Horatiu Cont just etched his name into the 888poker UK Poker League history books, outlasting a field of 556 entrants in the £560 buy-in Luton Main Event. Cont locked up a career-altering £56,700 first-place prize. That hefty payday more than triples his previous live earnings and comes at the expense of popular UK grinder Yucel Eminoglu, who had to settle for runner-up money of £38,060.

UK Poker League Growing

UKPL events have been steadily growing in reputation, and becoming more international. The tournament smashed its guarantee, generating a £264,090 prize pool paid out to the top 68 finishers.

Notable cashes included Mariusz Czech, Jack Allen, Calogero Morreale, Dean Clay, Alex Todd, Jiaze Li, and Lorenc Boci. Josh Manley bowed out in 16th and Nick Eastwood in 11th, but it was Cont who seized control at the nine-handed final table.

Simon Wilson started that finale as the chip leader with 5.72 million, ahead of Eminoglu and Christopher Day with 4.09M. Cont entered fourth in chips at 2.84 million but wasted no time asserting himself. Getnet Kassa was the first casualty, running ace-jack into Brijesh Das’ ace-king: a king-high flop sealed his exit early. Bryan Taylor followed suit, getting it in with pocket eights only for Wilson’s jacks to hold firm. David Debono jammed ace-seven into Cont’s queens for seventh, then Das’ ace-queen couldn’t overcome Eminoglu’s pocket kings to bubble the final six.

George Popa shoved nine-seven from the blinds into Wilson’s ace-jack for fifth, marking a new personal best for the Romanian.

Day, a past GUKPT Luton winner, got the last of his three big blinds in with nine-eight versus Cont’s ace-jack and flopped no help, good for fourth and £17,540. Wilson, the reigning Irish Open champ, jammed ace-ten into Eminoglu’s jacks for third.

Heads-up saw Cont hold a razor-thin edge (14M to Eminoglu’s 13.8M). The decisive hand unfolded when Cont limped ten-deuce of clubs from the small blind, Eminoglu checked king-six with the king of clubs, and a monstrous all-clubs flop (6-A-8 rainbow) lit the fuse. Eminoglu led out, Cont called, then Eminoglu jammed the queen turn into Cont’s flopped flush. The river bricked with the four of spades, handing Cont the pot, the trophy, and the lion’s share of the payout.

Luton UKPL Event Set a new Bar

UKPL Luton delivered across the board, with Eminoglu’s High Roller win highlighting a festival that also crowned champs in the £250 Opening Voyage (£66K pool), £200 Big Shot, £150 PLO, and £150 Seniors events.

Next up for the UKPL is Glasgow from March 12-22, headlined by a £888 buy-in Main Event with a £250,000 guarantee.