2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester

PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty opened to 12,000 UTG. 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester £500 Main Event champion Deniz Orhan then moved all in for 104,000 from the Hi-jack. Henry Owen contemplated a move from the Small Blind, but eventually decided to let his hand go. Hardisty, though, made the call.

Deniz Orhan: A♣Q♠
Rebecca Hardisty: A♠J♠

Orhan was looking good for a full double-up, but poker can be a brutal game at times. He maintained his lead on the 6♠8♦2♣ flop, and on the 3♦ turn. The J♣ river granted Hardisty the win, though, and Orhan was eliminated in twenty-sixth place.

Rebecca Hardisty: 390,000
Deniz Orhan: 0

Action folded to short-stacked Elliot Anthonioz, who moved all in for 55,000 from the Small Blind. “First one is good,” Karl Roberts said to Anthonioz, as he looked at one of his first hole cards. “It’s a call,” he said after seeing the other one, and made the call from the Big Blind.

Elliot Anthonioz: Q♥2♦
Karl Roberts: J♥J♠

The fishhooks of Roberts were unthreatened as the board spelled out 6♣7♣10♦3♣5♣. Anthonioz was eliminated, and Roberts’ stack is the biggest one we’ve seen in the £150 Mini Main Event in Manchester so far this year.

Karl Roberts: 766,000
Elliot Anthonioz: 0

The board read 2♦4♣K♠7♠ with 32,000 in the middle. PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty (Small Blind) bet 15,000, and was then faced with a 40,000 raise from Csaba Kovacs (UTG). Faster than the speed of Lewis Hamilton, Hardisty then moved all in for 211,000. After twisting and turning in his chair for a minute, Kovacs let his hand go. Being a good sport, Hardisty revealed her K♦7♦ holdings. Kovacs told this reporter he folded A♥K♣.

Hardisty and PartyPoker Team Pro Jaime Staples are the two players left in the field wearing the PartyPoker patch in an official capacity.

Rebecca Hardisty: 278,000
Csaba Kovacs: 175,000

Connor Butt opened to 11,000 on the Button. Seated in the Big Blind, Antony Horn was the sole caller.

Both players checked the J♠8♦9♥ flop. Horn dipped his toes in the waters with a 14,000 bet on the Q♥ turn, and Butt made the call. Horn checked the 4♠ river and was then faced with a 24,000 bet from Butt. After spending a minute or two in the tank, Horn made the call for a big chunk of his stack.

Connor Butt: A♥7♥
Antony Horn: 9♣6♠

Butt shared a nod of approval to his opponent; quite the call from Horn. Hats off.

Connor Butt: 450,000
Antony Horn: 167,000

The remaining 35 players in Day 1d of the £150 Mini Main Event are now on the final break of the day. Below are the current biggest stacks.

Action folded to PartyPoker Team Pro Jaime Staples, who open-shoved 58,000 on the Button. Having Staples just covered, Anthony Lui re-shoved from the Small Blind. The two contestants were soon heads-up to the flop.

Jaime Staples: 4♥4♦
Anthony Lui: A♠Q♣

Staples maintained his lead on the J♠K♣7♦ flop, but boy, was it a scary one. Status quo on the 6♦, and Staples ultimately sealed the deal on the 4♦ river.

Jaime Staples: 124,000
Anthony Lui: 3,000

Seated UTG, Samuel Wicks opened to 11,000 UTG. Connor Butt made it 33,000 from the Cut-off, and Wicks made the call.

Wicks check-called 18,000 from Butt on the 10♠5♦2♥ flop. Action repeated itself on the 5♣ turn, the only difference being that the sizing from Butt now was 42,000. Both players checked the A♠ river.

Samuel Wicks: J♠J♥
Connor Butt: K♣K♦

“At least the ace saved you,” Butt told Wicks. Wicks concurred.

Connor Butt: 390,000
Samuel Wicks: 129,000

Seated UTG, Deniz Orhan limped the 3,000 Big Blind. Wing Ko (Lo-jack), Anthony Lui (Button), and Jonathan Anderson (Small Blind) all made the call before Csaba Kovacs checked his Big Blind.

After an initial check from Anderson, Kovacs bet 8,000 on the 3♣8♣2♣ flop. This poker.pro live reporter was somewhat surprised to see Orjan, Ko, and Lui make the call. Kovacs then checked the Q♥ turn, allowing Orhan to bet 26,000. This time, Ko was the only one who decided to stick around, as she made the call. Orhan and Ko then both checked the J♣ river.

Deniz Orhan: 6♣5♣
Wing Ko: Q♣Q♠

The dealer pushed the chips towards Ko; Orhan meant they belonged to him as he had a flush. He was made aware that Ko didn’t only have a set, but a superior flush.

Wing Ko: 300,000
Deniz Orhan: 155,000

Michael Meade (whom this poker.pro live reporter shared a drink with last night) opened to 7,000 from the Cut-off. Emmanuel Mulemwa three-bet to 25,000 from the Small Blind, and then called a 55,000 shove from Meade.

Michael Meade: A♥Q♣
Emmanuel Mulemwa: K♦J♣

Meade was ahead, although not by much. He sighed as he witnessed the K♥4♣6♦ flop. No dice on the 3♣4♠ runout, and all his chips went the way of Mulemwa.

Emmanuel Mulemwa: 160,000
Michael Meade: 0

It has been announced that 22 players (i.e., 15% of the field) will advance to Day 2.

Csaba Kovacs told this poker.pro live reporter about a big hand that played out a few minutes ago at Table 14.

Wing Ko opened to 5,000 UTG by putting out a 5,000 chip. Angela Rogan (Cut-off) wasn’t aware of the action and put out the same chip, announcing, “Raise”. As such, she was forced to do a minimum raise to 7,500. Seated right next to her on the Button, Csaba Kovacs made it 20,500. Rogan was the sole caller.

First to act, Rogan checked the J♥5♦8♦ flop. Kovacs bet 21,000, and Rogan then completed a check-raise move to 55,000. Kovacs proceeded by moving all in for 150,000, having Rogan just covered. Rogan made the call.

Csaba Kovacs: A♥A♦
Angela Rogan: 8♣5♣

Kovacs was in rough shape. It wasn’t much consolation for him that Deniz Orhan confessed to folding J♣J♠ in the Small Blind. Still, though, miracles can happen. The J♦ river saw Kovacs improving to a better two-pair, and with the K♠ river, he sent Rogan to the rail, while he now is one of the bigger stacks.

Csaba Kovacs: 340,000
Angela Rogan: 0

Emmanuel Mulemwa, who final tabled the £500 Main Event during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield, opened to 5,000 from UTG+1. Jack Hoyle three-bet to 15,000 from the Hi-jack, and was then faced with a 57,000 four-bet from Mulemwa. Hoyle five-bet shoved for 96,000, and Mulemwa made the call.

Jack Hoyle: J♣J♥
Emmanuel Mulemwa: A♠Q♠

It was a classic coin flip confrontation. Hoyle maintained his lead on the 6♣3♣5♣ flop, and on the 7♣ turn, the only thing Mulemwa could do was pray for a chop with a straight flush. The 6♥ brought no such kind of scenario, and Hoyle doubled up.

Jack Hoyle: 198,000
Emmanuel Mulemwa: 85,500

Seated UTG+1, Amir Kamal decided to limp the 2,000 Big Blind. Chenyi Lyu made the call from the Small Blind before Guang Yang made it 12,000 from the Big Blind. Kamir then moved all in for 55,000; Lyu folded before Yang snap-called.

Amir Kamal: J♥
Guang Yang: A♣K♣

Yang was ahead, but Kamal claimed the driver’s seat on the 10♠2♥2♦ flop. Kamal, however, improved to a superior pair on the K♦ turn, and the 7♥ river didn’t help Kamal.

