The 2025 poker season was a landmark 12 months for British grinders, as the highest ten UK poker gamers mixed sharp high-stakes outcomes with spectacular quantity throughout the worldwide circuit. In line with the
Somuchpoker Poker Index (SPI)
, the 2025 leaderboard highlights a 12 months the place UK professionals efficiently balanced elite stops in Cyprus and Las Vegas with dominant performances within the booming Asian poker scene.
The next desk breaks down the stats and surgical precision that outlined the seasons for the highest ten UK poker gamers in 2025.
2025 SPI Rating: United Kingdom Prime Ten
Participant Profiles
1. Jun Li
Sitting on the prime of the highest ten UK poker gamers for 2025 is
Jun Li
. Li’s season was a masterclass in regional dominance, navigating 17 festivals to build up an enormous 2025 SPI Rating of 18,273. His relentless consistency resulted in SPI earnings of $422,396 throughout 63 occasions.
Li’s 12 months reached its peak within the Asian circuit, the place he secured a number of closing tables, pushing his complete dwell earnings over the $1.6 million mark. His highest rating of the 12 months got here from
APT Incheon
, the place he secured a runner-up place within the APT Excessive Curler occasion for KRW 148,750,000 ($107,555). Spectacular as it’s, Li’s career-best money nonetheless stands at $138,310, which he earned on the APT Taipei 2024 along with his profitable victory within the Zodiac occasion.
2. Ryan Plant
Ranked second among the many prime ten UK poker gamers,
Ryan Plant
targeted on a high-efficiency technique. He reached a 2025 SPI Rating of 14,471 by turning 35 occasion entries into 26 cashes. His efforts throughout 8 festivals resulted in SPI earnings of $304,507. With over $1.3 million in complete dwell earnings, Plant’s 2025 spotlight was a deep run in a marquee sequence in Las Vegas. He secured a tenth-place end within the Monster Stack occasion on the 56th World Sequence of Poker, incomes him $99,989.
Across the Asian circuit, his greatest rating of the 12 months got here from the
Gamers Sequence Taiwan Championship II
when he emerged victorious within the
Journey of Poker’ Excessive Curler Cup
for TWD 1,450,700 (~$47,485). Whereas spectacular, his career-best money nonetheless stands at $189,035, set on the EPT Prague 2024 along with his 4th end within the Eureka Principal Occasion.
3. Matthew Belcher
Matthew Belcher
secures the third spot with a 2025 SPI Rating of 12,365. Belcher was a relentless menace in mid-to-high stakes fields, producing SPI earnings of $362,370. Recognized for his tactical depth, he maintained a excessive ITM ratio of almost 100% throughout the 36 occasions he attended. His career-best rating stays an vital level on a resume that now boasts over $1.5 million in complete winnings.
His greatest second of 2025 got here on the
Triton Montenegro
sequence, the place he recorded a career-best $293,000 for a Thirteenth-place end within the $100,000 Principal Occasion. Throughout the identical week, Belcher additionally positioned seventh within the $50,000 NLH 8-Handed for $283,000, his second-largest money to this point, capping off a powerful stretch of outcomes.
4. Stephen Chidwick
The legendary
Stephen Chidwick
occupies the fourth place. Regardless of taking part in solely 5 occasions, Chidwick’s unimaginable SPI earnings of $5,632,088 led to a 2025 SPI Rating of 10,826. Presently, the UK’s #1 All-Time Cash Chief with over $76 million in earnings, his 2025 pinnacle got here from an enormous Tremendous Excessive Curler victory in Jeju, proving he stays the ultimate boss of world poker.
Chidwick claimed the title within the
$200K Quick Deck PLPF
occasion on the
Triton Tremendous Excessive Curler Sequence Jeju II 2025
and took house his highest rating of the 12 months for $3,455,000. Notably, his career-best money stands nonetheless at $5,368,947, which he earned in 2019 along with his runner-up end within the Triton Million for Charity on the Triton Poker Tremendous Excessive Curler Sequence London.
5. Alfie Adam
Rounding out the highest 5 of the highest ten UK poker gamers is
Alfie Adam
with a 2025 SPI Rating of 10,042. Adam utilized a high-volume strategy throughout 10 festivals to safe SPI earnings of $97,512. Whereas specializing in extra accessible buy-ins, his consistency in reaching the cash 32 instances all year long highlights a really disciplined match grind.
Whereas his lifetime earnings are approaching half 1,000,000, Adam’s spotlight in 2025 occurred on the
APT Championship Taipei
, the place he took house TWD 960,700 (~$31,090) along with his deep run within the APT Championship Principal Occasion Freezeout occasion. Whereas spectacular, he earned his career-high rating of $33,734 along with his deep run within the forty fifth World Sequence of Poker No Restrict Maintain’em occasion.
