GUKPT Heads to Blackpool for the 2025 Tour’s Penultimate Stop

The penultimate leg of the 2025 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) is almost upon us, with hundreds of poker tournament grinders planning to descend on the seaside town of Blackpool. Running from November 1-9 at the Grosvenor G Casino on the South Promenade, the GUKPT Blackpool festival is the penultimate leg of the 2025 GUKPT before the London-based Grand final later in the month.

GUKPT Blackpool kicks off on November 1. Although you won’t earn any National Poker League (NPL) points for playing it, we urge you to get involved in the ninth edition of the Kav Cup. Rick Gilby created the Kav Cup in honour of the late Derek “Kav” Kavanagh, a hugely popular figure who battled bravely with cancer. Kavanagh sadly passed away in 2017.

Since its launch, 2,052 players have played in a Kav Cup and helped raise almost £75,500 in the process. The buy-in is £60 with £20 going to charity, and there’s an option to buy another 10,000 starting stack for £40. Grosvenor Casinos is kindly providing dealers for the Kav Cup 9, Phil “The Tower” Heald will be the host throughout the day, and there are many prizes to be won, including a poker table worth almost £1,000 that Andy Booth and Cardroom Direct have donated for the eighth consecutive year.

Last year, Karen Tomczak outlasted 249 opponents in Kav Cup 8, and walked away with £3,630. Tomczak and Phil Iddon struck a deal when heads-up, resulting in Iddon collecting a £3,500 consolation prize.

Once the Kav Cup 9 crowns its champion and those playing it have slept off their hangovers, GUKPT Blackpool begins. A £250 buy-in, £100,000 guaranteed Mini Main runs November 2-5 followed by a £1,650 buy-in, £50,000 guaranteed High Roller from November 5-6.

This year’s £1,250 Main Event carries a £250,000 guarantee on its prize pool. The first of three flights starts on November 6, with the champion crowned on November 9.

As has been the case for as long as we can remember, the festival wraps up with a two-day, £110 buy-in Online Closer at Grosvenor Poker; this comes with a £20,000 guaranteed prize pool.

2025 GUKPT Blackpool Schedule

Last year, Abdulkadir Ahmed won the £250 Mini Event, leaving 552 opponents in his wake as he collected a career-best £24,530. Jamie Dale won the £1,650 High Roller for £33,260, with Ravi Sheth triumphing over 298 opponents in the £1,250 Main Event, a result worth £68,580.

Expect Sheth to attempt to defend his GUKPT Blackpool title because he can still catch Thomas Clack at the top of the National Poker League and secure a £40,000 sponsorship package for 2026.

Former GUKPT Blackpool Main Event Champions

There’s the not-so-small matter of getting GUKPT Edinburgh out of the way before the Blackpool leg. Running October 9-19 and featuring £350,000 in guaranteed prize pools. GUKPT Edinburgh will be another well-attended Grosvenor-run series. As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for all the latest GUKPT-related news and results.

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.