Guang Yang: 125,000
Amir Kamal: 0

Play has resumed in Day 1d of the £150 Main Event after the 45-minute dinner break. Late registration is now closed; the flight scored 147 entries.

One of those who registered in the eleventh hour was PartyPoker Team Pro Jaime Staples. He just doubled up through PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong. Speaking of ambassadors, Rebecca Hardisty is back in the mix, after her first bullet came to an end.

It’s time for the 45-minute dinner break, which is the last window for late registration. Day 1d has already become the biggest starting-day flights of this year’s edition, and the £50,000 guarantee has been reached. Below are the 10 biggest stacks that this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify at this stage.

Fucheng Zhang opened to 3,600 UTG. Jack Hoyle (UTG+1) and Connor Butt (Button) both made the call.

Hoyle and Butt both called the 5,000 continuation bet from Zhang on the 2♦10♥3♠ flop. Zhang sized up to 15,000 on the K♦ turn; after a fold from Hoyle, Butt made the call. Zhang slowed down and checked the 7♦ river. Butt forced his opponent all in for 30,000 on the dot. After some consideration, Zhang decided to let his hand go.

Connor Butt: 113,000
Fucheng Zhang: 30,000

Seated UTG, Caroline Cove limped the 1,200 Big Blind. Amir Kamal made it 3,000 from the Hi-jack, and Cove made the call.

Cove checked in the dark prior to the dealer revealing the 4♥3♥J♠ flop. “I’ll give you the rest,” Cove told Kamal after he bet 6,000, and moved all in for 23,300. Kamal snap-called.

Caroline Cove: 5♦4♣
Amir Kamal: A♥K♣

Cove was ahead, but when Kamal improved to a pair on the K♥ turn, she rose from her chair, getting ready to leave. “Oh, never mind, I’ll stay,” she smiled as she saw the 4♦ river. What a way to extend one’s tournament life!

Caroline Cove: 55,300
Amir Kamal: 30,000

Henry Owen made it 2,500 UTG. PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong made the call on the Button before James Riley three-bet to 8,500 from the Small Blind. Owen and Acheampong both made the call.

All three players checked the 4♠9♥7♥ flop. On the 4♥ turn, Riley and Owen checked it over to Acheampong, who bet 5,000. Riley made the call before Owen folded, and Riley checked again on the K♥ river, and then snap-called 10,000 from Acheampong.

Sam Acheampong: 10♥9♣
James Riley: A♥K♣

With the nut flush, Riley took some chips from Acheampong.

James Riley: 101,500
Sam Acheampong: 58,000

Sean Swimby made it 4,000 UTG. Tom Harold (Cut-off) and Henry Owen (Button) both made the call.

Swimby continued the action with a 6,500 bet on the A♣9♥5♠ flop. After a fold from Harold, Owen forced his opponent all in for 18,300. Swimby snap-called.

Henry Owen: 8♥7♥
Sean Swimby: A♦K♠

“How have you woken up with a hand?!” Owen couldn’t believe it. “Six!” Owen urged the Poker Gods on the Q♣ turn. His prayers were not answered; the J♦ river secured Swimby a full double-up.

“You should have seen the hands he played the other night,” Owen playfully teased his opponent. “He’s playing the long game!” PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong let out a mighty laugh.

Sean Swimby: 51,300
Henry Owen: 35,700

Sam Acheampong is not the sole PartyPoker Ambassador in the field anymore, seeing as Rebecca Hardisty now also is in the mix.

This poker.pro live reporter decided to check out the stack of Hardisty, but noticed she was involved in a hand. The board read J♦J♠2♦ with 8,000 in the middle. Kristian Grau (UTG) had checked it over to Hardisty (UTG+1), who bet 6,000. Grau made the call, and Hardisty wasted zero time before moving all in for 6,800 on the 4♠ turn. After receiving the count, Grau made the call.

Rebecca Hardisty: 7♦7♥
Kristian Grau: 3♠2♠

Hardisty avoided disaster on the K♥ river, and she scored a full double-up.

Sam Acheampong: 68,000
Rebecca Hardisty: 33,000
Kristian Grau: 12,500

Nick Drinkwater min-raised to 1,600 from the Lo-jack. Lynne Beaumont made the call from the Hi-jack before Robin Yeung three-bet to 7,500 from the Big Blind. Both of his opponents made the call.

Yeung wasted little time before moving all in for 18,400 on the 4♥2♦J♥ flop. Drinkwater swiftly mucked; after some consideration, Beaumont made the call, having her opponent at risk.

Robin Yeung: A♥Q♥
Lynne Beaumont: 9♣9♠

Yeung improved to a pair of aces on the A♣ turn, and, for good measure, to a flush on the 5♥ river.

Robin Yeung: 69,500
Lynne Beaumont: 45,000

This poker.pro live reporter took a page from the Deniz Orhan playbook, and ordered Chili Con Carne.

Two-time £60 poker.pro PL H.O.R.S.E. winner Henry Owen opened to 1,600 UTG. Seated right next to him, prominent player Oliver Hutchins three-bet to 5,100. Back to Owen, who made it 12,000, and Hutchins made the call.

Owen continued for 7,000 on the 7♠J♦8♥ flop, and Hutchins swiftly folded.

Henry Owen: 84,500
Oliver Hutchins: 26,500

It’s time for the first 15-minute break of the day. Below are some of the biggest stack in the room that this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify.

Elliot Lythgoe opened to 1,400 from the Lo-jack and was faced with a 4,000 three-bet from Elliot Anthonioz (Hi-jack). Warris cold-called on the Button, and Lythgoe joined in on the fun.

All three players checked the J♠J♥A♥ flop. Lythgoe then bet 12,500 on the 8♣ turn, and Anthonioz swiftly folded. Warris met the gaze of Lythgoe and shared a cheeky smile. “Well, that didn’t work,” Warris said, folding K♠K♥. As he was raking in the chips, Lythgoe claimed that he had pocket queens. “I got away cheap,” Anthonioz stated.

Asif Warris: 67,500
Elliot Lythgoe: 56,000
elliot Anthonioz: 37,300

Seated UTG+1, Mihail Zglavoci limped the 400 Big Blind. So did Jason Hayzeldan (Button) and Scott Murphy (Small Blind), before Thales Salomao checked his Big Blind.

All four contestants checked the 9♦Q♦K♣ flop. After an initial check from Murphy, Salomao bet 700 on the A♠ turn, a bet which Hayzeldan and Murphy both called. All three players then checked the 9♠ river. Salomao immediately mucked his cards.

Scott Murphy: J♦3♥
Jason Heyzeldan: 6♦4♦

Murphy did not expect to claim the pot with jack high; the players at the table chuckled.

Scott Murphy: 46,000
Jason Heyzeldan: 44,000
Thales Salomao: 40,000

The board read 4♥3♣8♠9♠ with 6,000 in the middle. Deniz Orhan (Small Blind) checked it over to Alexander Brett (Big Blind) who bet a hefty 15,000.

“I’m thinking of shoving here,” Orhan warned his opponent. He contemplated his decision for a couple of seconds. “You show if I fold?” he asked Brett. Brett declined, and Orhan decided to let his hand go, revealing his 7♦4♦. “I’m winning,” he asked his opponent, between the lines, whether he would have forced a fold out of Brett.

Alexander Brett: 52,500
Deniz Orhan: 46,500

Some recognizable faces in the field include PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong, 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester £500 Main Event winner Deniz Orhan, and two-time £60 poker.pro PL H.O.R.S.E. winner Henry Owen.

Seated UTG+1, Jermaine Queeley opened to 600. Louis Duffy decided to defend his Big Blind.

Both players checked the 4♣6♥8♥ flop, and Queeley then called 400 from Duffy on the 2♠ turn. Duffy bet 1,200 on the 10♠ river, and Queeley made the call.

