Derek Boyle Takes Down GUKPT Luton Mini Main For Maiden Live Victory

Anyone who comes out on top in a live poker tournament is delighted, but Derek Boyle may have been happier than most following his victory in the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Luton Mini Main. According to The Hendon Mob Database, Boyle first cashed in July 2011 and has since racked up another 40 in-the-money finishers. However, an outright win eluded him.

Boyle got the proverbial onkey off his back by coming out on top of a 498-strong crowd in the £340 Mini Main at GUKPT Luton. The £26,775 that Boyle collected is his third five-figure prize, and his first since November 2015.

The GUKPT Luton Mini Main distributed its £141,250 prize pool among the top 62 finishers. John Bousfield, Calogero Morreale, Vikram Mehta, Stephen Bean, Chris Day, and Dale Wilson were among those who saw a return on their £340 investments.

GUKPT Luton Mini Main Final Table Results

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Aaron Henman busted from the nine-handed final table in ninth place, a result worth a career-best £2,220 for him. The man affectionately known as “Mad Turk,” Yucel Eminoglu, fell in eighth for £2,7+0 before Tai Hoang crashed out in seventh for £3,540. Those readers of a certain vintage may recall that Hoang was the runner-up in the 2017 edition of the Goliath.

Sixth place and a career-high £4,750 went to Dan Skeggs, the same Skeggs who reached the final two tables of last year’s GUKPT Luton Main Event.

An anonymous player known simply as “J.Z.” crashed out in fifth for £6,590 with Rob Danks continuing his impressive run of form over the past 12 months with a fourth-place finish worth £9,450.

At the start of three-handed play, Boyle and Iman Sarkeshik were neck-and-neck in the chip counts, with start of the final table chip leader Francis Obadun trailing. The last stading trio struck an ICM deal that left the trophy and an additional £6,530 for the eventual champion.

Obadun fell in third after an exceptional call by Boyle. Obadun limped in with ten-eight, and Boyle checked his option with queen-six. Obadun check-called a bet on the six-seven-deuce flop before check-raising a bet on the ace turn. Boyle called, and the river was another deuce. Obadun moved all-in with a stone-cold bluff for a little more than a pot-sized bet, and Boyle called after much deliberation.

That hand put Boyle in pole position for the title, his 72 big blind stack far larger than Sarkeshik’s 27 big blinds.

The final hand saw Sarkeshik limp with jack-four of diamonds and call a raise from Boyle, which he made with ace-ten. Boyle led on the ten-four-eight flop, and Sarkeshik called. It was the same action on the six turn before the dealer put another six on the river. Boyle moved all-in, Sarkeshik couldn’t find a fold, and Boyle became the 2026 GUKPT Luton Mini Main champion.

While Boyle was getting the job done in the Mini Main, Craig Sarginson was busy taking down the £1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. That victory came with £19,000.

Mariusz Czech added yet another win and £23,025 to his bankroll after he triumphed in the £500 G500, leaving 236 opponents in his wake, including the National Poker League (NPL) frontrunner Bryan Taylor, who finished second for £17,230.

Attention now turns to Day 2 of the £1,650 High Roller. Forty-eight players have bought in, but only 12 have progressed. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2 at 12:00 p.m. BST on May 21.

An hour later, Day 1a of the £1,250 GUKPT Luton Main Event shuffles up and deals. Stay tuned to PokerNews to see how the rest of the GUKPT Luton stop pans out.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.