The Biggest Poker Tournaments in the UK Are Top Tier

The United Kingdom is one of the biggest scenes for poker in the world. It’s home to some of the best players, biggest tournaments, and numerous great casinos. Whether it’s a local small daily/weekly poker tournament or a high-roller once-in-a-lifetime mega event, the UK has it all. Many poker organisations have come to the British Isles since the turn of the millennium. Some of the best tournaments were cancelled during the 2010s but there are still many great series left. In this article, we’ll list the biggest poker tournaments in the UK currently. Additionally, we’ll explain if one of the listed tournament series has the chance to return to the country.

When it comes to European or even International poker, the United Kingdom is one of the top destinations. While the country’s history might not be as intertwined with poker as the US, it’s one of the most popular entertainment options today. The arrival of Texas Hold’em and the hundreds of online poker sites in the UK only made the card game even more popular. Names like Stephen Chidwick, Sam Trickett, and Ben Heath are immortalised in British poker. There are hundreds of professional poker players from the UK so naturally, we won’t list all of them. The biggest poker tournaments in the country enjoy great popularity. Read on to learn about them, including important dates, buy-ins, and satellite events. Availability is one of the best traits a poker tournament can have. By that, we mean that everyone worthy can participate in them.

The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour is the biggest in the country

The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour or GUKPT is by far one of the most popular and biggest poker tournaments in the UK. The tournament is organized and run by Grosvenor Casinos, who own multiple casinos in the country. One of the best land-based casinos in London, Grosvenor Victoria, also belongs to them. The GUKPT started in 2007 but it has seen many changes since then. This year’s tournament for example is one of the biggest ones yet and has a total of 10 legs and the final event. GUKPT 2022 started on 27 January and will end on 18 December. The events will go full circle, having started in The Poker Room, London. This is where the Grand Final will take place too. Legs 2 to 10 are all at different locations in the country. Each event is at least one week long.

The GUKPT locations are as follows: Coventry; Bury New Road, Manchester; Reading South; Edinburgh; Luton; The Poker Room, London; Leeds; Blackpool. Out of the eleven dates, three take place in London and two in Luton. Buy-ins for each location’s main event vary. Edinburgh and Leeds are the lowest with £670+£80. The Grand Final has the highest buy-in with £1800+£200. The Manchester event is running between 17 and 27 March so there might still be some chance to qualify.

You can also earn a seat for the main event through the satellite events hosted every Tuesday and Sunday. We’re only at Leg 3 so there will be plenty of chances to experience the GUKPT this year. The Grand Final is far away and there are plenty of entertaining events until then. If you want to see updates on the GUKPT, keep an eye out for our articles.

The world deserves the return of the European Poker Tour to London

The European Poker Tour is arguably the biggest and most popular poker tournament series in Europe. It’s a Texas Hold’em tournament that has been running since 2004. The EPT is currently in its 16th season, with EPT Prague ending on 16 March. The next confirmed event is the EPT Monte-Carlo Casino tournament from 28 April until 7 May. But what’s the situation with London? London was part of the original EPT lineup and it was one of the biggest destinations for the tour for 11 straight seasons.

The last such tournament in London was between 8 and 18 October 2014. During that time, this was considered one of the biggest poker tournaments in the UK. We’re only including this tournament on our list because a return to London is not out of the question. As one of the best destinations for poker, the EPT will likely return to London in the future.

Let us explain why the UK poker scene is too good to be left out of the EPT. First of all, Victoria Coren co-holds the most main event titles, that record being two. Second, the UK is only behind the United States when it comes to most main event winners. If we’re not counting the Caribbean Adventures series, the UK is number one in this regard. Again, the UK has four Triple-Crown winners, the most out of any country in this tournament. Maybe the EPT just wanted to give everyone else a chance at winning. Anyway, until the series returns to London, you can practice on the many online poker sites in the UK. After all, we have to be in form to show who’s the best at this tournament.

The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) makes a stellar return

The UKIPT is one of the most successful and biggest poker tournaments in the UK and Ireland. It’s a regional tournament that was first held in 2009. It was created due to the success of the European Poker Tour by the same organisation, PokerStars. Naturally, it’s a Texas Hold’em tournament series. The UKIPT enjoyed great success and it ran for 6 seasons, eventually ending in 2016. During its time the events were hosted in some of the best casinos in the UK and Ireland. Dublin, London, and Edinburgh were among the regular stops.

But hold your horses, because we got some good news for poker fans. This fan favourite tournament is returning after six years. The UK and Ireland Poker Tour is coming to The Hippodrome, London. The official festival date is confirmed to be 4-10 April but satellite and some minor events start on the 1st.

Tournaments related to the main event will start on 7 April and will run until the final day. Each of these days will have at least one tournament related to the main event. The buy-in for these is £1.100. The high-roller events will take place on 6 and 7 of April, and have a buy-in price of £2.200. To finish up the key events, there’s the UKIPT Cup. There will be two No-Limit Hold’em events on 9 April with buy-ins of £440. The Cup Final is on the last day. If these buy-ins seem too high, don’t worry. There will be plenty of satellite events throughout the tournament. Such events with a chance for main event seats start on 3 April, with buy-ins ranging between £100 and £250. If you’re thinking about getting in a couple of weeks of practice, head to bet365 Poker.

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