Duffy tabled 10♥9♣; it’s an educated guess Queeley was ahead until the river.

Louis Duffy: 55,500
Jermaine Queeley: 11,200

2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester £500 Main Event champion Deniz Orhan min-raised to 400 from UTG+1. Alexander Brett (Hi-jack), Oliver Dodd (Button), and Roddy McDonald (Small Blind) all made the call.

After an initial check from McDonald on the A♣Q♠9♦ flop, Orhan continued for 900. Dodd was the sole caller, and the dealer soon revealed the 6♣ turn. Orhan now check-called 2,500 from Dodd, then check-folded to a 7,000 bet on the J♥ river.

Denizz Orhan: 52,500
Oliver Dodd: 28,000

Relatively short-stacked Elliot Lythgoe opened to 700 from the Lo-jack. Seated in the Big Blind, Michael Hill was the sole caller.

Hill checked the A♦10♣J♣ flop, and Lythgoe continued for 1,200. Hill then completed a check-raise move to 3,500.

“I run inte ace-king again?” Lythgoe monologued. “I’m folding eights, you know,” he told Hill, as his cards hit the muck.

From the looks of it, it seems like the majority of Lythgoe’s starting stack has gone to Justin Devonport.

Justin Devonport: 110,000
Michael Hill: 46,000
Elliot Lythgoe: 9,300

Day 4 of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester is here, and right now, today’s action is about to kick off with Day 1d of the £150 Mini Main Event.

Today’s gonna be a juicy one, seeing as a lot of familiar faces are confirmed to arrive at Manchester235 Casino. For starters, PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong is in the building; while he hasn’t registered for Day 1d yet, it would be very surprising if he doesn’t decide to play. Fellow Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty and PartyPoker Team Pros Matt Staples and Jaime Staples might take a shot at glory today as well.

Familiar faces on Day 1d from the get-go include mother-and-son duo, Angela Rogan and Darach Rogan. Roughly one month ago, the two of them captured one trophy each at the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester; Angela won the €250 Mystery Bounty, while Darach emerged victorious in the €150 NLH (Sponsored by Faded Spade).

Press here to read an article about Angela Rogan’s fascinating life- and poker journey.

Overall, today’s schedule is the busiest of the festival thus far. The £60 poker.pro PL Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw should be an interesting side event.

2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester – Tuesday, July 16, Schedule

Day 1c of the £150 Mini Main Event attracted 114 entries. Below are the chip counts of those 17 who made it through to Day 2.

UTG, Mark Lang opened to 24,000. Seated right next to him, Benjamin Liu three-bet to 72,000 from UTG+1. Action eventually folded back to Lang, who moved all in for 74,000. Naturally, Liu added 2,000 to make the call.

Mark Lang: 8♦8♠
Benjamin Liu: K♣Q♣

“Flip city,” one of the other players at the table stated. This poker.pro live reporter couldn’t have said it better himself. Liu took the lead on the Q♠9♥2♦ flop, and Lang wasn’t able to catch up on the 4♠9♠ runout. As such, Lang became the unfortunate bubble boy, and the remaining 17 players bagged their chips.

That wraps up today’s live coverage from the £150 Mini Main Event. Stay tuned, though, as the full chip counts from Day 1c will be posted shortly. Tomorrow’s coverage will kick off at 14:00 with Day 1d; see you all then.

Benjamin Liu: 478,000
Mark Lang: 0

Action folded to Matthew Cornes, who min-raised to 16,000 on the Button. Daniel Ryder then moved all in for 170,000 from the Small Blind. Much to the surprise of some of the other players at the table, Ali Mallu cold-called from the Big Blind. Within a split second, Cornes then re-shoved for 448,000, and the spectators let out a collective, “What’s going on?” After some consideration, Mallu surrendered his hand, leaving Ryder and Cornes heads-up to the flop.

Daniel Ryder: K♣K♠
Matthew Cornes: Q♥Q♠

“Wow,” Cornes said; he couldn’t believe it. “Don’t do it to me,” Ryder was praying. He felt more relaxed on the K♥2♠4♠ flop, and the 6♠4♦ runout saw him trippling up.

Daniel Ryder: 576,000
Ali Mallu: 410,000
Matthew Cornes: 278,000

Ali Mallu has been opening big all day, and he decided to continue with this demeanor. He made it 24,000 from the Cut-off before Matas Gerdziunas moved all in for 108,000 from the Big Blind. “Okay, give me an eight,” Mallu requested to the dealer, and made the call.

Matas Gerdziunas: K♣K♠
Ali Mallu: 8♦8♣

The Poker Gods heard Mallu’s prayers and delivered the 4♠8♥9♥ flop. The 4♣Q♠ runout meant Gerdziunas was eliminated in nineteenth place, and as such, hand-for-hand play has commenced on the bubble with eighteen players left. “Will I bubble again?” Jake George asked this poker.pro live reporter, referring to when he bubbled not one, but two £150 Mini Main Event starting-day flights during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield. Dear God, don’t let that happen.

Ali Mallu: 590,000
Matas Gerdziunas: 0

Joseph Houghton opened to 12,000 from the Hi-jack before Khayri Fazzani moved all in for 73,000 from the Cut-off. Benjamin Liu re-shoved 185,000 on the Button; after some consideration, Hughton let his hand go.

Khayri Fazzani: K♥9♥
Joseph Houghton: A♥J♥

It was an all-hearts affair, and Fazzani drew the shortest straw on the 3♠9♣A♣2♥Q♥ board.

Benjamin Liu: 283,000
Khayri Fazzani: 0

Action folded to Kevin Remeile, who open-shoved 105,000 on the Button. Seated in the Big Blind, Mark Lang made the call, being the player at risk with 40,000.

Kevin Remeile: 7♣5♣
Mark Lang: Q♥J♦

“There’s always a sweat,” Lang said as the dealer revealed the 10♠K♣7♦ flop. Remeile maintained his lead on the 5♦ turn, but Lang secured the win with a straight on the 9♥ river.

Mark Lang: 87,000
Kevin Remeile: 65,000

Seated on the Button, Reece Aimson opened to 10,000. After counting out his stack, Kin-Hang Man moved all in for 48,000 from the Big Blind. Aimson made the call.

Kin-Hang Man: A♣5♣
Reece Aimson: Q♥9♥

Man didn’t seem thrilled, but he did, in fact, double up as the board spelled out 2♦J♦7♣5♥3♣.

Reece Aimson: 272,000
Kin-Hang Man: 103,000

Zhanxi Mao opened to 10,000 from the Lo-jack. Kevin Remeile made the call from the Hi-jack before Clive Dickinson moved all in for 74,000 from the Cut-off. “Raise, 400,000 or something,” reigning champion Ion Oprea announced from the Big Blind. The remaining players got out of the way; Oprea and Dickinson were heads-up to the flop.

Clive Dickinson: A♠Q♠
Ion Oprea: 10♦10♠

There’s a chance Oprea already was the chip leader, but as he won the flip on the K♣K♦9♦3♦J♣ board, he’s now for sure the biggest stack.

Ion Oprea: 618,000
Clive Dickinson: 0

The remaining 28 Day 1c players are just about to resume play on Level 14. Below are the most significant stacks in the room as of now.

Reigning champion Ion Oprea opened to 9,000 from the Lo-jack. Reece Aimson three-bet to 26,000 from the Hi-jack, and Michael Hutchinson then immediately four-bet shoved for 76,500. Hutchinson met the gaze of this poker.pro live reporter: “Don’t call me an old dog again. Yeah, that’s right, I read the blog,” Hutchinson teased me, referring to an earlier post. Before I had the time to make my case that I only wrote it and that it was, in fact, Adam Cavanaugh who said it, Aimson had already made the call after a fold from Oprea. “Don’t tell me it’s jacks,” Hutchinson sighed. He was about to get disappointed.

