2025 The Hendon Mob Championship London

Day 1f of the £280 Main Event (the turbo flight) attracted 109 entries. Below are the chip counts for the 16 players who advanced to Day 2.

Day 1g of the £280 Main Event (the hyper turbo flight) attracted 51 entries. Below are the chip counts for those eight who made it through to Day 2.

51 8

Day 1e of the £280 Main Event registered 117 entries. Below are the chip counts for those 18 players who made it through to Day 2.

Day 1d of the £280 Main Event scored 90 entries. Below are the chip counts for those 14 who made it through to Day 2.

Mohammad Joian min-raised to 12,000 UTG. Action folded to Mohamed Ramadan, who made the call from the Small Blind.

Ramadan checked the K♣4♠2♣ flop, and Joian fired a 25,000 continuation bet. Ramadan then forced his opponent all in for an additional 60,000, and Joian made the call.

Mohamed Ramadan: K♠4♦
Mohammad Joian: K♥J♦

Joian was drawing slim, and the 3♠5♠ runout didn’t help him. As such, Joian became the unfortunate bubble boy, and play in Day 1d has now officially concluded, sending 14 players into Day 2 and the money.

That wraps up today’s live coverage; however, we’ll return with the chip counts later tonight.

Mohamed Ramadan: 708,000
Mohammad Joian: 0

Seated UTG+1, Jonathan Church opened to 12,000. Short-stacked Mohammad Joian (Small Blind) was the sole caller.

Joian donk-shoved 42,500 on the A♥9♣7♠ flop. Without a shred of hesitation, Church made the call.

Mohammad Joian: 10♦7♥
Jonathan Church: A♣A♦

Things were looking like Joian would become the unfortunate bubble boy, but the J♥8♦ runout extended his tournament life as he hit a runner-runner straight.

Jonathan Church: 455,000
Mohammad Joian: 90,000

Action folded to Mohamed Ramadan in the Cut-off, who min-raised to 8,000. Mohammad Joian made the call from the Button, before Adam Church moved all in for 33,000 from the Small Blind. Ramadan and Joian both made the call.

After Ramadan checked the 5♣6♠4♦ flop, Joian bet 50,000. Seconds later, Ramadan announced all in for 162,500. After receiving the call and leaning back in his chair for a minute, Joian made the call.

Adam Church: K♣10♣
Mohamed Ramadan: 9♦7♦
Mohammad Joian: A♣6♦

Joian was ahead with top-pair top-kicker, but as the board completed with K♦2♦, Ramadan was awarded the best hand with a flush. Church was sent to the rail, and Joian lost the bigger chunk of his stack.

Mohamed Ramadan: 440,000
Mohammad Joian: 65,000
Adam Church: 0

UTG, Adam Church opened to 8,000. Mohamed Mohamed (Lo-jack), Jason Lam (Button), Mohamed Ramadan (Small Blind), and Mohammad Joian all made the call.

Action was checked to Mohammad on the 9♣10♣8♥ flop, who moved all in for 43,500. Lam and Joian both made the call; needless to say, there was a big pot brewing.

Action went check-check on the K♥ turn. Joian fired a 50,500 bet on the 7♥ rivered, which was enough to force a fold out of Ramadan.

Mohamed Mohamed: A♠7♠
Mohammad Joian: J♦2♦

Joian’s rivered straight sent Mohammad to the rail.

Mohammad Joian: 352,000
Mohamed Mohamed: 0

It’s the third break of the day. Late registration is now closed, and considering Day 1d had 90 entries, 14 players (i.e., 15% of the field) will advance to Day 2. If this live reporter has done his job correctly, these should be the five biggest stacks in the room as of now.

THMC has a noble history, and they’ve hosted their own live poker tournaments for several years; both standalone festivals, but also in conjunction with other events. This reporter wrote an article listing all earlier THMC Main Event winners a few years ago; who not click the link below and give it a read?

This reporter had a small chat with Stephen O’Keeffe yesterday. O’Keeffe bagged 578,000 from Day 1b, which translated to him ending that particular starting-day flight as the chip leader. Were he to convert his good stack into a tournament win, it would be his second THMC trophy, as he won the £100 Closer during last year’s event here in London.

