2023 UKIPT Blackpool

£1,100 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2023 UKIPT Blackpool

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
£53,630
Event Info
Buy-in
£1,100
Prize Pool
£258,990
Entries
262
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
10,000 / 25,000
Ante
25,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
80
Players Left
12

Welcome to Day 1a of the PokerStars UKIPT Blackpool Main Event

Branding
Branding

The PokerStars UKIPT has returned for the third stop of the season. The venue this time is Grosvenor Casino at The Sandcastle in Blackpool. Day 1a of the Main Event kicks off today, Thursday July 13 at 2 p.m. local time.

The buy in for the Main Event is £1,100, of which £970 goes into the prize pool. In exchange for their buy-in, players will recieve starting stacks of 30,000 chips.

Blinds start at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante and levels progress at 40-minutes, with regular breaks throughout the day. That makes starting stacks relatively deep at 300 big blinds.

Day 1a will play down to 15 percent of the field and those who survive will make it through to Day 2 and into the money.

Players can opt to have up to three entries per flight, with Day 1b and 1c running tomorrow, July 14.

This is the third event on this year's UKIPT schedule. The Irish Open came first, followed by the PokerStars Summer Festival Malta. David Docherty fininshed first in the Irish Open Main Event and currently tops the UKIPT leaderboard. More recently, Simone Andrian won the Main Event in Malta for €153,610.

Simone Andrian_Winner_Event_#5_Main Event Summer Festival Malta 2023
Simone Andrian_Winner_Event_#5_Main Event Summer Festival Malta 2023

The UKIPT Blackpool Main Event runs until Sunday night, at which point a new champion will be crowned.

PokerNews will be bringing you live updates of Day 1a straight from the tournament floor and following the event all the way down to a winner.

Tags: David DochertySimone Andrian

Pilkington Chips Up Early With Flop Reraise

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Jessica Pilkington
Jessica Pilkington

Wendy Watson raised from early position and was called by Nicholas Fellone, Liam Johnston, and Jessica Pilkington on the button. Kevin Steward then reraised from the small blind and was called by Fellone, Johnston and Pilkington.

The flop came 564 and Steward bet out 4,500. Action folded around to Johnston, who made the call. Pilkington then reraised to 15,000 and forced all other players out of the pot to chip up early.

Player Chips Progress
Jessica Pilkington gb
Jessica Pilkington
46,000
46,000
46,000
Liam Johnston gb
Liam Johnston
42,000
42,000
42,000
Kevin Steward gb
Kevin Steward
24,000
24,000
24,000

Tags: Jessica PilkingtonKevin StewardLiam JohnstonNicholas FelloneWendy Watson

Jeffrey Gets Fold From River Shove

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Daniel Laidlaw raised from late position and Kyle Jeffrey reraised to 1,700 from the button. Man Gao then reraised to 5,000 from the big blind. Laidlaw folded and Jeffrey called.

The flop came 4910 and Gao continued for 3,500, which Jeffrey called.

The turn was the 2 and Gao bet out again, this time for 8,000, which Jeffrey once again called.

The river fell the 3 and Gao checked. Jeffrey moved all in, leaving Gao studying the board before eventually making the fold to give Jeffrey the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Kyle Jeffrey gb
Kyle Jeffrey
58,000
58,000
58,000
Man Gao gb
Man Gao
26,000
26,000
26,000

Tags: Daniel LaidlawKyle JeffreyMan Gao

Belshaw Outkicks Mulhern and Doubles Up

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Jacob Mulhern
Jacob Mulhern

Oliver Braddock raised from middle position and was called by Jacob Mulhern, the small blind and Garrie Belshaw in the big blind.

The flop came 679 and action checked to Mulhern, who bet 2,000. Belshaw moved all in from 21,600 and action folded back to Mulhern. After some confusion over bets and jokes about angle-shooting, Mulhern made the call.

Mulhern showed J9 and Belshaw showed A9. Both players had a pair of nines, but Belshaw had the ace kicker to bring him ahead.

The turn came the 5 and the river was the 7, which helped neither player, meaning Belshaw held with his pair to win the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Garrie Belshaw gb
Garrie Belshaw
46,000
46,000
46,000
Jacob Mulhern gb
Jacob Mulhern
7,000
7,000
7,000
Day 1B Chip Leader

Tags: Jacob MulhernOliver Braddock

Grafton Loses Most of Stack Then Doubles

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Sam Grafton
Sam Grafton

Richard Garbutt open limped and picked up a call before Arian Hassankash raised to 2,200. Sam Grafton responded with a three-bet to 5,800 and Garbutt, the original limped, four-bet to 12,000. Grafton made the call.

The flop came JK10 and Garbutt continued for 10,000, which would have put Grafton all in. Grafton made the fold and was left with a short stack.


