UKIPT Nottingham Stop Wraps Up the First UKIPT Season Since 2016

Just yesterday, PokerStars successfully ended its first NAPT festival in Las Vegas in 12 years, but the US wasn’t the only place where the action was hot. At the same time, across the pond, the final stop of the UKIPT was taking place in Nottingham.

Interestingly enough, UKIPT made its big comeback this year as well since this was the first time since 2016 that PokerStars released a full schedule of events, with stops in London, Dublin, Brighton, Blackpool, Edinburgh, and even Malta.

Nottingham was selected as the final destination for the year, and that proved an excellent choice by PokerStars.

Poker was, naturally, at the center of happenings, but there were many other activities players could partake away from the felt. From bowling over go-carting to fun player parties, those who decided to visit Nottingham’s legendary Dusk Till Dawn casino are taking home some great memories.

The Main Event Shatters Its Guarantee

The £1,100 Main Event was at the heart of the UKIPT Nottingham stop, and PokerStars wasn’t afraid to put an ambitious promise on the tournament, trusting that players would, once again, flock to the tables. As it turns out, they weren’t wrong.

By the time the registration ended, the initial guarantee was blown out of the water as 1,227 entries boosted the original promise by almost 25%. The tournament was a resounding success by every possible metric.

The Main Event culminated in a final table, as tournaments tend to do, and it was an interesting mix of experienced professionals and “fun” players, but all of them had the same goal – capturing the first place worth just over £200,000.

Some final tables take forever to finish, with short stacks doubling up and chips going around in circles. This one was the opposite, though, with eliminations coming fast and furious. The final table got down to eight players, and then six of those eight were sent packing in a span of 45 minutes.

Those eliminations were distributed evenly between the two remaining players, Vincent Meli of France and Patrice Brandt of Germany, who qualified via PokerStars.

So, when it came to the final skirmish, the two had pretty even stacks and decided to make a deal, which saw Meli lock up £159,325 and Brandt £168,425.

They left just £2,000 and the trophy on the side, and the official victory went to Vincent Meli, so he’ll be the one adding to his trophy cabinet, despite the German taking home almost £10,000 more.

Congratulations to these #UKIPTNottingham champions:

Main Event: Vincent Meli
High Roller: Bako Mazalahedwa
Cup: Paul Gardener
Player of the Year: David Docherty pic.twitter.com/ZND23goXyu

— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) November 14, 2023

David Docherty Wins the 2023 UKIPT Leaderboard

There were many success stories from this year’s UKIPT, but one of them really stands out – that of David Docherty. Docherty sealed his top spot on the UKIPT Leaderboard during the Nottingham festival after booking another win in a £3,200 Super High Roller.

The Player of the Year title is yet another accolade for the immensely successful 36-year-old, who has an Irish Poker Open victory, a WCOOP title, and several other achievements etched on his poker resume already.

ukipt 2023 player of the year

Images courtesy of PokerStars

Poker gods were certainly by Docherty’s side throughout the tour, as he finished in the money in all the Main Events this year except for Blackpool, and the latest triumph in the Super High Roller, good for £46,000 and change, was just icing on the cake.

What’s Next for the UKIPT

The 2023 UKIPT was filled with successes. PokerStars visited different parts of the United Kingdom and even hosted an event in Malta, and all of these were welcomed by the players.

This year marked a big return of the beloved tour after a hiatus that lasted since 2016. There were many factors that caused the UKIPT to be temporarily put on hold, but it seems it’s now back in full force and stronger than ever.

After everything we saw in recent months, it is safe to assume the UKIPT will be back in 2024, with even more stops, bigger guarantees, and plenty of action.

If you’re an online poker player looking to test yourself in live events, keep an eye out on the PokerStars lobby, as there will be many opportunities to qualify for these tournaments once the schedule is revealed.