38-year-old Darren Annis from Welling has won the 8th leg of the 2009 GUKPT at the G Casino in Thanet, defeating former tour winner Jeff Kimber after an eventful heads up encounter. The former IT consultant scooped £41,900 for his victory in the shortest ever GUKPT event in the tour’s history and also claims a seat in the end of year £100,000 Champion of Champions tournament. After taking out futures trader Lawrie Innman in 3rd place Kimber assumed the chip lead going into the heads up stage of the tournament and the early exchanges of the final match up saw him press his advantage further. The former world heads up champion looked strong, winning pot after pot from his less experienced opponent, taking a 3-1 chip lead. However Annis then got frustrated and pushed all-in with A-4, only to come up against Kimber’s A-J. Having flopped a straight draw and turning a flush draw, Annis then found a 4 on the river to double up and put the match level again. 10 minutes later Annis emerged victorious when holding A-J on a K-Q-Q-T-5 board for a straight. There had been betting on every street and Kimber called Annis’s all in river bet but mucked his cards when the new champion revealed his winning hand. It was the first GUKPT event that Annis had played in, however he has been playing regularly for 14 years and has previously taken part in the WSOP and other major events.

The final table also included two other players who had previously made GUKPT main event final tables. Peter Charalambous, who finished second to Jeff Kimber in last year’s Walsall main event finished in 4th place while James Morris, who finaled in Luton earlier this year took the 6th. Prison guard Andreas Achillea from London absconded in 5th place while Robert Topp, Adam Vinson and Nigel Berg completed the final table line up in 7th, 8th and 9th places respectively. 8th place finished Adam became the third member of his family to make a GUKPT main event final table, following in the footsteps of younger brother Ben and father Alan, who have two final tables each to their names.

Winner Darren Annis commented afterwards

“I played my A-game for three days and it has paid off. When I play my A-game, I’m as good as anyone in Europe.”

He also admitted getting lucky in a few big hands along the way but will not be stepping up to play too many big buy in events in the future. He qualified for the event through a satellite at the host casino and will be trying to qualify for further legs of the tour in the same manner. Shortly after the main event concluded, he jumped straight into the £100 NL Hold’em bounty tournament, which rounded off the festival week. Runner up Jeff Kimber also won a tournament at the festival, taking down the 111 runner £200 NL Hold’em freezeout earlier in the week. Double WSOP bracelet winner JP Kelly also tasted victory in the £250 NL Hold’em freezeout.

The tour continues in November, when the G Casino in Blackpool plays host to the 9th and final regular leg of 2010. The festival starts on November 7th and the main event takesd place over four days from the 12th-15th. Online super satellites take place three times a week on Blue Square Poker

Jeff Kimber takes home £27,060 for his second place finish.

Darren Annis has slightly more. £41,900 to be precise plus that gorgeous wedge of a trophy.

Or, Shortest Heads Up in GUKPT history.

Darren raises to 45k and called by Jeff preflop.

KQQ on the flop and Darren continues with 70k and called by Jeff.

TEN on the turn and Jeff check-calls the 100k bet from Darren.

FIVE on the river and Jeff check-calls ALL-IN from Darren.

Jeff mucks when he sees the AJ of Darren and we have a new champion.

Just as the tournament seemed to be slipping away from him, Darren has managed to pull one out of the bag by defeating Jeff’s A-J with A-4. They were all in preflop and the board came 8-7-6-Q-4. Darren picked up a straight draw on the flop, a diamond flush draw on the turn, then hit his 4 on the river to double up, so both player are now more or less level in chips.

Jeff takes the lot back when he flops trip deuces (Q2 for Jeff) and A22 flop, Darren calling a 100k bet on the river.

Jeff on top

Jeff the aggressor preflop.  345 on the flop and they both check it.  ACE on the turn and Jeff fires out 25k.  Darren makes it 85k and called by Jeff.  8 on the river and Jeff calls a further 100k from Darren and mucks when he shows the deuce in his hand.

Darren on top.

Jeff Kimber 722k

Darren Annis 609k

In a BOB with Lawrie and Jeff, the former just making up the SB then Jeff raising 40k then Lawrie making it 70k more and called preflop.  88T on the flop (one significant club among ‘em) and they get it all-in.  Lawrie has an eight in his hand and Jeff AcJc and fingers in the till.  Turn is a club.  River is a club.  Whooptido and we’re now headsup.  The earliest stage in GUKPT history, I think.

Lawrie takes home £18,500 for third.

Peter Charalambous all-in for 108k with A7 but called by Lawrie with that AT again.  He flops a broadway and Peter needs another ten to come down to split it.  It’s not to be and Peter takes home £11,550 for 4th place.  Early doors today?

Lawrie Inman 260k

Jeff Kimber 382k

Darren Annis 574k

Peter Charalambous 109k