The next hand, Morten Kjaergaard raised and Grafton moved all in for 5,200. Kjaergaard made the call and the two players flipped the cards, with Grafton at risk.

Sam Grafton: QQ
Morten Kjaergaard: K10

The board ran out 10A5KJ. Grafton had pocket queens. Kjaergaard paired his tens on the flop and made two pair with his king on the turn. It looked like Grafton's would bust, but the river gave him the nut straight to double up.

Player Chips Progress
Morten Kjaergaard
Morten Kjaergaard
39,000
39,000
39,000
Richard Garbutt gb
Richard Garbutt
36,000
36,000
36,000
Sam Grafton gb
Sam Grafton
12,000
12,000
12,000

Tags: Arian HassankashMorten KjaergaardRichard GarbuttSam Grafton

Bako Wins Flip to Eliminate Kular

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Sarbjit Kular
Sarbjit Kular

Sarbjit Kular raised from under the gun and Maz Bako reraised to 4,000. Kular moved all in 9,500 and Bako called. The cards were flipped on their backs, with Kular at risk.

Sarbjit Kular: AQ
Maz Bako: 99

The board ran out J5733. Kular didn't manage to pair his hand and so Bako held up with his pocket nines to win the pot. Kular was eliminated from the tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Maz Bako gb
Maz Bako
77,000
77,000
77,000
Sarbjit Kular gb
Sarbjit Kular
Busted

Tags: Maz BakoSarbjit Kular

Fawzi Calls Bluff to Eliminate Kular

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Joshua Musson raised from under the gun and was called by Farid Fawzi and Sarbjit Kular in early positions, as well as Craig Watson in the big blind.

The flop came K37 and all three players checked. The turn was the 5. Musson checked and Fawzi bet 2,500. Kular called and Musson folded.

The river was the 3. Fawzi checked and Kular went all in for 4,700. Fawzi made the call. Kular flipped over 86 for a bluff and stood up to exit as Fawzi showed QQ for pocket queens.

Player Chips Progress
Farid Fawzi ie
Farid Fawzi
44,000
Sarbjit Kular gb
Sarbjit Kular
Busted

Tags: Craig WatsonFarid FawziJoshua MussonSarbjit Kular

Pilkington Wins Multiway With Top Pair

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Jessica Pilkington
Jessica Pilkington

Jessica Pilkington raised to 1,700 from under the gun and was called by Ali Zia on the button and Liam Johnston in the big blind.

The flop came 210J and action checked to Pilkington, who bet 2,500. Zia and Johnston both called.

The turn was the 6. Johnston checked and Pilkington bet 6,000. Zia made the fold and Johnston called.

The river came the 5. Johnston checked again and Pilkington moved all in for to put Johnston on the spot for 11,000 chips effective.

Johnston thought for a moment before making the fold and showing J8 for a pair of jacks. Pilkington also showed her hand, AJ for a pair of jacks with higher kicker.

"You've made some pretty sick folds to me today," said Pilkington.

Player Chips Progress
Jessica Pilkington gb
Jessica Pilkington
120,000
74,000
74,000
Liam Johnston gb
Liam Johnston
11,000
-31,000
-31,000

Tags: Ali ZiaJessica PilkingtonLiam Johnston

McKeown's Queens Crack Mussan's Kings

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Steven Mckeown
Steven Mckeown

Steven McKeown open raised and Joshua Musson reraised to 4,800 from the button. McKeown four-bet to 15,000 and Musson moved all in. McKeown looked strained as he made the call. Two players flipped over their cards, with McKeown at risk.

Steven McKeown: QQ
Joshua Musson: KK

McKeown had pocket queens and Mussan had pocket kings. The board ran out JQ355. McKeown hit a set of queens on the river. A neutral player looked up from eating his burger. McKeown scooped over the chips.

"I'm glad you were here to see that," said Mussan. "At least it's on paper".

Player Chips Progress
Steven Mckeown gb
Steven Mckeown
160,000
160,000
160,000
Joshua Musson gb
Joshua Musson
33,000
-1,000
-1,000

Tags: Joshua MussonSteven McKeown

Bako Wins Flip to Double Through Pilkington

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Maz Bako
Maz Bako

Maz Bako raised from late position and Jessica Pilkington reraised to 6,000. Bako moved all in for 20,100 and Pilkington made the call. Players flipped their cards, with Bako at risk.

Maz Bako: 99
Jessica Pilkington: AQ

The board ran out 459Q2. Pilkington paired her queens on the turn, but it wasn't enough after Bako made a set of nines on the flop. He doubled up to bring himself well above starting stack again.

Player Chips Progress
Jessica Pilkington gb
Jessica Pilkington
106,000
-14,000
-14,000
Maz Bako gb
Maz Bako
46,000
-31,000
-31,000

Tags: Jessica PilkingtonMaz Bako