He’s in good form, seeing as he was on the final table of the 2025 WSOP Circuit Nottingham just a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday, I found out everything there is to know about his half pool ball, which acts as a card protector. Read our little chat by clicking here.

The same applies to every THMC event; the winner not only receives the coveted trophy and the associated payout, but also a Cape Town Package. At the end of each year, The Hendon Mob collaborates with the SunBet Poker Tour by MJPT and arranges a season finale in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa.

This year’s prestigious event wrapped up roughly two weeks ago. THMC Main Event winners throughout the year all traveled to Cape Town, accompanied by many South African players, as they competed for the title in the ZAR 8,000 THMC Cape Town Million event. In the end, the win belonged to Sean Bloom, who was awarded ZAR 350,000 for his feat (which roughly translates to £15,498).

The winner of the ongoing 2025 THMC London Main Event will be the first one to win a Cape Town package for 2026; perhaps, it will be you who will secure your future poker adventure of a lifetime?

2025 SunBet Poker Tour by MJPT & THMC Cape Town Million – ZAR 8,000 THMC Cape Town Million Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize (ZAR)	Prize (£)
1	Sean Bloom	South Africa	ZAR 350,000	£15,498
2	Alvin Pillay	South Africa	ZAR 305,000	£13,508
3	Marko Nortje	South Africa	ZAR 285,000	£12,613
4	Kevin Boyer	Réunion Island	ZAR 167,000	£7,391
5	Prenesh Naidoo	South Africa	ZAR 123,000	£5,444
6	Dylan Barnard	South Africa	ZAR 94,000	£4,161
7	Jason De Villiers	England	ZAR 78,000	£3,450
8	Kinesh Pather	South Africa	ZAR 62,000	£2,745
9	Sachin Naidoo	South Africa	ZAR 48,000	£2,124

Earlier this year, something extraordinary happened during the 2025 Festival Bratislava. Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk (founder of The Festival), Roland Boothby (Head of Partnership at The Hendon Mob), and the King’s Resort casino staff combined forces, and they aimed to create the biggest-ever THMC. They had quite a bold plan to reach their goal: a €300,000 guarantee for a shy €150 Main Event buy-in.

The record to break was 888 runners, which was set during the 2025 Irish Poker Open (the buy-in then was €350). Not only did the Rozvadov operation manage to set a new record by a considerable margin, but the ambitious guarantee was also met. The tournament scored 2,417 entries, which created a €304,542 prize pool. Haik Tougu claimed the €51,300 first-place payout and was crowned the winner of the biggest-to-date THMC.

This poker.pro live reporter actually wrote a longer piece about said event, which can be read by clicking here.

The players are now on the second 25-minute break of the day. Below are the three biggest stacks in the room as of now.

A while ago, a big hand played out at Table 25. While this live reporter unfortunately missed the action, photographer Damian Nigro was able to catch most of the action. It was a four-way all-in pre-flop, with John Friel having all his opponents covered.

John Friel: A♠K♣
Player A: Q♠Q♣
Player B: 8♠8♦
Player C: A♥Q♥

The board spelled out A♣10♠K♠2♣2♠, and Friel was able to send three opponents to the rail.

John Friel: 188,500

Action folded to “Mr. X” in the Cut-off, who opened to 2,000. Matthew Gold (Button) and Wei-Wei Jiang (Small Blind) both made the call.

All three players checked the 10♦2♠8♠ flop. Jiang then bet 2,000 on the 3♦ turn, only to be faced with an 8,000 raise from “Mr. X”. Gold siwftly folded before Jiang made the call.

Jiang checked the wet 10♠ river, and “Mr. X” sized up to 16,000. Jiang didn’t ponder too long before making the call.

“Mr. X”: K♦7♥
Wei-Wei Jiang: 10♥9♦

Jiang took down the pot with trip tens.

Wei-Wei Jiang: 103,000
“Mr. X”: 32,500

The “Results” tab has now been updated with the results from yesterday’s £150 Friday Night Deepstack. Check it out to see how your friend(s) did.

Day 1d is, of course, the fourth starting-day flight of the £280 Main Event. In total, there are eight starting-day flights (counting the rake-free Flip & Go flight). Below are the top five stacks who’ve made it into Day 2 so far through Day 1a, 1b, and 1c.

