Adam McKola shoved all in from the small blind and was called by Benjamin Spragg in the big blind, who had McKola well covered.
Adam McKola: 6♠6♦
Benjamin Spragg: Q♥Q♦
McKola had run his sixes into Spraggy's pocket queens. The board ran out 4♦4♥10♠K♥8♦. Spragg held to win the pot. McKola was eliminated from the tournament in third place for £30,110.
Dominik Nitsche raised from the button and Benjamin Spragg called.
The flop came 10♥J♦2♦. Spraggy checked and Nitsche made a continuation bet, which Spraggy called. The turn was the 8♥. Spraggy checked again and Nitsche bet 550,000, which Spraggy called.
The river came the 2♣. Spraggy checked and Nitsche moved all in for 1,900,000. Spraggy made the call. Nistche showed Q♣9♥ for a turned straight.
"I thought I had you beat Dominik," said Spraggy as he mucked his hand.
Dominik Nitsche raised from the button, Benjamin Spragg reraised to 400,000 and Nitsche called.
The flop came 9♠K♠7♠. Spraggy continued for 300,000 and Nitsche called. The turn was the J♣. Spraggy checked and Nitsche bet 650,000, which Spragg called.
The river was the 3♦. Spragg checked again and Nitsche put his chips in the middle. Spraggy made the call. Nitsche showed A♠6♣ for a bluff with his missed flush draw. Spraggy showed A♥J♠ and had picked off the bluff with a pair of jacks.
He won the pot and left Nitsche with just 5,000 behind.
The next hand, Spraggy completed on the button and Nitsche was already all in on the big blind.
Dominik Nitsche: K♠J♥
Benjamin Spragg: 10♥3♥
The board ran out 3♠Q♣Q♠9♦8♦. Spraggy made two pair on the flop with the queens on board and his threes. He held to the river to win the pot, the tournament, and the trophy.
Nitsche was eliminated in second place for £42,150.
Benjamin Spragg has emerged as the UKIPT Brighton Main Event champion, picking up the first UKIPT title of his poker career. He won £69,120 for his efforts and took home the trophy.
The PokerStars UKIPT Brighton Main Event, running at the Rendezvous Casino, has reached its conclusion.
A total of 352 entries were recorded across three starting flights, which made for a prize pool of £337,920. Of those, 54 players made it through to Day 2 to lock up the £1,640 min-cash. Six players returned to the final table for Day 3.
In the end, PokerStars Team Online Pro Benjamin Spragg conquered the field to earn £69,120 in prize money and the trophy, taking down his first ever UKIPT event.
"I’m genuinely really emotional," said Spraggy. "I didn’t think I would be because there was such a good atmosphere at the final table, it didn’t feel like a final table. Having Adam [McKola] there and other players I know, it didn’t feel that intense."
Adam McKola, who started the day at the bottom of the pack in terms of chips, made a comeback to eventually finish third in the event and obtain his first major cash in live poker. The PokerStars ambassador and football influencer takes home £30,110 for his win.
Dominik Nitsche, who is fifth on Germany’s all-time money list with over $20 million in live tournament cashes, started the day as chip leader and continued to play aggressively throughout the final table, losing and gaining chips until he eventually met with Spragg heads-up.
Spragg came into the heads-up match with a significant chip lead, but Nitsche doubled up with a straight to bring it even. Spragg then called Nitsche's river bluff to all but win the event, leaving Nitsche with just a single 5,000 chip left. He won the event the very next hand.
Nitsche earned £42,150 for second place and Spragg claimed the top prize of £69,120 for first, along with his first ever UKIPT trophy.
"It’s unbelievable. I’ve been playing UKIPT’s since 2011 and to win one…I’m lost for words," said Spraggy.
UKIPT Brighton Main Event Final Table Results
PLACE
PLAYER
COUNTRY
PRIZE
1
Benjamin Spragg
United Kingdom
£69,120
2
Dominik Nitsche
Germany
£42,150
3
Adam McKola
United Kingdom
£30,110
4
Oliver Hutchins
United Kingdom
£23,160
5
Alessandro Spina
Italy
£17,820
6
Sebastian Gohr
United Kingdom
£13,700
7
Jun Beum Chun
South Korea
£10,540
8
Stewart Kirby
United Kingdom
£8,690
9
Oscar Tompsett
United Kingdom
£7,240
Final Day Recap
Six players returned to the felt for the final day of action in the UKIPT Brighton Main Event.
McKola doubled through Alessandro Spina early on. Spraggy then doubled up against Sebastian Gohr with aces and eliminated Gohr a few hands later, again holding pocket aces. Gohr had to settle for sixth place and £13,700 in prize money. Meanwhile, McKola and Spraggy were back into serious contention.
Spina lost a huge pot against Nitsche's two pair. Spina managed to spin up his short stack a couple of times before running into McKola's pocket jacks and busting. Spina finished in fifth place for £17,820.
Power Path Silver Pass Winner Oliver Hutchins was next to go. He got it in good against Nitsche, but Nitsche paired his hand to double up and leave Hutchins short. Hutchins then got his chips in against McKola, who hit two pair to bust his opponent. Hutchins finished in fourth place for £23,160.
Action went three-handed and by this point Spraggy had accumulated a significant chip lead. McKola was in second, with Nitsche close behind. Nitsche doubled through Spragg before McKola ran into Spraggy's pocket queens to bust the event in third place for £30,110.
Spragg and Nitsche went heads-up and Spraggy still held on to a chip lead of more than 2-1. A split pot saved Nitsche from an early exit and moments later he doubled up with a straight to bring the stacks close to even.
Spragg then picked off Nitsche's river bluff with a pair of jacks to leave Nitsche with just a single 5,000 chip behind. The following hand it was all over. Spraggy held up and Nitsche was eliminated in second place for £42,150.