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Top Praz Goes Back to Hit Squad: Praz Bansi Wins GUKPT London and £101,020

Praz Bansi, the London-based professional player has bookended the entire GUKPT by both taking down the most recent event and being the first ever Main Event winner in the first season of the Tour in Bolton back in 2007.  This outstanding achievement has been interspersed with a couple of World Series of Poker bracelets and a score of other international cashes.  This March, in style which made the Hit Squad proud, a combination of good timing, experience and a never-relinquished chip lead gave him his second title in record time.

He faced tough opposition at London’s Victoria Casino from fellow Hit Squad member Karl Mahrenholz, as well as Jeff Kimber, Jamie Roberts and Ken Wong, not to mention the tough German runner-up Manig Loeser.  After three long days, however, Bansi lifted the trophy and in his usual understated style said that it was a pleasure to win his second GUKPT Main Event and that he had run well against his final table opponents.

The 245-strong field generated a prize pool of £367,500, giving the title-winner a payday of £101,020 for overcoming one of the toughest fields on the GUKPT circuit.  The £1,500 buy-in and slow structure attracted a host of top UK players (and a smattering of international travellers) alongside those who’d fought their way in via one of many live and online satellites held at the Vic and gcasino.com in the preceding days.

In fact, the two winners of the GUKPT 2011 ‘Shoal Survivor’ prizes for Leg 2 (one each for the longest lasting satellite qualifier into the Main Event (live and online)) both made the final table and took home hefty sums for their performance here in London.  GUKPT sponsored player Jeff Kimber, breaking the record for number of final table appearances on the GUKPT with this, his sixth, was the online Shoal Survivor, while third place finisher Gary Lindsay was the live version.  Both receive £1,500 GUKPT Packages which buy them more live tournaments from a choice of legs around the country.