Seated UTG, David Phelan opened to a considerable 3,200. Action folded to “Mr. X”, who moved all in for 11,000 from the Button. When it was back to Phelan, he made the call.

David Phelan: K♠Q♥
“Mr. X”: Q♣J♣

“Diamond-diamond,” “Mr. X” urged the runout to be as he witnessed the 10♦4♦2♦ flop. The Poker Gods didn’t hear his prayers; the board instead completed with 10♠3♣, and “Mr. X” bullet came to an end, courtesy of Phelan.

David Phelan: 66,000
“Mr. X”: 0

Below is the first batch of photos from Day 1d of the £280 Main Event.

The number of entries in Day 1d is going up at a rapid rate, and some more noteworthy names have joined the field. I did another browse on The Hendon Mob.

It’s the first 15-minute break of the day, and I managed to identify some of the biggest stacks in the room. Just as expected, Mohamed Ramadan is the current chip leader.

Action folded to Kevin Edwards, who limped 500 from the Cut-off. Madalin Costin didn’t allow it and put in a 1,500 raise from the Button. Robert Stafford called from the Small Blind, and Edwards also joined in on the fun.

Check-check prior to Costin continuing for 2,100 on the 10♦K♦2♣ flop. Stafford made the call before Edwards mucked. Both players checked the 10♥ turn. Stafford completed the check trifecta on the 8♥ river, and then called a 2,300 bet from Costin.

Costin revealed his K♠6♠ holdings, which were deemed the winning hand.

Robert Stafford: 61,000
Madalin Costin: 50,000

Mohamed Ramadan has had a crazy start to Day 1d. Together with Michail Damoulis, he was the biggest stack at Table 26, both contestants playing around 70,000 each.

During the last level with blinds 200/300, Damoulis opened to 900 from the Lo-jack. Ramadan three-bet to 4,000 from the Hi-jack, and when action came back to Damoulis, he made the call.

Damoulis checked the 9♣J♦2♦ flop; “Let it rip,” Ramadan must’ve been thinking, as he moved all in for perhaps 75,000, having his opponent just covered. Damoulis smelled something was off, and he decided to make the call after some consideration.

Mohamed Ramadan: A♦A♠
Michail Damoulis: K♣9♣

The runout didn’t help Damoulis, and as his first bullet came to an end, Ramadan is the current chip leader by some margin.

Mohamed Ramadan: 148,000
Michail Damoulis: 0

Seated UTG+1, Ryan Johnson limped the Big Blind, and Martin Kalinov followed. Claire Taylor then raised to 900, and both of her opponents made the call.

Action was checked to Taylor on the K♥9♦5♠ flop, and she continued for another 900. Johnson made the call before Kalinov decided to fold.

On the 2♣ turn, Johnson check-called a 3,500 bet from Taylor. The river was the 9♣; after double-checking his holdings and counting his stack, Johnson now decided to move all in for 22,700. A troubled Taylor contemplated a call for perhaps one minute before deciding to muck her hand.

Ryan Johnson: 41,000
Calira Taylor: 28,700

During this earlier stage of Day 1d, I browsed the players’ profiles on The Hendon Mob and tried to identify some of the most prominent players as of now.

Day 1d of the £280 has officially started. The presumptions are the same as for all starting-day flights: late registration is open until the conclusion of Level 10, and play will conclude when 15 % of the field remains. Those who make it through to Day 2 will all be in the money.

Welcome, all, to the sixth and second-to-last day of the 2025 THMC London. With Day 1d and Day 1e of the £280 Main Event on today’s schedule, this is destined to be the busiest day of the entire festival.

This live reporter just arrived at Genting Casino Stratford, preparing mentally and physically for the 1d coverage. So far, 31 players have advanced to Day 2 from the combined Day 1a, 1b, and 1c. I’d be surprised if they don’t get accompanied by at least 30 more players today.

Check out today’s full schedule below; the blog will go live in roughly 30 minutes for Day 1d.

2025 THMC London – December 6 Schedule

Day 1c of the £280 Main Event attracted 86 entries. Below are the chip counts for those 13 players who made it through to Day 2.

Day 1b of the £280 Main Event scored 65 entries. Below are the chip counts for those 10 people who made it through to Day 2.

At Table 19, Matthew Skeadas opened to 12,000 from the Hi-jack. Antonis Poulengeris (Cut-off) and “Mr. X” both made the call.