Michael Hutchinson: 10♦10♣
Reece Aimson: J♦J♥

Hutchinson didn’t manage to crack the fishhooks of Aimson as the board spelled out 3♥3♠K♥7♠A♥, and Hutchinson was eliminated right before the third break.

Reece Aimson: 290,000
Michael Hutchinson: 0

Seated UTG+1, Matas Gerdziunas open-shoved for 50,000 on the dot. Action folded all the way to Kevin Remeile, who made the call from the Big Blind.

Matas Gerdziunas: Q♦J♦
Kevin Remeile: 7♦7♥

It was a classic coin flip confrontation. Gerdziunas took a solid lead on the Q♣3♦K♣ flop, and Remeile wasn’t able to catch up on the 3♣A♠ runout.

Kevin Remeile: 106,000
Matas Gerdziunas: 102,500

Andreas Olympios opened to 6,000 from UTG+2. Action folded to Daniel Ryder in the Big Blind, who forced his opponent all in for what looked to be 58,000. Olympios made the call without hesitation.

Daniel Ryder: A♦Q♥
Andreas Olympios: K♦K♥

Olympios was looking good for a double-up, and the K♣2♦10♥ flop didn’t make things much worse. Unfortunately for him, though, Ryder improved to a straight on the 4♥J♦ runout, and sent Olympios to the rail.

Daniel Ryder: 122,000
Andreas Olympios: 0

As this poker.pro live reporter was covering the action at another table, reigning £500 Main Event champion Deniz Orhan approached and told the tale of how he busted.

Harley Adams opened to 6,000, and Orhan moved all in for 37,000. Willaims Ro-Shaun committed his 30,000 stack to make the call, and Adams too joined in on the fun.

Deniz Orhan: A♣K♦
Willaims Ro-Shaun: 3♦2♦
Harley Adams: A♦J♦

Despite having the best hand pre-flop, Orhan lost to both opponents on the 9♠A♠3♣2♠J♠ board. Orhan and Ro-Shaun were both eliminated, while Adams added a decent chunk of chips to his already impressive stack.

Harley Adams: 202,000
Deniz Orhan: 0
Willaims Ro-Shaun: 0

It has been confirmed that 17 players will make it through to Day 2.

Level 10 has kicked off, meaning late registration is now closed. Day 1c scored 114 entries, just shy of the 123 that was made during Day 1a.

One of those who jumped into the tournament at the very last minute was Deniz Orhan. Orhan is the reigning £500 Main Event champion here in Manchester, and now, he’s back at Manchester235 Casino, ready to compete for prestigious titles.

Play is just about to resume after the second 15-minute break of the day. Below are the top 10 stacks this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify during the break.

Seated in the Lo-jack, James Normanton opened to 3,500. Matas Gerziunas (Cut-off), Ion Oprea (Small Blind), and Xhonathan Hoxha (Big Blind) all made the call.

After an initial check from Oprea, Hoxha bet 4,000 on the 7♣4♦8♦ flop. What followed was a somewhat rare scenario, seeing as all three of his competitors called. After another Oprea check on the 10♥ turn, Hoxha fired 13,000. This time, Normanton and Gerziunas both folded before Oprea made the call.

Oprea completed the check trifecta on the 4♣ river, and Hoxha then forced his opponent all in for 40,000. Oprea leaned forward and studied the board. After some consideration and monologuing, he made the call.

Xhonathan Hoxha: Q♦5♦
Ion Oprea: J♥8♥

Oprea was thrilled over the call, and he secured quite the decent pot just a few moments before the second 15-minute break.

Ion Oprea: 140,000
Xhonathan Hoxha: 47,500

Reece Aimson opened to 4,000 from the Hi-jack, and Michael Hutchinson decided to defend his Big Blind.

Hutchinson checked the 4♥A♥2♥ flop. “You got a straight flush?” Aimson asked his opponent before checking back. Check-check again on the 7♠ turn. “Now you’ve got to have it!” Aimson joked with Hutchinson as the dealer revealed the 3♥ river. “I have to check,” Hutchinson replied with a cheeky smile, and all the players at the joyful table shared a laugh. After peeking at his hole cards, Hutchinson bet 3,200, and Aimson snap-folded.

For the giggles, Hutchinson tabled K♦6♣, and there was once again laughter all around. “This old dog got some tricks up his sleeve,” table mate Adam Cavanaugh saluted Hutchinson.

Michael Hutchinson: 107,500
Reece Aimson: 36,000

This poker.pro live reporter saw a potentially interesting hand developing at Table 15. Missing the action up until the turn, one of the players at the table not involved in the hand, Elliot Lythgoe, was kind enough to tell the story.

Prominent player Elliot Anthonioz (who came close to bagging in yesterday’s Day 1b flight) opened to 2,500 UTG. Zhanxi Mao made it 6,000 from the Hi-jack, and Anthonioz made the call.

Anthonioz checked the J♦K♣J♥ flop, and Mao continued for 3,500. Anthonioz then completed a check-raise move to 8,000. It didn’t scare Mao; he made the call, and the dealer revealed the 8♥ turn. Action went check-check, and Anthonioz checked once again on the 4♦ river. Mao bet 20,000, and after spending a minute or two in the tank, Anthonioz let his hand go.

Elliot Anthonioz: 96,500
Zhanxi Mao: 65,000

Seated in the Hi-jack, Natan Turner attempted to raise to 2,400. “Attempted” because it was a string bet, and therefore deemed just a call. Perhaps, this was the reason that Kevin Remeile (Button), Wanhan Lee (Small Blind), and Joseph Houghton (Big Blind) all decided to see a flop.

Action was checked to Remeile on the 8♥2♥J♣ flop, who bet 4,500. Wanhan Lee folded, and while the decision was on Houghton, Turner called out of turn. The dealer explained that his action would stand unless Houghton raised. That is what happened: Houghton made it 15,000, which allowed Turner to get out of the way. He did just that, whilst Kevin Remeile decided to force his opponent all in for 59,000. Houghton made the call.

Kevin Remeile: J♦8♣
Joseph Houghton: J♠2♠

An unfortunate scenario for Houghton. Both players improved to a full house on the 6♠J♥ runout, but it was Houghton who waved the white flag.

Kevin Remeile: 118,000
Joseph Houghton: 0

James Normanton opened to 2,500 from UTG+1. Reigning champion Ion Oprea made it 6,700 on the Button before Xhonathan Hoxha four-bet to 16,500 from the Big Blind. Back to Normanton, who five-bet shoved for roughly 100,000. This poker.pro live reporter found it rather anticlimactic as Oprea and Hoxha both mucked.

James Normanton: 118,000
Xhonathan Hoxha: 35,500
Ion Oprea: 35,500

Chip leader Marcus Adams opened to 3,000 from UTG+1. Seated in the Hi-jack, Sean Swimby made it 7,500. Once the remaining competition folded, Adams made the call.

Both players checked the K♥5♦9♠ flop, and the J♦ turn. Adams bet 11,500 on the K♣ river, and Swimby snap-called.

Marcus Adams: K♦J♠
Sean Swimby: 6♥5♥

Two-pair was not enough for Swimby to take from the chip leader. As such, Adams added to his already impressive stack.

Marcus Adams: 188,000
Sean Swimby: 33,500

From afar, this poker.pro journalist sees PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty at the registration desk. She must be tired after the 21-hour all the way from Canada together with PartyPoker Team Pros Jaime Staples and Matt Staples. That doesn’t stop her, though; she is ready to jump into the £60 poker.pro PL H.O.R.S.E. which kicked off roughly 45 minutes ago.

On top of that, it’s Hardisty’s birthday today, so if you see her, salute her.

