The first part of Gala British Poker Tournament for this season had kicked off over the weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland with Colin Wu emerging as the winner. The £500 buy - in event had drawn lots of momentum this year, as aside from the pool prize, the winner will also be entitled with final seat in Gala British Poker Tournament in the end of this year.
Defending champion, Eddie Gaines led one hundred seventy five poker enthusiasts who trooped in the Scottish capital to grace the event. Aside from Gaines and Wu, other poker attendees are Hendon Mobsters Joe Beevers and Barny Boatman, and John Higgins, world snooker champion. Higgins, the snooker expert won in the final table at 10th place with £1,500. Higgins impressive game proved that poker and snooker are relatively related to each other.
With Higgins out in the final table, the remaining players, Wu, Richard Lapwood, Rory Matthews, Robin Yiltalo, Philip Scott, Alistair Findlay, Mark Greenwood and John Lynch had to fight it out with pool prize of £93,000:
Richard Lapwood 557,100
Colin Wu 310,200
Rory Mathews 254,600
Robin Yiltalo 210,500
Philip Scott 114,300
Mark Greenwood 104,200
John Lynch 93,100
Alistair Findlay 55,600
Jamie Coonan 46,800
In the last table, Greenwood, Lynch and Findlay had fell when the poker table is just heating up in the first hour of the poker game thus leaving the others to continue with big stacks. Movement of the chips in the final table is evenly sometimes almost reaching a stalemate until finally Colin Wu crippled Lapwood, the former chip leader.
The final table had seen lumps of Ace-King dominating cards by Lapwood only to be routed by King-Jack combination of Wu. Thus, seeing the near concluding game for Lapwood.
With Lapwood gone and still playing in the early morning hours, the three remaining, Robin Yiltalo, Colin Wu and internet whiz Rory Mathews, had decided to make a deal after they have played each other up to a standstill. With the deal, the three took home £20,500 as purse money and decided that Wu declared as the grand winner. Wu was selected based on chips lead.
Wu also won a free final seat to Gala British Poker Tournament 2008 that will be held on December of this year in Bristol.
The Gala British Poker Tournament, a rival to GUKPT, had started poker with a bang this year. The next leg is expected to be more exciting as it will be held in Nottingham, the new poker capital of UK, where number of poker enthusiasts is increasing quickly.
Higher turnout is anticipated on April 16 – 20, 2008, Nottingham leg. Satellites are on the go at Gala casinos for the upcoming event.
The final payout in Gala British Poker Tournament Edinburgh leg were:
1 Colin Wu - £ 20,500
2 Robin Yiltalo - £20,500
3 Rory Mathews £20,500
4 Philip Scott £7,300
5 Richard Lapwood £5,100
6 Jamie Coonan £3,250
7 John Lynch £2,800
8 Mark Greenwood £2,300
9 Alistair Findlay £1,850
10 John Higgins £1,500