blonde poker

 
Following up his success as last year’s World Heads Up Champion, Jeff ‘Jaffacake’ Kimber has put the icing on the (ahem) cake with victory in the GUKPT’s latest leg in Walsall.

This year has seen a welcome return to the full festival week with Grosvenor offering travelling players a wider range of tournaments to chomp their teeth into. Monday’s £200 No Limit Hold’Em freezeout in particular will undoubtedly have broadened the grin on Jonathan Raab’s face as an impressive 146 players turned up to prove that demand for these side events was still rife.

However, the Main Event was still the prime objective for 287 players, all of whom were eagerly vying for that £83,910 top prize, not to mention their passage into the Grand Final.

Although the likes of Graham Clarkson, Neil Channing and Rupert Elder made the cash, it was Jeff Kimber who held the lead come final table time, with Nik Persaud a close second.

(Seat 3) Jeff Kimber -- 469,000
(Seat 5) Nik Persaud -- 440,000
(Seat 6) Peter Charalambous -- 383,500
(Seat 2) Aaron Barry -- 377,500
(Seat 1) Dharminder Buttar -- 315,000
(Seat 4) Terry Owens -- 256,500
(Seat 9) Luke Patten -- 240,500
(Seat 8) Charles Denton -- 223,500
(Seat 7) Craig Metcalf -- 173,000

After a low key 2007 in which his only notable appearances were on the small screen, Luke Patten (right) will have welcomed the final table felt, but not for long as the 2006 UK Open Champion became the first to taste the dust of the rail. All-in with A-5s, Luke was unable to outgun Charles Denton’s Pocket Snowmen, ultimately forcing him to settle for 9th and a £6,460 payday.

With Terry Owens (A-K vs. Metcalf’s 9-9), Aaron Berry (K-8 vs. Kimber’s Q-Q) and Charles Denton (Q-T vs. Persaud’s A-Q) departing in 8th to 6th respectively, we were left with a tough final five that included two established poker pros.

After Craig Metcalf’s river bluff with Jd-3d on a 3h-Qs-9h-Qh-6h board was caught out by Dharminder Buttar’s 9c-7h to see him fall in 5th, it would be charismatic Nik Persaud, sadly lacking trademark NHS glasses, who would lap up 4th. Very much a so-near-yet-so-far man, Nik has cashed in an impressive five GUKPT events and is touted by many as “one to keep an eye on”. Although he didn’t quite reach the podium this time around, his 4th place finish for £23,680 when his A-Q was outdrawn by Kimber’s J-T is his highest placing thus far and a brief glimpse of his potential.

Three left, and Kimber had the advantage with almost double the chips of his two competitors. However, when Buttar ran his Q-6 into the Pocket Jacks of Peter Charalambous on a 6-J-2-6 board, the heads up encounter would see Kimber looking to overturn a 1.16 to 1.7 million deficit.

And overturn it he did, first doubling up with Aces versus K-J on a Jack high Flop before finally snatching the title with 8s-6s versus Js-9s all-in on the Turn of a 9c-5c-7h-5d-3c board.

With big cashes in America, Turks & Caicos, Singapore and, of course, Spain, triumphing on home soil must have come as quite a shock to Jeff ‘Jaffacake’ Kimber who can now temporarily shelve the suntan lotion in favour of more local shores.

Now a sponsored pro with Ladbrokes Poker, Jeff is one of Europe’s most consistent players, often sneaking under the radar and making endless final tables without so much of a murmur. His latest scoop, however, will be sure to make him a target in future events where he has now deservedly cemented his reputation as a true danger man.

1st  Jeff Kimber -- £83,910
2nd  Peter Charalambous --£48,790
3rd  Dharminder Buttar -- £35,160
4th  Nik Persaud -- £23,680
5th  Craig Metcalf -- £17,940
6th  Charles Denton --£14,350
7th  Aaron Barry -- £11,480
8th  Terry Owens -- £8,610
9th  Luke Patten -- £6,460