It’s only the third day of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester; there’s a lot more action to come. The £150 Mini Main Event has always been the most popular tournament of the PartyPoker Tour, and this time will most likely not be an exception. Let’s reminisce and take a look at the final table results from last year’s editon:

Press here to read more about Ion Oprea’s road to the title during the 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester.

Late Night Poker legend/sublime poker player Surinder Sunar is now in Day 1c of the £150 Mini Main Event. With nearly $5,000,000 in total live earnings (The Hendon Mob), he is a force to be reckoned with.

Anthony Mathias opened to 1,100 from UTG+1. Guntis Baumans (Hi-jack), Kevin Remeile (Cut-off), and Sunar (Big Blind) all made the call.

All four contestants checked the J♥K♥Q♦ flop. Action was checked to Remeile on the K♠ turn, who bet 2,400. Mathias was the sole caller. Mathias checked the 7♣, then snap-called a 12,000 bet from Remeile.

Kevin Remeile: 5♥2♠
Anthony Mathias: K♦9♣

Perhaps, Mathias sensed his opponent was deep-sea fishing. Mathias claimed the decently-sized pot.

Anthony Matias: 80,000
Kevin Remeile: 59,500

The players in Day 1c of the £150 Mini Main Event will soon resume play after the first 15-minute break. Below are the five biggest stacks in the room as of now.

Tom Cazaletz opened to 1,100 from the Lo-jack. Matthew Comes (Cut-off) and Masoud Etemadiherisi (Big Blind) both made the call.

All three players checked the 4♣Q♠Q♥ flop. After another check from Etemadiherisi on the J♥ turn, Cazaletz bet 1,500. After a swift fold from Comes, Etemadiherisi made it 3,500. Cazaletz made the call almost instantly.

Etemadiherisi proceeded by betting 8,000 on the 2♠ river. After counting out how much his opponent had behind, Cazaletz raised to hefty 30,000. Etemadiherisi decided not to commit his entire stack to make the call, and threw his cards quickly into the muck.

Tom Cazaletz: 70,000
Masoud Etemadiherisi: 23,000

Elliot Lythgoe opened to 1,300 UTG. Ali Mallu (Lo-jack) and Yu Wu (Big Blind) both made the call.

After an initial check from Wu, Lythgoe continued for 2,500 on the Q♣5♠Q♦ flop. Mallu folded before Wu made the call. Wu then claimed the driver’s seat with a 3,500 bet on the 3♣, a bit that Lythgoe called. Action then went check-check on the A♣ river.

First to show, Wu tabled Q♠10♥, and Lythgoe acknowledged the winning hand.

Yu Wu: 34,000
Elliot Lythgoe: 22,200

Seated UTG, Paul Tinsley limped the 200 Big Blind. Anthony Hitchmough called from the Small Blind, and Adam Cavanaugh checked his Big Blind.

After an initial check from Hitchmough, Cavanaugh bet 600 on the intriguing J♠Q♠10♠ flop. Hitchmough called out of turn, and Tinsley also came along for the ride. Hitchmough checked again on the 5♠ turn; Cavanaugh bet 1,100, Tinsley called, and Hitchmough folded.

Cavanaugh bet 2,500 on the 6♥ turn, and Tinsley called after some consideration.

Adam Cavanaugh: J♥7♠
Paul Tinsley: K♠A♦

Second nut flush was good for Tinsley, and he secured the pot.

Paul Tinsley: 46,000
Adam Cavanaugh: 33,000

Michael Meade (Cut-off) and short-stacked Ion Oprea (Button) got the money in the middle after some unknown pre-flop action. Oprea had maybe 5,000.

Michael Meade: 8♣8♦
Ion Oprea: A♠10♠

Meade didn’t have to improve to a set on the K♣J♥2♣6♣8♠ board, but, hey, for good measure. Oprea’s first bullet came to an end, but he headed for the re-entry desk. His campaign for a second £150 Mini Main Event trophy resumes.

Michael Meade: 49,500
Ion Oprea: 0

Anthony Hitchmough limped the 200 Big Blind from UTG before reigning champion Ion Oprea made it 700 from UTG+1. Marcus Adams then made it 1,800 from the Lo-jack. Hitchmough made the call, and Oprea then raised once more to 8,700. Adams made the call; as the hand wasn’t already crazy enough, Hitchmough moved all in for somewhere around starting stack. Oprea re-shoved, and so did Adams. Three-way showdown to the flop, then, with all players having almost as much.

Anthony Hitchmough: Q♦J♥
Ion Oprea: A♣J♦
Marcus Adams: A♠K♦

Quite a unique hand, and Adams had the best hand. Hitchmough picked up a flush draw on the 8♥7♥3♥ flop, but the K♠7♦ runout secured Adams the win and the double knock-out. The dealer counted the stacks; Hitchmough was eliminated, whilst Oprea survived with coffee money. It’ll be interesting to see how Adams plays his massive chip lead on the earlier levels.

Marcus Adams: 103,500
Ion Oprea: 5,000
Anthony Hitchmough: 0

Harley Adams opened to 200 from the Lo-jack. Clive Dickinson made the call on the Button before Alfie Chesworth made it 2,000 from the Small Blind. Adams made the call, while Dickinson decided to let his hand go.

Both players checked the 3♦4♦10♠ flop, and Chesworth then check-called 3,000 from Adams on the 5♠ turn. After a third check from Chesworth on the 4♥ river, Adams bet 11,000. Chesworth, who “only” played 15,900, announced fold, showing his A♣K♣.

Harley Adams: 43,500
Clive Dickinson: 15,900

Daniel Keiller, who finished third in the £150 Mini Main Event during the 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester, is one of the 33 players currently in the mix. Below is a list of five of the most prominent players (according to The Hendon Mob), apart from reigning champion Ion Oprea.

Day 1c of the £150 has kicked off, with 22/22 players in it from the get-go. The reigning champion Ion Oprea is back after not making it through from Day 1b yesterday.

The weekend may be over, but the fun has only started at Manchester235 Casino. The 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester is in full swing, and after the first two days in the books, a whole week of cards flying and chips trading owners is now in front of us.

It’s Monday, and the action will kick off at 17:00 with the third starting-day flight of the ever-so popular £150 Mini Main Event. From Day 1a and 1b combined, 28 players have made it through thus far out of the 188 entries. Cieran Tighe, who bagged 686,000 in 1a, is still the chip leader. All starting-day flights are playing down to 15% of the field; 1a and 1b both wrapped up during Level 16 (featuring Blinds 4,000/8,000), meaning today’s players could expect to finish some time around 2:00 a.m.

Today’s schedule also features the £100 poker.pro PL H.O.R.S.E. Then, later, there is a £30 Target Stack Satellite for the Mini Main Event.

2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester – Monday, June 15, Schedule

poker.pro live reporter Christoffer Karlén, who is thrilled as his Sweden won 5-1 against Tunisia last night, will commence the poker.pro live coverage at 17:00, and he won’t stop until the Day 1c players bag n’ tag. See you all in a few hours.

Day 1b of the £150 Mini Main Event attracted 65 entries. Below are the chip counts for those 10 who made it through to Day 2.

Action folded to David Greenough, who opened to 16,000 from the Hi-jack. Seated right next to him, James Riley moved all in for 85,000 from the Cut-off. When action came back to Greenough, he made the call, having his opponent covered.

James Riley: 9♦9♣
David Greenough: 7♦7♣

As soon as the ongoing hand was finished at the other table, Riley and Greenough were given the green light to turn over their cards. Riley maintained his solid lead on the 10♣5♠K♣ flop, but a brutal 7♥ turn saw Greenough claiming the driver’s seat. Riley didn’t manage to catch up on the 5♣ river, and as such, he became the unfortunate bubble boy. The remaining 10 players are now all through to Day 2 and guaranteed a min-cash.

