Top of the Scots: James Mitchell takes down the GUKPT Edinburgh

2010 Irish Open champ James Mitchell beats Colin Wu to the 2015 GUKPT Edinburgh title, taking home £33,930

Last year’s GUKPT Edinburgh fell just short of the guarantee and Andrew Teng made best use of the overlay, winning the first prize of £26k before heading to Vegas where he came fourth in the Millionaire Maker for a huge cash of $465,792. This year, 234 players turned up for the £500+£50 main event, smashing the £100k guarantee and creating a tasty first prize of £33,930.

For a while it looked like Teng was going to repeat his 2014 triumph. He hadn’t cashed since the Millionaire Maker last summer but when the bubble burst at the end of Day 2 he was short, but still had chips. Leading the pack though was experienced UK pro James Mitchell, who won the 2010 Irish Open for €600k.

It wasn’t to be for Teng. At the start of Day 3 he made a stand with A♥-9♣ and looked to be in good shape for a double when he was looked up by Paul Strachan’s K♦-7♦. The 8♦-4♥-2♦ flop wasn’t great for Teng, however, and it got worse when Strachan turned a Seven. The river bricked and Teng left with a min-cash which he’ll be hoping is a springboard for another mega-cash in Vegas this summer.

When the final table of nine was set, Mitchell still had a commanding stack, but Colin Wu was the only player with a stack over one million. And, after Gary Bertram was the first player to bust the final table, Wu added to that when he flopped a set of Tens to knock out David Maclean. Not be outdone, Mitchell eliminated Usman Ulhaq in seventh with 9-9 against 8♣-7♣.

That Mitchell and Wu show

It was a frantic final table and five minutes later Mitchell took out Stephen Wood in sixth. Mitchell bet 85,000 with A♣-9♣ on the A♥-4♥-6♦ flop and called Wood’s all-in. It was a good call as Wood flipped the 8♥-9♥ for a flush draw which failed to hit on the turn or river. The pace didn’t let up until the action got heads-up. First Mitchell took out another player when he won a flip with A♣-K♣ against Richard Clyde’s Nines. Then Wu eliminated Mindaugas Kriauciunas with A-J against A-3, before taking out Paul Strachan with a King-high flush.

It left the stacks fairly even and it was Wu that made the first move, taking a 2:1 chip lead, before all the money went in for the first time. It turned out to be a cooler for Wu, who had A♠-J♣ to Mitchell’s A♦-Q♣, and the 3♣-Q♥-J♥-7♦-Q♣ left him crushed and the stacks flip-flopped. Mitchell got the better of Wu again in what turned out to be the final hand. Wu must have thought his Jacks were safe on the 6♦-3♠-8♥ flop, but when the money went in on the 9♣ turn, Mitchell flipped pocket Threes for a flopped set, leaving Wu looking for one of the two remaining Jacks. The miracle didn’t happen and Mitchell was crowned the 2015 GUKPT Edinburgh champion.

The GUKPT moves on to Cardiff next (May 24-31). The main event is £500+£50 and satellites are running now at GrosvenorPoker.com.

Results from GUKPT Edinburgh 2015

1st – £33,930 – James Mitchell
2nd – £22,230 – Colin Wu
3rd – £13,920 – Paul Strachan
4th – £9,130 – Mindaugas Kriauciunas
5th – £6,320 – Richard Cylde
6th – £4,560 – Stephen Wood
7th – £3,740 – Usman Ulhaq
8th – £3,160 – David Maclean
9th – £2,690 – Gary Bertram
10th – £2,230 – Steven Duncan