Spring, Sprang, Spragg! Spraggy Takes Home UKIPT Brighton Main Event!
The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) kicked off this year with the Irish Open back in April, and since then, the UKIPT train has kept on rolling, and the most recent station was Brighton. Running between the 5th and 10th of September, the event culminated with the Main Event. The £1 100 tournament attracted 532 entries which meant a £337 920 prize pool. When all was said and done, it was Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg who could lift the trophy!
A £69 120 Prize Check
After Day 2 saw three final table players bust, only six poker players would return to fight for the title the next day. Spraggy, who may be most known for his streaming career over on Twitch.tv, entered day 3 with fifth most in chips. Despite this, he managed his stack well and suddenly found himself heads up against Germany’s Dominik Nitsche. After eliminating a short-stacked Nitsche’s K J with 10 3 , an emotional Spraggy got his hands on the trophy and the £69 120 prize check.
“I’m Just a Poker Pro”
The pro Spraggy, who’s a part of the PokerStars Team, was emotional after claiming his first major live title. Even though a lot was at stakes, the award-winning streamer didn’t experience the final table-atmosphere too tense:
"I’m genuinely really emotional. I didn’t think I would be because there was such a good atmosphere at the final table, it didn’t feel like a final table."
The familiar faces among the final six could explain the relaxed yet intense feeling filling the Rendezvous Casino. For example, football YouTuber and podcaster Adam McKola featured, who is a good friend of Spraggy. McKola’s third place finish for £30 110 should be honored, considering the United Kingdom resident first learned poker just two years ago. He was also on the wrong side of what maybe was the tournaments worst bad beat, running into countryman Sebastian Gohr’s quads with his full house right at the end of Day 2.
Spraggy is for sure known to the greater part of the poker community as an online poker player, but adding the Brighton title to his resume, he now feels like he is a force to be reckon with on the live scene as well:
“I no longer feel like an online guy who plays a bit of live. I’m just a poker pro.”
London Calling!
With Spraggy claiming the Brighton trophy, the UKIPT is now heading to London! The festival will run between September 19th-24th, with the Main Event being played between 21st and 24th. The Hippodrome Casino will act host, and it surely will be exciting to see who claims the next UKIPT Main Event trophy!
UKIPT Brighton Main Event Final Table Payouts:
| Place | Name | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benjamin Spragg | United Kingdom | £69 120 |
| 2 | Dominik Nitsche | Germany | £42 150 |
| 3 | Adam McKola | United Kingdom | £30 110 |
| 4 | Oliver Hutchins | United Kingdom | £23 160 |
| 5 | Alessandro Spina | Italy | £17 820 |
| 6 | Sebastian Gohr | United Kingdom | £13 700 |
| 7 | Jun Beum Chum | South Korea | £10 540 |
| 8 | Stewart Kirby | United Kingdom | £8 690 |
| 9 | Oscar Tompsett | United Kingdom | £7 240 |
