Miikka Toikka Outlasts 4,120 Entries to Win GUKPT Goliath

The 2015 Grosvenor Casinos’ Goliath Main Event was a record-smashing success as 2,764 buy-ins followed by 1,446 re-entries created a £421,000 prize pool, dwarfing the £250,000 guarantee.

Finland's Miikka Toikka captured the title and £75,800 ($109,733) in first place prize money, beating runner-up Katie Swift in only two hands after heads-up action began. Toikka had a 10-1 chip advantage and swiftly eliminated Swift when his A-4 came out on top over her K-J on a board of A-K-10-10-3. Second place prize money totaled £46,300 ($71,761), the largest payday ever for the lady from Kent.

The huge field came out for a week's worth of poker action that required a buy-in of only £120. By the time Sunday, August 16 rolled around, many watched from the Ricoh Arena rail and saw a final table that included Grant Ferguson, who finished 9th for £3,100 in his first poker tournament, and Andrew James, who landed in 6th place and earned £8,400 after winning his entry via a Grosvenor Casino freeroll.

In addition the the massive Goliath Main Event, a number of side events were contested during the week-long festival. New champions were crowned, including Ashley Dobbs in the Deep ‘n’ Steep event, Louise Ann Hill for winning Blind Man’s Bluff, and Falko Pavels, who emerged victorious in the Open Dealer’s Championship.

GUKPT continues at the Grosvenor Casino Luton from September 13-20 featuring the £1,090 buy-in Main Event that guarantees a £200,000 prize pool. Satellites are running now at www.grosvenorpoker.com.