David Greenough: 236,000
James Riley: 0

And that, fellow poker enthusiasts, wraps up the poker.pro live coverage from the second day of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester. Day 1b of the £150 Mini Main Event attracted 65 entries, and with four more flights to go, the overall turnout in this flagship tournament is predicted to be astonishing.

Tomorrow’s live coverage will commence at 17:00, when Day 1c kicks off. See you all then. That being said, the Day 1b chip counts will be uploaded within minutes.

Gary Smith opened to 15,000 on the Button. Gerald McSorley (Small Blind) and fairly short-stacked Josh Hardman (Big Blind) both made the call.

Action went check-check-check on the 6♦Q♦8♣ flop. McSorley and Hardman both checked the 7♠, which was foreplay to a 20,000 bet from Smith. McSorley then raised to 45,000; Hardman got out of the way before Smith made the call.

McSorley fired 65,000 on the J♦ river, and Smith didn’t take too long before making the call.

“He has got it,” a somewhat surprised Smith said as McSorley tabled his K♦2♦ holdings. Smith flashed his 9♦9♣ holdings while McSorley stacked his chips.

Gerald McSorley: 485,000
Gary Smith: 210,000
Josh Hardman: 144,000

Action folded to Nigel Burge-Jones, who opened to 15,000 on the Button. Joshua Price made it 40,000 from the Small Blind, and Burge-Jones made the call.

Price continued on the aggressive path with a 15,000 continuation bet on the 8♦8♠5♦ flop. Burge-Jones decided to make it 40,000. After considering his options for a good two minutes, Price forced his opponent all in for 118,000. Burge-Jones monologued for a while before making the call.

Joshua Price: A♣Q♥
Nigel Burge-Jones: J♠J♥

Burge-Jones had made the correct decision, and he was in good shape. That being said, poker can be a brutal game at times. While Burge-Jones may have maintained his lead on the 9♦ turn, a brutal Q♦ river saw Price improving to the best hand. A disappointed Burge-Jones exited the tournament area, as Price secured the current chip lead. The floor announced hand-for-hand play was about to commence.

Joshua Price: 435,000
Nigel Burge-Jones: 0

On a 7♠3♣A♦ flop with 28,000 in the middle, Gary Smith (Small Blind) bet 10,000, and Elliot Anthonioz (Big Blind) made the call. Action repeated itself on the 5♦ turn, the only difference being that the sizing from Smith this time was 20,000. Smith then bet 30,000 on the 7♦ river, and Anthonioz raised to 175,000, enough to force his opponent allin for 142,000 in total.

To say Smith looked agonized would be an understatement. He was twisting and turning in his chair, taking off his glasses, and was trying to make sense of the situation. Eventually, Anthonioz called the clock on his opponent. With just a few seconds left on the countdown, Smith made the call.

Elliot Anthonioz: 6♠5♣
Gary Smith:9♠9♣

It’s hard to tell if Smith was more happy or relieved. Nevertheless, the splendid call at this crucial stage of the tournament granted him the significant pot, while Anthonioz lost the bigger chunk of his stack.

Gary Smith: 410,000
Elliot Anthonioz: 54,000

The remaining 13 players in Day 1b of the £150 Mini Main Event are now on the final 15-minute break of the day. Below are the full chip counts.

Gary Smith opened to 8,000 on the Button. Gerald McSorley three-bet to 24,000 from the Big Blind, and Smith made the call.

McSorley continued for 10,000 on the 8♠5♠K♣ flop. Smith moved all in for 69,000, and McSorley decided to make the call.

Gary Smith: K♠Q♥
Gerald McSorley: 10♥10♦

Smith was ahead, and as the board completed with Q♠J♣, he secured a full double-up just minutes before what is destined to be the final 15-minute break of the day.

Gary Smith: 188,000
Gerald McSorley: 135,000

As Joshua Price eliminated Adrian Burns and Benjamin Parkes in the same hand with a flush, there are now only 13 players remaining. Considering 10 of them will make it through, play might conclude earlier than expected today.

By the way, reigning champion Ion Oprea was eliminated in seventeenth place. Time will tell whether he decides to play any of the upcoming four starting-day flights.

Elliot Anthonioz opened to 6,000 on the Button. Gerald McSorley made the call from the Small Blind before short-stacked Asa McGrath moved all in for 18,000 from the Big Blind. The window was open; Anthonioz clicked it to 31,000, and McSorley made the call.

McSorley check-called 16,000 from Anthonioz on the J♣2♦4♥ flop. The two contestants checked down the A♣8♥ runout.

First to show, McGrath tabled 7♠4♥; it was evident he hadn’t looked at his cards. Anthonioz then turned over 10♦10♥; McSorley threw his cards into the muck, and as Anthonioz scooped the lot, McGrath went out in sixteenth place.

Elliot Anthonioz: 278,000
Gerald McSorley: 211,000
Asa McGrath: 0

Reigning champion Ion Oprea opened to 6,500 UTG+1. Adrian Burns moved all in for 72,000 from the Hi-jack, and Joshua Price then shoved for 44,500 on the Button. After some consideration, Oprea decided to gamble, and he made the call, having both of his opponents at risk.

Adrian Burns: 9♥9♦
Joshua Price: A♠Q♠
Ion Oprea: 8♦7♦

Quite the exciting three-way showdown. Burns maintained the lead on the 7♣3♠6♥ flop, while Oprea improved to a pair. The board completed with 2♣A♣, meaning there would be no elimination. Price tripled up, while Burns won a small side pot against Oprea.

Joshua Price: 143,000
Adrian Burns: 55,000
Ion Oprea: 33,000

Gary Smith opened to 5,500 from the Cut-off. Action eventually came to Ashley Canning, who moved all in for maybe 40,000 from the Big Blind. Smith snap-called.

Ashley Canning: 7♦7♥
Gary Smith: A♣2♣

Canning was ahead, but Smith wasted little time flopping trips on A♦5♠A♠. “Just give me some hope!” Canning questioned the almighty Poker Gods, as the board completed with K♥J♥. He was eliminated, and the dealer pushed the chips towards Smith.

Gary Smith: 235,000
Ashley Canning: 0

Lucas Poleszczuk opened to 6,000 from the Hi-jack, and Paul Newman made the call from the Small Blind.

Newman check-called 5,000 from Poleszczuk on the J♣A♥4♠ flop. Both players checked the Q♦ turn, and Newman then bet 6,000 on the 5♠ river. Fast and deliberate, Poleszczuk put out a 26,000 raise. After a minute’s worth of consideration, Newman made the call.

Poleszczuk tabled Q♣4♣ for two-pair, and a somewhat surprised Newman threw his cards into the muck. The very next hand, he was eliminated after open-shoving A♦7♦ and running into the pocket aces of Chris Allen.

Lucas Poleszczuk: 277,000
Paul Newman: 0

James Riley opened to 5,000 on the Button. Seated in the Big Blind, Alexandros Gkampranis was the sole caller.

First to act, Gkampranis checked the 6♦Q♣2♠ flop. Riley continued for 4,000, and faster than the speed of lightning, Gkampranis raised to 16,000. Riley made the call, and Gkampranis then moved all in for 41,000 on the 9♣ turn. “Call,” Riley announced as fast as Gkampranis’ raise on the flop.

Alexandros Gkampranis: 6♥2♦
James Riley: Q♥9♥

Quite a beautiful river card for Riley, and Gkampranis didn’t reclaim the driver’s seat on the A♦ river. Gkampranis swiftly left the tournament area, while Riley added chips to his stack.

James Riley: 152,000
Alexandros Gkampranis: 0

Seated UTG, Tom West limped the 2,000 Big Blind. Osaretin Ubebe then moved all in for 31,000 from the Hi-jack. After receiving the count, West made the call.

Osaretin Ubebe: A♦J♣
Tom West: 9♥9♠

It was a classic coin flip confrontation. The pocket nines of West stood the test of time as the board spelled out [invalid notations]Qd7h7d6c3d[/pcn, and Ubebe went out in twenty-eighth place.

