Michael Ellis Wins GUKPT Grand Final

Michael Ellis, a former investment banker, won the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour grand final over the weekend, defeating fellow Londoner Sami Yusuf to lift the £207,000 first-place prize. The field of 199 entrants created a total prize pool of £594,000.

Ellis, whose previous largest win was £14,510, started the final table with a below-average chip stack but had a 2-1 chip lead over Yusuf at the start of heads-up play. But a 2 million chip pot developed and was won by Yusuf, reversing Ellis' advantage.

Ellis fought back methodically to regain the chip lead, and the final hand saw a classic coin-flip scenario develop with all the chips getting in the middle and Ellis holding A-K to Yusuf's Q-Q.

A Q-10-8 flop catapulted Yusuf into a strong lead, but a jack on the turn gave Ellis a straight and a benign 6 on the river sealed the tournament for Ellis, who also received an additional £10,000 from Blue Square Poker and a £3,000 seat into next year's grand final.

The payouts for the event were:

1. Michael Ellis - £197,600
2. Sami Yusuf - £106,900
3. Mark Friedman - £71,300
4. Ben Vinson - £53,500
5. Carlos Barrera - £41,600
6. Dave Barnes - £32,700
7. Owen Locke - £23,800
8. Paul Moss - £17,800
9. Simon Zach - £14,800
10. John Kabbaj - £8,900
11. Ross Boatman - £5,900
12. Dave Colclough - £4,800
13. Paul Smallwood - £4,800
14. Ken Wong - £4,800
15. Keith Hawkins - £4,800
16. Jamie Moult - Seat in 2008 grand final

The event was held at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London, and filmed for broadcast on Channel Four in 2008.

The tour resumes on Jan.17, 2008, in Brighton, England, and sponsor Blue Square is adding £200,000 to the nine legs and grand final.

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