The GUKPT Leg 2 main event 2010 at the Grosvenor Casino in Walsall has been won by Colin McTaggart. Colin is a 30-year-old landlord from Ormskirk and defeated a field of 206 players to claim the £57,700 first prize in the £1,000 + £70 NL Hold’em tournament.
After knocking out Bolton legend Alli Mallu in 3^rd place, the Belfast born player faced Birmingham’s Anthony Crotty heads up for the title.
He went into this final phase of the gcasino.com / Blue Square sponsored event with a significant chip lead and 15-minutes later it was all over. In the final hand McTaggart faced a tricky decision after Crotty re-raised all-in on the river on a dangerous paired and flushing board of 8-J-T-Q-T. After several minutes of tanking he made the call and showed A-K for a straight. Crotty had just K-Q.

Well done to Colin from the full team at Live UK Poker Tour, Goes to show you can cash £57,700 for absolutely nothing, Colin qualified via a freeroll on Blue Square!

It had been my goal to play in a GUKPT main event this year and I was delighted to have won my way in via a freeroll. It is a dream to have gone on to claim the win. All it has cost me is £30 in petrol money.”

By taking down the trophy he has also secured himself a seat in another freeroll later in the year – the £150,000 Champion of Champions tournament.

The Walsall tournament was one of the toughest fields ever assembled in the four years that the tour has been running. With 23 players left, over half of them had previously been on GUKPT final tables and there were no less than seven former winners still in contention.

The final table featured two previous GUKPT winners. 2007 Grand Final victor Mike Ellis finished in 4^thplace while 2009 Champion of Champions Haitao (Colin) Wu exited 7^th. 19-year-old Thomas MacDonald, who went into the final as the chip leader finished in 5^th place while Darren Hickman from Wolverhampton was 6^th. Stockport bookie Mike Hill, competing in his third GUKPT final table exited in 8^th and 20-year-old James Mitchell, who was the overnight chip leader on the first day of the tournament finished in 9^thplace. Margate’s Karl Limbert completed the final table line up, departing in 10^thplace. Recent double winner Priyan de Mel just missed out on a third consecutive final table, departing in 11^thplace. Several other previous main event winners also narrowly missed out on the final. Karl Mahrenholz was 14^th, Praz Bansi was 16^thwhile former Eastender Michael Greco departed in 18^th.

The tour now heads south to London, where the Grosvenor Victoria Casino will play host to Leg 3, which takes place from 18^th – 28^thMarch. The buy-in for the main event at the London festival will be larger than usual, costing £1,500 to play. Last year just under 400 players took part in the London main event, which was won by Ireland’s Martin Silke. This year’s main event starts on Thursday 25^th March and on Tuesday 16^ththere is a 10-seat guaranteed super satellite at the Edgware Rd casino.

However, the tour continues online at Blue Square at 8pm on Monday 1^st March, when the second of the 10% Online Series tournaments takes place. The winner of this £100 online event will also claim a seat in the end-of-year £150,000 Champion of Champions tournament.

1st  - Colin McTaggart, Cash = £57,700, GUKPT Ranking Points = 125
2nd  - Anthony Crotty, Cash = £39,150, GUKPT Ranking Points = 100
3rd  - Alli Mallu, Cash = £25,250, GUKPT Ranking Points = 80
4th  - Mike Ellis, Cash = £14,950, GUKPT Ranking Points = 65
5th  - Thomas MacDonald, Cash = £11,350, GUKPT Ranking Points = 55
6th  - Darren Hickman, Cash = £9,250, GUKPT Ranking Points = 45
7th  - Haitao Wu, Cash = £7,200, GUKPT Ranking Points = 35
8th  - Mike Hill, Cash = £5,650, GUKPT Ranking Points = 25
9th  - James Mitchell, Cash = £4,100, GUKPT Ranking Points = 20
10th  - Karl Limbert, Cash = £3,600, GUKPT Ranking Points = 15

Qualify for the GUKPT The Vic London now 25th – 28th March 2010.

Blue Square Live uk poker tour link with $500 initial sign up bonus