Tom West: 170,000
Osaretin Ubebe: 0

All starting-day flights of the £150 Mini Main Event are playing down to 15% of the field. Considering 65 entries were made into today’s Day 1b, it’ll be 10 players who make it through to Day 2. They will all be in the money.

As previously mentioned, 18 players made it through from Day 1a (123 entries). Cieran Tighe bagged the chip lead, 686,000.

Play has resumed after the 45-minute dinner break, and late registration is now closed with 65 entries.

Reigning champion Ion Oprea opened to 4,500 from the Cut-off. James Riley (Button) and Tom West (Big Blind) both made the call.

Action was checked to Riley on the 6♥A♣4♦ flop, and he bet 5,000. West folded before Oprea made the call, and the dealer revealed the Q♣ turn. Oprea check-called 7,500 from Riley, and both players then checked the 5♥ river.

Riley tabled A♠J♣. Oprea sighed, looked at his hand, then threw the cards into the muck. As Riley was stacking his newly won chips, Oprea’s gaze met the eyes of this poker.pro live reporter. “Two Cowboys,” he said. Yeehaw!

James Riley: 96,500
Ion Oprea: 57,500

It’s time for a 45-minute dinner break in Day 1b of the £150 Mini Main Event. After refueling, the players will resume play on Level 10. The dinner break is the last opportunity to register for the tournament.

Below are the biggest stacks this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify during the break.

Ion Oprea opened to 3,400 from the Lo-jack, then called a 10,000 three-bet from Tom West (Button).

Oprea check-called 15,000 from West on the 10♦4♥Q♥ flop, then another 15,000 on the 8♠ turn. On the 6♣ river, action went check-check.

At the same time he checked, West tabled A♥A♠, and Oprea mucked his hand.

Tom West: 126,000
Ion Oprea: 67,000

The flop was 2♠2♣3♥. With roughly 12,000 in the middle, Chenyi Lyu (Big Blind) checked it over to Alexandros Gkampranis, who bet 4,000. Gary Smith (Button) made the call before Lyu completed a check-raise move to 17,000. Gkampranis folded before Smith made the call.

Pedal to the metal from Lyu on the 9♣ turn, as he moved all in for 46,500. Smith immediately requested the count, then asked the dealer to spread the pot. After some consideration, Smith made the call.

Chenyi Lyu: 6♠3♠
Gary Smith: 8♠8♦

Smith was correct, and the J♣ river ensured he was awarded. Lyu was eliminated, but he still has about an hour to re-enter, if that is what his heart desires. Meanwhile, Smith is one of the biggest stacks.

Gary Smith: 160,000
Chenyi Lyu: 0

Mark Kershaw opened to 3,200 from the Hi-jack, and Chris Allen made the call from the Big Blind.

Action went check-check on the 6♦6♣A♠ flop, and on the J♥ turn. It was Allen who dipped his toes in the waters with a 2,500 bet on the 3♥ river. Kind of out of nowhere, considering the action up to the river, Kershaw then put out a 17,000 raise. Allen cracked a smile, a smile that read, “Well, that escelated quickly,” before he folded his hand.

Being a good sport, Kershaw revealed his J♦J♣ holdings before raking in the pot.

Mark Kershaw: 126,000
Chris Allen: 105,000

Chenyi Lyu opened to 2,500 from the Hi-jack. Nigel Burge-Jones (Button) and Alexandros Gkampranis (Small Blind) both made the call before Gary Smith pumped it up to 9,000 from the Big Blind. Gkampranis was the only one willing to pay to see the flop.

Gkampranis checked the Q♣2♦6♦ flop, then snap-called a 6,000 continuation bet from Smith. Action repeated itself on the 3♥ turn, the only difference being that the Smith sizing now was 12,000. Both players checked the 8♥ river.

Alexandros Gkampranis: 5♣5♦
Gary Smith: A♦J♣

Gkampranis’ gut feeling was right, and he secured the decently-sized pot.

Gary Smith: 121,500
Alexandros Gkampranis: 118,000

Action folded to Lucas Poleszczuk, who opened to 2,500 from the Cut-off. Nim Ratta decided to defend her Big Blind.

Both players checked the 10♦A♦3♦ flop. Ratta check-called 3,000 from Poleszczuk on the K♦ turn before action went check-check on the K♠ river.

Lucas Poleszczuk: A♠2♥
Nim Ratta: Q♦9♣

Ratta didn’t manage to trap Poleszczuk with the nut flush, but a pot is a pot.

Lucas Poleszczuk: 82,300
Nim Ratta: 45,500

David Greenough limped from the Hi-jack. Josh Hardman called on the Button and Anthony Lui checked his Big Blind.

Action was checked to Hardman on the 3♥2♣5♠ flop. He bet 1,500, and both of his opponents made the call. Check-check again on the Q♠ turn, and Hardman sized up to 6,500. Lui made the call before Greenough folded. Lui completed the check trifecta on the 8♦ river, and Hardman now bet 40,000, effectively forcing Lui all in for 25,500. Lui contemplated his decision for a minute or two before making the call.

Josh Hardman: 6♠4♠
Anthony Lui: Q♥5♦

Hardman had flopped a straight, and Lui’s two-pair couldn’t compete. All of Lui’s chips went the way of Hardman.

Josh Hardman: 125,500
Anthony Lui: 0

This poker.pro live reporter has returned to the tournament area, after making quick work of the buttermilk fried chicken burger.

Anthony Hitchmough limped UTG before Gary Smith made it 2,800 from the Hi-jack. Mark Kershaw called from the Big Blind, and Hitchmough joined in on the fun.

After 10 seconds, Kershaw donk-shoved 43,000 on the 8♥K♥9♦ flop. Hitchmough folded; Smith shared a “What’s going on?” gesture as he made the call, being the player at risk with 33,000.

Mark Kershaw: 7♥4♥
Gary Smith: K♣J♥

Smith was ahead, but Smith immediately improved to a flush on the 3♥ turn. No luck for Smith on the 3♣ river, and he swiftly exited the tournament area.

Mark Kershaw: 84,400
Gary Smith: 0

Level 4 has concluded, and it’s time for the first 15-minute break of the day. Below are the current biggest stacks in the room prior to Level 5 that this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify.

The flop was 8♣6♥2♥ with 3,000 in the middle. Sattar Aval bet 3,500 before Caroline Cove moved all in for 33,700. This sent Aval into the tank, and after receiving the count, he started talking. He said something about Q♥J♥, and Cove joked, “You can’t have that; if you do, we have to check the deck.” In the end, Aval mucked, showing the Q♥, and Cove revealed her K♥K♠ holdings before stacking her newly-won chips. Good thing she didn’t have the Q♥; that means the deck is correct. There are 52 cards.

Caroline Cove: 40,200
Sattar Aval: 34,500

Slowly but steadily, the number of entries increases. Only time will tell if Day 1b will be bigger than yesterday’s Day 1a (123 would be the number to beat). Another decent player has joined the field, namely Cody Wagner, who secured his by far biggest live cash (£40,000) when he won the £1,100 NLH DTD1000 during the 2017 DTD 1000 Nottingham.

As this poker.pro live reporter was walking to Table 15 with the sole purpose of counting Wagner’s current stack, he was involved in some pre-flop action. Michael Broadhurst (Hi-jack) had made it 7,500 after some earlier pre-flop action. Wagner made the call from the Cut-off before David Heard folded from the Big Blind (after having committed 2,000 during the aforementioned unknown pre-flop action).

Action went check-check on the 6♦Q♠3♦ flop. Wagner then called a 3,500 bet from Broadhurst on the 2♥ turn. He then called the 6,400 shove from Broadhurst on the 10♥ river.