6. Luke Dainton
Luke Dainton
holds the sixth spot with a 2025 SPI Rating of 9,452. Dainton displayed nice effectivity in 2025, attending 9 festivals to safe SPI earnings of $101,688. Recognized for his sturdiness in long-haul occasions, he recorded 24 cashes all year long. His complete dwell earnings proceed to climb as he establishes himself as a daily menace on the worldwide circuit.
With complete dwell match earnings of almost $150,000, Dainton lately crossed the $100,000 profession milestone. His standout efficiency got here in September 2025 on the
Zodiac Sequence of Poker II
in Taipei, the place he completed 4th within the Snake Principal Occasion for a career-best $50,887, setting a brand new mark in his poker resume.
7. Josei Kamei
Josei Kamei takes the seventh place among the many prime ten UK poker gamers with a 2025 SPI Rating of 9,439. Kamei was exceptionally scientific, recording 25 cashes throughout solely 27 occasions performed. This effectivity resulted in SPI earnings of $113,430. His momentum in 2025 was pushed by deep runs in each the UK home circuit and selective Asian stops.
Kamei has collected complete dwell earnings of almost $250,000, and his profession reached a peak in July 2025 on the
18th Taiwan Tens of millions Match (TMT)
. Kamei outlasted an enormous area within the TMT Principal Occasion to complete in fifth place, securing his career-best dwell money of TWD 1,950,000 (~$66,336).
8. Michael Zhang
Michael Zhang
ranks eighth with a 2025 SPI Rating of 6,417. A specialist on the earth’s hardest fields, Zhang performed solely 5 occasions however generated large SPI earnings of $971,533. Rating the highest 15 of England’s all-time cash listing with over $7.5 million in profession earnings, his 2025 spotlight was a deep run in a serious high-stakes sequence.
Zhang’s 2025 marketing campaign noticed him take 2nd in a
Triton Jeju
$50,000 Quick Deck occasion for $510,000 and sixth within the $100,000 Quick Deck for $359,000. Notably, his most important dwell payday got here in 2023 on the Triton Tremendous Excessive Curler Sequence Vietnam, the place he completed because the runner-up within the $100,000 Quick Deck Principal Occasion for an enormous $1,115,000.
9. Benjamin Heath
The high-stakes titan
Benjamin Heath
ranks ninth with a 2025 SPI Rating of 6,093. Like Chidwick, Heath targeted purely on elite high quality, producing SPI earnings of $2,388,000 from simply three entries.
With over $35 million in complete dwell earnings, Heath’s 2025 was outlined by his common surgical precision on the highest ranges of the sport. His 2025 spotlight occurred on the Triton Tremendous Excessive Curler Sequence Jeju II, the place he secured a Third-place end within the Triton Jeju NLHE Principal Occasion for $2,223,000. Spectacular as it’s, Heath’s largest money got here from
WSOP Paradise
, the place he completed runner-up within the Triton Million for $8,160,000.
10. Qibang “James” Cheung
Rounding out the listing is Qibang “James” Cheung with a 2025 SPI Rating of 6,021. Cheung achieved an ideal “In The Cash” ratio in 2025, recording 15 cashes in precisely 15 occasions performed. This anomaly resulted in SPI earnings of $89,035, marking a profitable marketing campaign throughout three main festivals.
Cheung has collected almost $400,000 in his lifetime earnings, and his career-best money stands at $47,475, earned for a 4th-place end in a $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hello-Lo 8 or Higher occasion on the 2023 WSOP. His spotlight in 2025 was from his deep run within the $10,000 Pot Restrict Omaha Championship (8-Handed – Freezeout) occasion on the
56th WSOP
for $22,061.
The place to Play within the UK
The UK gives a number of the most historic and prestigious poker venues on the earth.
The Hippodrome On line casino (London)
: Positioned within the coronary heart of Leicester Sq., it is a central hub for main London sequence and 24/7 money sport motion.
Nightfall Until Daybreak
: Extensively considered the house of British poker, this devoted poker membership hosts the most important home tournaments within the nation.
Grosvenor Victoria On line casino (The Vic): The largest venue within the franchise and a venue in London recognized for its high-stakes money video games and because the house of the GUKPT.
UK’s Poker Festivals
Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT): The longest-running and hottest home tour within the UK, drawing the very best native expertise year-round.
European Poker Tour (EPT)
London: When the EPT returns to the capital, it serves because the crown jewel of the British poker calendar, attracting a world area.
UK & Eire Poker Tour (UKIPT): A staple for each skilled and leisure gamers, providing high-quality buildings at approachable buy-ins.
As 2026 will get underway, a number of of the UK’s prime ten gamers are already making early strikes within the standings. Plant at the moment sits in tenth place with an SPI rating of 6,336. After the excessive commonplace set by the 2025 class, the race to complete because the UK’s prime performer this 12 months is already heating up throughout the worldwide circuit.
