit to his stack before shoving from the button with a dominated ace. Le had ace-king and held out to win the tournament.
Tuan Le "Winging It" All the way to the Win
Manchester-based Le works full-time as a beautician and finds time to play live poker four to five times a year.
"I'm a family man," said Le. "I'd love to play poker professionally, but I know I'm not good enough. Also, I'd miss the kids too much".
Despite playing a solid game and coming out on top, Le said, "I'm not as good as the players here. I feel like I'm winging it all the time!"
Le has had a second-place finish in a GUKPT event, but this is his first win in a major event. He will use the prize money to "get the Missus something" and has booked a trip to London. "That's as far as I can see right now," said Le.
Congratulations to Tuan Le, to second place Ali Zia, and to all the players who cashed in the tournament.
That concludes the coverage of PokerStars UKIPT Blackpool Main Event. Thanks for tuning in to PokerNews.
Ali Zia Eliminated In 2nd Place (£33,230)
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
After just 27 hands of the heads-up, Tuan Le raised to 60,000 from the button and Ali Zia moved all in from the big blind for a little over 1,000,000 chips. Le made the call and players flipped their cards.
Ali Zia: A♦6♥
Tuan Le: A♥K♥
Le had Zia dominated with ace king. The board ran out 5♥K♣6♦3♣2♠. Zia did pair up his sixes, but Le paired his kings to win the pot.
Zia was eliminated from the tournament in second place for £33,230.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
7,860,000 | |
|
Busted |
Zia Takes Hit to Stack
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Tuan Le completed the button and Ali Zia checked his option.
The flop came 4♠9♦7♠ and both players checked. The turn came the 3♠ and Zia led for 55,000, which Le called.
The river was the A♦. Zia checked and Le bet 235,000, which Zia called. Zia showed 9♠2♣ for a pair of nines. Le showed 5♦2♦ for a straight to win the pot.
The pot took a chunk out of Zia's stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,510,000 | 6,510,000 |
|
|
1,350,000 | -150,000 |
20 Hands, No Change
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Heads-up had been running for around 20 hands with not much change to the dynamic of the tournament. One hand went to showdown but resulted in a split pot. Most hands have been taken down with a single raise or flop bet.
Teodor Evstratiev Eliminated In 3rd Place (£23,730)
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Teodor Evstratiev complete the small blind and Tuan Le raised to 100,000 from the big blind. Evstratiev reraised to 260,000 and Le four-bet to 575,000. Evstratiev called and action went to the flop.
The flop came 8♠5♦3♦. Evstratiev checked, Le bet 450,000 and Evstratiev made a huge shove all in. Le quickly called and had Evstratiev slightly covered.
Teodor Evstratiev: J♦9♦
Tuan Le: A♠A♦
Evstratiev had a flush draw with overcards to the board. Le had pocket aces.
The turn came the Q♥ to bring backdoor straight options for Evstratiev and sweats for Le. The river fell the K♠ and Le held up.
The two big stacks had clashed in a mammoth pot. Evstratiev was eliminated in third place for £23,730. Le goes into the heads-up with a huge chip lead over Ali Zia.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,360,000 | 6,360,000 |
|
|
1,500,000 | 300,000 |
|
Busted |
Main Event Now Three Handed
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
The PokerStars UKIPT Main Event is now three-handed. It's been less than two hours since players took their seats.
Daniel Jackson was first to bust. Beihao Wang came next, and the very next hand Jacob Mulhern busted.
Ali Zia currently sits in third place with a stack of around 1,200,000. It's close between Tuan Le and Teodor Evstratiev, who are both sitting on close to 3,500,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,600,000 | 3,600,000 |
|
|
3,500,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
1,200,000 | -200,000 |
Jacob Mulhern Eliminated In 4th Place (£18,260)
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Tuan Le raised from the button and Jacob Mulhern called in the small blind.
The flop came 5♦9♠3♠. Mulhern checked, Le made a continuation bet and Mulhern went all in with a short stack. Le called and players flipped their cards.
Jacob Mulhern: Q♠J♠
Tuan Le: K♠9♦
Mulhern had a flush draw with overcards and Le had a pair of nines.
The turn came the 9♣ to give Le trip nines. The river was a blank, the 8♣. Le held and Mulhern was eliminated from the tournament in fourth place for £18,260.
With that, less than two hours after it kicked off six-handed, the final table was down to the final three.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,600,000 | 2,600,000 |
|
Busted |
Beihao Wang Eliminated In 5th Place (£14,040)
Level 23
: Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Beihao Wang open limped the button and Teodor Evstratiev raised to 125,000 from the small blind. Wang moved all in for around 460,000 and big stacked Evstratiev called.
Beihao Wang: 5♥5♦
Teodor Evstratiev: A♠9♦
Wang had pocket fives and Evstratiev had ace nine. The board ran out 7♦9♥K♠4♣K♣ to give Evstratiev a pair of nines on the flop. He won the pot and Wang was eliminated in fifth place for £14,040.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,600,000 | 900,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 23
Blinds: 10,000/25,000
Ante: 25,000