As the smoke clears and the dust settles, another star of UK poker has emerged in the shape of 36-year old Londoner Priyan de Mel. Although Priyan joins Messieurs Cascarino and Thew as one of only three double GUKPT winners, Priyan now boasts a record of his very own as the only player in GUKPT history to win back-to-back £1,000 Main Event titles, a quite incredible feat that, as Priyan himself said “is something I could tell my grandkids with pride later in life”.

Those who watched from the rail and have encountered Priyan’s game before will know full well that these last few months have been no fluke. Ever since he accompanied the Hit Squad to the poker tables, Priyan has continually been on the verge of a success, yet that major title had always evaded him with numerous near misses. But just like busses, you wait for one and then two come along at once.

With the stage being dismantled, this year’s opening GUKPT draws to an abrupt close and we say cheerio to our Bolton friends. Their hospitality this week has been top notch with a brand spanking new casino and friendly service from the lovely waitresses right up to the glamorous manager Sue Price, who threatened to cause me great pain if I failed to mention her. The field for the Main Event wasn’t the biggest around, but with the increased stacks, cracking atmosphere, and exciting finale I’m confident that Walsall’s leg next month will be a hotly contested affair.

So, with staff giving me the evils and prompting me to shift, it’s forks at the ready time, ‘cos I’m done.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 10:51 pm and is filed under 2010 GUKPT - Leg 1 - Bolton - Final Day. You can skip to the end and leave a response.