Duncan McLellan Wins Second UKIPT Title and £202,372 at Dusk Till Dawn
Nottingham, UK - 12th May
Duncan McLellan has won the £1,000 + £100 UKIPT Nottingham Main Event, the richest in the history of the tour, after the most explosive final table action ever seen on UKIPTLive wrapped up the final day in 3 hours 49 minutes. This marks his second victory on the tour in seven months.
People tuning in to the livestream today were treated to some of the most aggressive play performed on a final of a major event, especially one where the largest shares of a £1,223,000 total prizepool were to be awarded. Start of day chip leader Willie Elliot nearly doubled his stack by pure showdown-free aggression in the first level of play, including some power moves that left even McLellan backing off his trademark huge check-raises.
It was not to last, however. After the early all-in-preflop eliminations of shortest-stacked players Ramey Shiao and Anthony Flynn, Angelo Milioto started to climb. He first doubled through Day 3 chip leader Juan "el bigotes" (the Moustache) Benito and then busted Ryan Spittles (5th for £51,700) to build his stack into a dangerous one. Benito, meanwhile, had not recovered from the damage caused by Milioto and went out on a flip (his A-K staying behind McLellan’s pocket nines, all in preflop) in 6th place.
With these two opponents gaining ground, and then overtaking him, Elliot kept his foot on the accelerator, and went out in dramatic fashion, battling McLellan along the streets as a board rolled out
-2c-8h-Ah-Ad. McLellan had checked his A-3 on the turn (the pot already 1.8 million), and then led out with his quads on the river, only to find Elliot moving all-in! A snap-call later and the final table had a new monster chip leader.
With more than double the chips of his nearest opponent three-handed, McLellan figured that deal talk could wait until the next break. It was unfortunate for Trevor Pearson that he promptly busted in third, running an unlucky A-J into a seemingly unstoppable McLellan’s A-K.
Heads up, a deal was done between McLellan and Milioto, leaving £34,000 left to play for. This stage of the final table lasted no longer than the others, McLellan soon making a straight with
-7c on the turn (the board 5-6-6-4) after Milioto flopped three sixes. Father of three (and online qualifier on PokerStars) Milioto – who’d promised his kids 10% of his winnings – picked up £143,728, while the title and top prize of £202,372 went to the man on form McLellan.
Picking up his trophy, bricklayer McLellan said, “It’s been hard work, but it’s fantastic – I’m thrilled. But it’s just a weekend away, a few beers – I’ll be at work tomorrow, 8 o’clock, on the scaffold.”
Of his relentless playing style, he added, “You can’t win unless you put the chips over the line!” wrapping up succinctly his bulldozer-like attack on the 1,058-runner tournament.
Final table payouts:
1st. Duncan McLellan, United Kingdom, £202,372
2nd. Angelo Milioto, United Kingdom (PokerStars Qualifier) £143,728
3rd. Trevor Pearson, United Kingdom, £89,900
4th. Willie Elliot, United Kingdom (PokerStars Qualifier) £67,000
5th. Ryan Spittles, United Kingdom, £51,700
6th. Juan Benito, Spain (PokerStars Qualifier) £38,400
7th. Anthony Flynn, United Kingdom, £29,300
8th. Ramey Shaio, United Kingdom (PokerStars Player) £20,800
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