Simpson’s Manchester Double Leads a Busy Week of European Poker Winners

Ian Simpson gave British poker the standout home result of the week, but the live action has hardly stopped at the Channel.

The 888poker ambassador won both the High Roller and Main Event at UKPL Manchester, while enormous fields were producing new champions in Rozvadov and Malta. In Cyprus, the Mediterranean Poker Party has already handed out two six-figure first prizes before its $5 million guaranteed Main Event has even reached a winner.

Simpson’s week began with victory in the £1,100 High Roller and ended with another trophy in the £560 Main Event.

He topped 49 entries in the High Roller for £16,620 before beating 345 entries in the Main Event for £38,000. Ali Mallu finished runner-up in the headline tournament, while Lewis Spencer took third.

The biggest field of the week came in Rozvadov.

Romania’s Viorel Gavrila won the €250 King’s Million EPC Mini Main after 4,389 entries piled into the opening event at King’s Resort. His €125,500 first prize was the largest live score of his career.

The King’s Million EPC is still only in its earlier stages, with the €1,150 Super Main Event and €5 million guarantee still to come.

The Mediterranean Poker Party has already produced two major champions before its Main Event is decided.

Congya Zhang won the $2,200 Global Poker Championship for $300,000, topping an 830-entry field and taking the largest first prize covered in this roundup.

Lithuania’s Boris Smuskevicius followed by winning the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup for $217,000, his biggest live score by some distance.

The $5,400 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event is now underway with $5 million guaranteed.

British players also featured prominently during The Festival Malta, but the Main Event trophy ultimately went north to Norway.

Terje Bengtsen defeated Sweden’s Mehdi Yazdanpanah heads-up to win €65,001 after 804 entries created a new Main Event attendance record for the festival.