“Mr. X” checked the 2♣7♥Q♣ flop, and Skeadas fired an 18,000 continuation bet. Poulengeris announced a raise to 45,500; “Mr. X” quickly got out of the way, but Skeadas made the call.

Skeadas checked the 8♦ turn, and Poulengeris wasted little time before moving all in for 100,000. Without hesitation, Skeadas made the call.

Antonis Poulengeris: 10♥4♥
Matthew Skeadas: Q♠J♣

Poulengeris’ move didn’t work, and he was drawing dead. I didn’t catch the river card, but it obviously had no impact on the outcome.

The reason I missed the card was that I also kept a close eye on the action at Table 18. Albano Dyrmishi had limped UTG, and Stewart Kirby had then moved all in for 87,000 from the Small Blind. Giuseppe Cerri then re-shoved from the Big Blind for 126,000. Dyrmishi folded, and the two contestants turned over their hole cards.

Stewart Kirby: 7♠7♥
Giuseppe Cerri: K♥K♦

No luck for Kirby as the board spelled out 4♥A♠4♣K♦5♥, and as such, Kirby was eliminated in eleventh place. This all meant that hand-by-hand play was skipped entirely, and the remaining 10 players all received a Day 2 bag.

While that wraps up today’s live coverage, stay tuned for the chip counts from Day 1b, which I will upload as fast as possible.

Matthew Skeadas: 363,500
Giuseppe Cerri: 223,000
Stewart Kirby: 0
Antonis Poulengeris: 0

UTG, Yixuan Xu moved all in for 46,000. Action folded all the way to Anooj Sareen, who made the call from the Big Blind.

Yixuan Xu: K♦4♦
Anooj Sareen: A♠K♣

Just like last time, Xu again put on his coat and prepared to exit the tournament area. The trick didn’t work this time, though; big slick was deemed the best hand as the board pronounced Q♥6♠10♥10♣8♥, and Xu went out in thirteenth place.

Anooj Sareen: 225,000
Yixuan Xu: 0

Albano Dyrmishi min-raised to 10,000 UTG. Action eventually came to Yixuan Xu, who moved all in for 23,000. Back to Dyrmishi, who was priced in to make the call.

Yixuan Xu: A♣K♦
Albano Dyrmishi: 2♠2♦

Xu immediately rose from his chair and started putting on his jacket; the ol’ trick never fails, and he connected his king on the K♠5♣5♦ flop. I was a little bit concerned for his sake when he sat back down before the runout, but the Poker Gods let him go with a warning; the board completed with 7♥4♠, and he doubled through Dyrmishi.

Yixuan Xu: 58,500
Albano Dyrmishi: 57,000

I just had to ask Stephen O’Keeffe if there’s an interesting story behind his half pool ball with the number 11 on it. He told me the card protector cost $11, but the shipping cost from the States set him back another $65. His birthday is February eleventh, hence the number 11.

He also told me that he once lost his lucky charm during a poker tournament in the Caribbean. Four months later, an acquaintance approached him during a poker tournament in London, asked, “Is this yours?” and reached over the accessory. He’s been reunited with the 50 % ball since then, and time will tell if it will guide him to his first THMC trophy.

Stephen O’Keeffe: 305,000

Action folded to “Mr. X,” who moved all in for what looked to be 52,000 from the Cut-off. Seated right next to him, Anooj Sareen decided to make the call from the Button. The remaining players all got out of the way.

“Mr. X”: A♦Q♠
Anooj Sareen: A♥10♥

“Mr. X” was way ahead, but Sareen didn’t seem to worry. Perhaps, he can see into the future; he hit trips as the board spelled out 8♠7♥6♦10♠10♦, and “Mr. X” was sent to the rail.

Anooj Sareen: 232,000
“Mr. X”: 0

Below are the pictures from Day 1c of the £280 Main Event.

It’s the third break of the day, and presumably the last. The players will soon return to Level 13; below are the five biggest stacks in the room as of now.

“Mr. X”, who potentially is the current chip leader, made it 8,000 from the Hi-jack. Lee Blackburn then three-bet to 23,000 from the Big Blind. “Mr. X” wasted little time forcing his opponent all in for roughly 75,000, and Blackburn made the call faster than the speed of lightning.

