Bryan Taylor Continues Transition to Tournaments With Another Victory

Scotland’s Bryan Taylor was a relative unknown amount, until you had been a money recreation grinder, till he grew to become the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Edinburgh champion in October 2025. Throughout his winner’s interview, Taylor revealed that he was primarily a money recreation participant, however one who had determined to provide match poker a whirl. It’s honest to say that Taylor has taken to match poker like a proverbial duck to water.

Since his victory within the 2025 GUKPT Edinburgh Predominant Occasion in October 2025, which got here with a £43,920 prize, Taylor has completed within the cash in 19 tournaments. 9 of these cashes have been closing desk appearances, together with a fourth-place end within the £340 GUKPT London Mini Occasion in January for £13,910, a third-place end within the £250 Mini Predominant on the more moderen 888poker LIVE Glasgow competition.

In the present day, Taylor can add one other money, closing desk look, and outright victory to his Hendon Mob profile after taking down the £2,000 Excessive Curler occasion on the newest GUKPT London competition.

Taylor was certainly one of 72 entrants within the GUKPT London Excessive Curler; he helped to create a £123,120 prize pool that the ultimate 9 finishers shared.

Ben Glazebrook was the primary in-the-money participant to bow out. Ajay Ok, Ahmad Abdelhadi, and Elisha Maarek adopted Glazebrook to the cashier’s cage, the latter scooping £6,650 and pushing her winnings by means of the $80,000 mark.

Eire’s Conor O’Driscoll busted in fifth and picked up the match’s closing four-figure prize, particularly £8,860.

Grovenor common Arun Sood was relieved of his stack in fourth place, with the 2023 GUKPT Blackpool champion Ian Gascoigne crashing out in third for £17,230, which despatched the £2,000 Excessive Curler into the heads-up stage.

Heads-up pitted Taylor in opposition to the harmful Ravi Sheth, a participant who goes deep in GUKPT occasions with alarming regularity. No deal was struck regardless of a £13,000 distinction within the payouts, which means Taylor collected one other £38,780 when he got here out high; Sheth acquired a £25,860 comfort prize.

Taylor should still be better-known as a money recreation participant, however it’s his title that tops the present 2026 Nationwide Poker League (NPL) standings. There’s nonetheless an extended method to go and quite a lot of poker to be performed, but when Taylor stays on the NPL’s pinnacle, he’ll obtain a £40,000 Diamond Package deal, after which, perhaps then, folks will know him as a match grinder.

£2,000 GUKPT Excessive Curler Remaining Desk Outcomes

Mini Predominant Victory is Ali Sarkeshik’s First in 22 Years

Ali Sarkeshik ended a 22-year title drought by taking down the £330 GUKPT London Mini Predominant for £28,220. Sarekeshik final lifted a trophy in July 2004 when he received a €5,000 Restrict Maintain’em occasion on the Rendez Vous a Paris on the now-defunct Aviation Membership de France.

The £330 Mini Predominant drew in 612 entrants who fought it out for a slice of the £173,170 prize pool. Such luminaries because the aforementioned Bryan Taylor, Yucel Eminoglu, Tamer Kamel, Dale Wilson, Robert Douras, Mariusz Czech, Calogero Morreale, and Philippe Souki cashed however fell in need of a closing desk look.

There was a gradual movement of eliminations all through the ultimate desk, beginning with Joe Hindry busting in ninth. With solely 4 gamers remaining, a deal was struck that lessened the pay jumps’ severity earlier than play continued.

Portugal’s Helder Casaca-Sena fell in fourth for £15,830 earlier than Ashkan Ahmedov fell in third for £17,360. It has been fairly just a few weeks for Ahmedov as a result of he went deep within the 2026 Irish Open Predominant Occasion, finally busting in thirtieth place for €13,780.

Sarkeshik confronted Keith Littlewood heads-up for the trophy. The 2 veterans clashed till one thing lastly gave. Simply as his beloved Manchester United had carried out throughout the week, Littlewood needed to admit defeat as he fell in second place for a £28,630 payday, which left Sarekshik to carry the trophy and financial institution £28,220.

£330 GUKPT London Mini Predominant Remaining Desk Outcomes

Remaining 2026 GUKPT London Schedule

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the UK, and has labored within the poker business since 2008, and labored for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he grew to become the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from stay reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his position of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.