This Week’s Big Winner: Simon Brandstrom Wins WPT United Kingdom Main Event, Third Title Of 2019

Simon Brandstrom has won the 2019 World Poker Tour United Kingdom $3,300 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event. The 37-year-old player from Goteborg, Sweden outlasted a field of 690 total entries to secure his third title of the year, earning $330,000 for his latest victory.

Earlier this year, Brandstrom took down the WPT DeepStacks Barcelona event for $305,529, and with this win became the first player to ever capture both WPT DeepStacks and WPT main tour event titles. Brandstrom also happened to win the European Poker Tour Barcelona main event, overcoming a record-setting field of 1,232 total entries to pocket more than $1.4 million.

Brandstrom was awarded 960 Card Player Player of the Year points for his most recent trip to the winner’s circle. The finish was enough to see him climb into eighth place in the overall 2019 POY race standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.
Here are the five key hands that propelled Brandstrom to the title.

Tournament: WPT United Kingdom
Buy-In: $3,300
No. of Entries: 690
Prize Pool: $2,007,900
1st Place Prize: $330,000

The Action

Jesse Wigan raised to 40,000 and Brandstrom three-bet to 105,000. Kebe then shoved for 240,000, forcing a fold from Wigan. Brandstrom called with A♥ J♦, but was behind to Kebe’s pocket queens. The flop fell Q♠ 9♥ 5♦, giving Kebe top set and a 97 percent chance of winning the pot, according to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator. Unfortunately for him, the turn and river fell 8♦ 10♣ to give Brandstrom a straight and the knockout.

The Action

Despite coming into the final table with the big stack, Brandstrom found himself short with seven players remaining. He moved all in for his last 1,300,000 with A♠ 8♠ and got a caller in Loeser with a dominating A♦ Q♦. The flop of 7♥ 5♦ 3♥ kept Loeser in the lead, but the 8♥ on the turn left him drawing to three outs. The river was the 5♣, and Loeser’s bad beat left him with less than one big blind. He was eliminated on the very next hand by Brandstrom’s two pair, once again holding A-Q. He banked $58,500 for seventh place.

The Action

With four players left, Eardley raised to 300,000 on the button and Brandstrom moved all in for 2,600,000 from the small blind. Eardley called with A♦ K♥, and was racing against Brandstrom’s pocket queens. The flop gave Brandstrom a set, and left Eardley drawing to a gutshot straight. He bricked out, and Brandstrom picked up a crucial double up. Eardley was later eliminated in fourth, winning $128,500.

The Action

With three players left, Mandara raised to 675,000 from the small blind and Brandstrom decided to three-bet shove his suited ace from the big blind. Mandara called with pocket jacks, but wasn’t able to fade an ace on a flop of A♣ Q♣ 2♣. He was looking for clubs, but instead found another ace to give Brandstrom trips.

The Action

With the stacks nearly even heads-up, Mandara raised to 650,000 from the button and Brandstrom defended from the big blind. The flop fell 9♣ 7♣ 3♦ and Brandstrom checked. Mandara continued with a bet of 550,000, and Brandstrom called. The turn was the 4♣ and Brandstrom check-called again, this time 1,600,000. The river was the K♥, and Brandstrom checked for a final time. Mandara thought it over for a bit and then moved all-in for his last 7,500,000. Brandstrom made the call with 9♥ 7♠ for two pair, and Mandara could only show a busted straight draw. Mandara earned $221,650 for his runner-up finish, while Brandstrom picked up $330,000 for the win.

Final Table Results

1. Simon Brandstrom — $330,000
2. Ryan Mandara — $221,650
3. James Rann — $168,500
4. Matthew Eardley — $128,500
5. Maria Lampropulos — $98,500
6. Paul Siddle — $76,000
7. Manig Loeser — $58,500
8. Leo Worthington-Leese — $46,000
9. Paul Jackson — $36,000