“Mr. X”: 10♦10♥
Lee Blackburn: A♣K♦

It was a classic coinflip situation, and the pocket pair was still ahead on the 6♦Q♥3♦ flop. Blackburn was sad not to connect as the board finished with 2♠J♥; gracious in defeat, he wished the remaining players the best of luck, before leaving the tournament area.

“Mr. X”: 362,000
Lee Blackburn: 0

Seated UTG, “Mr. X” min-raised to 6,000. Albano Dyrmishi made the call from the Hi-jack, prior to “Mr. Y” moving all in for 22,000. “I’ll call you later, bye,” “Mr. X” said as he hung up his phone. He asked for the county, then re-shoved for perhaps 200,000, enough to scare Dyrmishi away.

“Mr. Y”: K♦3♦
“Mr. X”: A♣A♦

“Ai-yaah!” “Mr. Y” gasped as he saw what he was up against. No dice on the 2♠7♣3♠10♦6♣ runout, and yet another player bit the dust.

“Mr. X”: 260,000
“Mr. Y”: 0

“Mr. X” decided to limp the 3,000 Big Blind from UTG. Action eventually came around to Angel Popov, who moved all in for 31,500 from the Button. Back to “Mr. X,” who made the call after not too much consideration.

Angel Popov: A♣5♦
“Mr. X”: 8♠8♣

Popov was drawing slim, and he didn’t improve his hand as the board spelled out 4♦9♥Q♦7♥2♠.

“Mr. X”: 111,000
Angel Popov: 0

Seated UTG, Antonis Poulengeris min-raised to 6,000. Sebastian Smith (UTG+2) and “Mr. X” (Big Blind) both decided to join in on the fun.

Action kicked off with a good ol’ check-check-check on the A♥5♦3♦ flop. “Mr. X” then opted for a 3,500 bet on the 4♥ turn, a bet which was called by both of his opponents.

“Mr. X” checked the dripping wet 3♥ river, prior to Poulengeris putting out a 5,000 bet. Smith made the call in a heartbeat before “Mr. X” mucked his hand.

Antonis Poulengeris: A♦J♥
Sebastian Smith: A♠Q♣

No flush, straight, or full house for either player, and with a superior kicker, the pot had Smith’s name on it.

Sebastian Smith: 118,000
Antonis Poulengeris: 116,000

Level 10 has concluded, and with that, registration is now closed for Day 1b. Since the flight scored 65 entries and 15 % will make Day 2 (and be in the money), 10 players will advance to Day 2.

Day 1c is currently on Level 3, with 48 entries so far.

As the conclusion of late registration is approaching, this live reporter has identified some new notable names in the field.

UTG+2, Marcus Jones min-raised to 3,000. Louis Francis (Big Blind) was the sole caller.

Both players decided to check the unapologetical 2♥6♣3♣ flop. Francis dipped his toes in the water with a 3,000 bet on the 5♠ turn, and Jones decided to stick around. The dealer revealed the 9♥ river, and Francis now sized up to 12,000. While Jones contemplated his decision, I exchanged a few words with Stephen O’Keeffe, asking him if he enjoyed his final table performance on the £1,500 Main Event during the 2025 WSOP Circuit Nottingham a few weeks ago. Right when we ended our little chat, Jones made the call.

Louis Francis: Q♥8♦
Marcus Jones: A♠10♣

An impressive call with ace high from the good lad, who took down the pot. Level 10, i.e., the last level of late registration, is just about to commence.

Louis Francis: 115,000
Marcus Jones: 84,000

Below is the first batch of photos from Day 1b.

By clicking “Results”, you’ll be able to see all results from all the events that have been/will be played during the 2025 THMC London. Also, make sure to read yesterday’s recap of the £200 Opener, which Joseph Saunders won.

While today’s live blog will focus on Day 1b (where, by the way, late registration is open for two more levels), it’s worth mentioning that Day 1c is just about to start. Friday night at London’s finest poker venue, 1c is destined to be one of the bigger starting-day flights.

Players, be aware that the chip counts from all starting-day flights will be posted on poker.pro as soon as possible.

The players are now on the second 25-minute break of the day. They will soon return and commence play on Level 9. Below are the five biggest stacks in the room as of now.

