2023 WSOPC Nottingham

The WSOPC UK £1,100 Main Event, running at Dusk Till Dawn as part of the World Series of Poker International Circuit, has now played down to a winner.

Matthew Gray came into the final table as one of the shorter stacks and came back from behind to win the event.

A total of 439 players entered Day 1a and Day 1b, the two starting flights of the event. Of those, 140 made it through to Day 2 and just 16 players returned to the felt for the final day. The prize pool for the tournament was £500,000.

Jonathan McCann started the day as chip leader, eventually finishing in third place for £45,500.

By the time the final table started, Hong Pham had taken the lead, and it was a lead that would only continue to grow as the final table progressed. She made impressive bluffs and steals before losing several all-ins that reduced her stack for the heads-up battle. Pham finished in second for £64,500.

In the end, it was Matthew Gray’s day. He won the heads-up battle against Pham to earn himself £100,000 and a coveted WSOP Circuit ring.

Final Table Results WSOPC UK £1,100 Main Event

Action on the Final Day

The eliminations came thick and fast during the first couple of hours of play. Gerald Mcinally, Fabio Miranda, and Ryan Otto all hit the rail before the first break. Two of those three were eliminated by Pham, as was Jack Allen in 12th and Jiaze Li in 10th. Pham would continue to chip up and had taken the chip lead by the final table.

Players across the floor and viewers on the live stream wondered who she was and why she looked so comfortable under the spotlights playing against some of the top regs in the country. She made moves suggesting she was willing to mix it up, including a bluff that would stun her opposition if they watched it back on the stream.

At one point, she was so far out in front that it seemed like nobody would catch her. That was until a huge three-way all-in completely changed the dynamics on the final table. Paul Hizer shoved, Pham isolated and Gray woke up with aces. He held up to bring his stack much closer to Pham's, later calling off her bluff to pull almost level.

McCann, the man who had entered Day 3 as the chip leader and had maintained a decent stack to the business end of the tournament, crashed out in third place after shoving and getting called by Gray. This further increased Gray's stack so he went into the heads-up battle as chip leader over Pham.

After around 20 minutes of heads-up play, it all came down to a simple all-in and call, as it so often does. Gray shoved, Pham called, and Gray paired up to win the tournament.

His friends rallied around with hugs and cheers. All that was left was for him to claim his prize.

After around 20 minutes of heads-up play, it was a simple all-in and call that determined the outcome. Matthew Gray shoved all in from the button and Hong Pham made the call.

Hong Pham:
Matthew Gray:

The board ran out . Pham held up on the flop. By the turn, Gray's friends on the rail were screaming for his outs. And on the river one of his outs came. The gave Gray a pair of tens to win the hand, the tournament, and £100,000.

"Smile Matthew!", came shouts from the rail, as Gray and Pham fist-pumped to seal the moment.

Pham, after holding the chip lead for the majority of the final table, was eliminated in second place for £64,500.

Jonathan McCann pushed all in from the button for 5,800,000 chips and was called by Matthew Gray called in the big blind, with McCann the player at risk.

Jonathan McCann:
Matthew Gray:

The board ran out . Both players paired up on the flop, with Gray making the higher pair with his kings. McCann was eliminated in third place for £45,500.

Play went to heads-up between Matthew Gray and Hong Pham.

Matthew Gray shoved all in from the button and Hong Pham called in the big blind with . Players flipped their cards.

Matthew Gray:
Hong Pham:

The board came to give Gray a set of nines on the flop. Pham lost yet another all in confrontation and Gray, for the first time on the final table, took the chip lead.

Matthew Gray raised from the button to 600,000 with and Hong Pham defended in the big blind with .

The flop came . Pham checked and Gray made a continuation bet for 450,000. It looked like it would be a simple bet-fold hand, but Pham put in the reraise to 1,400,000 chips. Gray then three-bet to 3,500,000 and Hong, incredibly, made the call.

The turn came the and both players checked.

The river was the and the commentators wondered whether Pham would send it on the river. Pham did find the shove for 5,100,000 chips.

Gray stood up in disbelief, took his hat off in distress, rubbed his eyes, used a time bank card, and then eventually made the fold.

This was not the first time Pham had succeeded in making a bluff and this time it payed off big time, bringing her back up to 14,000,000 chips and positioning her well clear at the top once again.

Jonathan McCann moved all in from the button for 3,600,000. Hong Pham was in the big blind looking down at a decent hand and she made the call.

Jonathan McCann:
Hong Pham:

The board ran out , bringing no improvement for either player. This was the fourth or fifth all in a row that Pham had lost. McCann held up with ace-high and the rail burst into cheers.

Action folded around to Jonathan McCann, who had been shoving light for several orbits. He shoved again from the small blind for 2,900,000 chips.

Hong Pham was in the big blind and correctly made the call with . Players flipped their cards and McCann was at risk once again.

Jonathan McCann:
Hong Pham:

The board came . Pham was well ahead with top pair on the flop and McCann was drawing only to a straight. The on the river was the card he needed for a double-up.

Action folded around to Jonathan McCann, who pushed all in from the small blind. Hong Pham called all in from the big blind and players flipped their cards, and McCann was at risk of elimination.

Jonathan McCann:
Hong Pham:

The board ran out . Pham's tens held up to the river, but McCann hit his flush to double up.