There’s no reason to be sad that this is the last THMC of 2025. Of course, the much-appreciated live poker event will return next year, both in the form of standalone festivals, but also in conjunction with other events.

There will be several tournaments in 2026, but the only one announced so far is the €350 THMC, which will be part of the 2026 Irish Poker Open. The festival will be held from March 26 to April 6, with Day 1 of the THMC scheduled for March 31. The affair will conclude on Day 2, April 1.

I remember being on-site at the Royal Dublin Society this year to watch the exciting conclusion. The tournament scored 888 entries, and it was very close; the first-ever female THMC winner was crowned, as well as experienced Charlie Waters, who finished second. She got €40,000, which was actually the biggest cash prize, as she and her opponent made a heads-up deal.

Will the ongoing THMC London perhaps see a woman lift the coveted Main Event trophy for a first time?

Seated in the Lo-jack, Raafat El Sharawi decided to limp the 1,000 Big Blind. Albano Dyrmishi wouldn’t allow it, though, as he put in a 4,000 raise from the Hi-jack. Action eventually folded back to El Sharawi, who decided to make the call.

Both players checked the 7♣10♦6♣ flop. El Sharawi bet 5,000 on the 8♥ turn, and Dyrmishi made the call. Action went check-check on the A♠ river.

Raafat El Sharawi: 8♣5♣
Albano Dyrmishi: 10♥10♣

This reporter had to look at the board three times before I realized Sharawi didn’t have a straight. As such, the pot was awarded to Dyrmishi.

Albano Dyrmishi: 56,000
Raafat El Sharawi: 43,500

In the most recent post, I reported on a hand including a player named Michael Moore. I was disappointed to see that it, in fact, wasn’t the movie director with the same name. It got me thinking, though, what prominent actors and movie directors have dabbled in various games? Considering this is THMC, I wanted to see if I could find any interesting profiles on The Hendon Mob.

Ben Affleck, known for movies such as Good Will Hunting and Batman, is a stellar example. He won the $10,000 California State Championship back in 2004, but has no registered results after that.

Matt Damon has one official result on his profile. In a poker context, he’s best known for playing Mike McDermott in “Rounders”, by many considered the best poker film out there. He also played the 2009 WSOP Main Event, where his acting with a full house was mediocre at best.

Tobey Maguire, known for Spider-Man, is allegedly a decent player in the private Hollywood High Stakes Games. His Hendon Mob profile suggests he knows what he’s doing at the poker tables.

Then, of course, we have my favorite character in all of TV, Jason Alexander. Known for playing George Costanza in Seinfeld, Alexander’s most recent result came back in 2024. My poker coach actually played with Alexander once, who said when he sat down at the table, “Just so you guys know, I’m really not that funny.”

The list can potentially be made even longer, but the moral of the story here is that The Hendon Mob is one cool database, including historic results from players known well outside the poker scene.

Action folded to “Mr. X,” who opened to 1,300 from the Lo-jack. Michael Moore (Cut–off) and George Demetriou (Button) both decided to make the call.

“Two sharks and one fish,” “Mr. X” joked as he was first to act on the 9♠3♣J♦ flop. He decided on a 2,200, and both his opponents called. Action went check-check-check on the 7♣ turn, and “Mr. X” then bet 3,600 on the K♥ river. Moore made the call in a heartbeat, before Demetriou decided to fold.

“Queen high,” “Mr. X” laughed as he urged Moore to show his hand. Being a good sport, Moore turned over K♦J♠ for two pairs and was awarded the pot.

Michael Moore: 68,000
George Demetriou: 48,000
“Mr. X”: 31,000

The players are now on the first break of the day, and they’ll soon commence play on Level 5. I tried to identify the biggest stacks in the room.

After some initial opening and calling from various players, Serhii Lubyk moved all in for 8,300 from the Hi-jack. Seated right next to him, Barry Sweeney re-shoved for 25,000 from the Cut-off. The remaining players all got out of the way.

Serhii Lubyk: A♥4♦
Barry Sweeney: Q♠Q♥

Sweeney was ahead, and no dice for Lubyk as the board spelled out K♥K♠5♦2♦9♥. Lubyk’s tournament life came to an end, and time will tell if he decides to re-enter (available until the end of Level 10).

Barry Sweeney: 34,200
Serhii Lubyk: 0