Michael Broadhurst: A♥A♠
Cody Wagner: K♣K♠

Quite the cold deck, but considering the blinds are still small, there’s no reason for Wagner to panic.

Michael Broadhurst: 37,700
Cody Wagner: 25,000

The flop was 9♥10♠7♣ with roughly 4,000 in the middle. Ion Oprea (Small Blind) and Mark Dickinson (Big Blind) both checked to Henry Owen (Button), who bet 1,500. Oprea made the call before Dickinson got out of the way.

Action went check-check on the K♠ turn. On the 9♠ river, Oprea bet 4,000. Owen leaned back in his chair, and after contemplating his decision for a minute, Oprea engaged his opponent in some table talk.

“You have a seven?” he asked. “No,” Owen replied. “Wow, a ten,” Oprea continued. “I have better than a ten,” Owen declared. “Oh, wow, you’re strong!” Oprea seemed surprised. Owen talked the hand through, and it became evident that he couldn’t imagine Oprea bluffing in this spot. “4,000 is not that much,” Oprea said, perhaps trying to get his opponent to call. Eventually, Owen made his decision.

“If you’re bluffing, good job,” Owen said as his cards hit the muck. “Of course I’m bluffing,” a joyful Oprea replied, revealing his J♣3♣. He collected the pot, and he’s one of the biggest stacks as Level 3 is about to begin.

Ion Oprea: 71,000
Henry Owen: 51,700

Asa McGrath opened to 600 from the Hi-jack. Seated in the Small Blind, Tony Cartwright was the sole caller.

Cartwright checked the 9♦7♦3♠ flop and McGrath bet 800. “You on a draw?” Cartwright asked his opponent before moving all in for 10,500. McGrath made the call faster than the speed of love.

Tony Cartwright: 8♦6♦
Asa McGrath: 9♣9♥

It was, in fact, Cartwright who had the draw, and boy, wouldn’t it be cool if he hit a straight flush? The said scenario didn’t play out, though; the K♣K♥ runout secured McGrath the pot, and Cartwright was eliminated. Time will tell whether he decides to re-enter the tournament; late registration is open until Level 10 starts (i.e., 21:30).

Asa McGrath: 50,500
Tony Cartwright: 0

The board read 4♦6♠3♣A♠2♠ with 13,000 in the middle. Karl Roberts (Big Blind) checked to Alexandros Gkampranis (Lo-jack), who bet 7,100. Caroline Cove (Button) decided to make a call after a few minutes’ worth of consideration before Roberts mucked.

Gkampranis tabled Q♠4♠ for a rivered flush, something Cove couldn’t beat. Gkampranis won a decently-sized pot on Level 1.

Alexandros Gkampranis: 52,500
Caroline Cove: 24,200

Mark Kershaw opened to 1,200 from the Lo-jack, and Tom West made the call from the Small Blind. It wasn’t much action to follow; West check-folded to a 3,500 continuation bet from Kershaw on the straight flush-teasing 4♠6♠8♠ flop.

“A pocket pair again,” Kershaw said as he tabled his J♣J♥ holdings. If this poker.pro live reporter has learned somehow to understand the British accent, Kershaw had pocket kings earlier. What a premium start.

Mark Kershaw: 42,000
Tom West: 38,300

PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty opened to 12,000 UTG. 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester £500 Main Event champion Deniz Orhan then moved all in for 104,000 from the Hi-jack. Henry Owen contemplated a move from the Small Blind, but eventually decided to let his hand go. Hardisty, though, made the call.

Deniz Orhan: A♣Q♠
Rebecca Hardisty: A♠J♠

Orhan was looking good for a full double-up, but poker can be a brutal game at times. He maintained his lead on the 6♠8♦2♣ flop, and on the 3♦ turn. The J♣ river granted Hardisty the win, though, and Orhan was eliminated in twenty-sixth place.

Rebecca Hardisty: 390,000
Deniz Orhan: 0

Action folded to short-stacked Elliot Anthonioz, who moved all in for 55,000 from the Small Blind. “First one is good,” Karl Roberts said to Anthonioz, as he looked at one of his first hole cards. “It’s a call,” he said after seeing the other one, and made the call from the Big Blind.

Elliot Anthonioz: Q♥2♦
Karl Roberts: J♥J♠

The fishhooks of Roberts were unthreatened as the board spelled out 6♣7♣10♦3♣5♣. Anthonioz was eliminated, and Roberts’ stack is the biggest one we’ve seen in the £150 Mini Main Event in Manchester so far this year.

Karl Roberts: 766,000
Elliot Anthonioz: 0

The board read 2♦4♣K♠7♠ with 32,000 in the middle. PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty (Small Blind) bet 15,000, and was then faced with a 40,000 raise from Csaba Kovacs (UTG). Faster than the speed of Lewis Hamilton, Hardisty then moved all in for 211,000. After twisting and turning in his chair for a minute, Kovacs let his hand go. Being a good sport, Hardisty revealed her K♦7♦ holdings. Kovacs told this reporter he folded A♥K♣.

Hardisty and PartyPoker Team Pro Jaime Staples are the two players left in the field wearing the PartyPoker patch in an official capacity.

Rebecca Hardisty: 278,000
Csaba Kovacs: 175,000

Connor Butt opened to 11,000 on the Button. Seated in the Big Blind, Antony Horn was the sole caller.

Both players checked the J♠8♦9♥ flop. Horn dipped his toes in the waters with a 14,000 bet on the Q♥ turn, and Butt made the call. Horn checked the 4♠ river and was then faced with a 24,000 bet from Butt. After spending a minute or two in the tank, Horn made the call for a big chunk of his stack.

Connor Butt: A♥7♥
Antony Horn: 9♣6♠

Butt shared a nod of approval to his opponent; quite the call from Horn. Hats off.

Connor Butt: 450,000
Antony Horn: 167,000

The remaining 35 players in Day 1d of the £150 Mini Main Event are now on the final break of the day. Below are the current biggest stacks.

Action folded to PartyPoker Team Pro Jaime Staples, who open-shoved 58,000 on the Button. Having Staples just covered, Anthony Lui re-shoved from the Small Blind. The two contestants were soon heads-up to the flop.

Jaime Staples: 4♥4♦
Anthony Lui: A♠Q♣

Staples maintained his lead on the J♠K♣7♦ flop, but boy, was it a scary one. Status quo on the 6♦, and Staples ultimately sealed the deal on the 4♦ river.

Jaime Staples: 124,000
Anthony Lui: 3,000

Seated UTG, Samuel Wicks opened to 11,000 UTG. Connor Butt made it 33,000 from the Cut-off, and Wicks made the call.

Wicks check-called 18,000 from Butt on the 10♠5♦2♥ flop. Action repeated itself on the 5♣ turn, the only difference being that the sizing from Butt now was 42,000. Both players checked the A♠ river.

Samuel Wicks: J♠J♥
Connor Butt: K♣K♦

“At least the ace saved you,” Butt told Wicks. Wicks concurred.

Connor Butt: 390,000
Samuel Wicks: 129,000

Seated UTG, Deniz Orhan limped the 3,000 Big Blind. Wing Ko (Lo-jack), Anthony Lui (Button), and Jonathan Anderson (Small Blind) all made the call before Csaba Kovacs checked his Big Blind.

After an initial check from Anderson, Kovacs bet 8,000 on the 3♣8♣2♣ flop. This poker.pro live reporter was somewhat surprised to see Orjan, Ko, and Lui make the call. Kovacs then checked the Q♥ turn, allowing Orhan to bet 26,000. This time, Ko was the only one who decided to stick around, as she made the call. Orhan and Ko then both checked the J♣ river.

Deniz Orhan: 6♣5♣
Wing Ko: Q♣Q♠

The dealer pushed the chips towards Ko; Orhan meant they belonged to him as he had a flush. He was made aware that Ko didn’t only have a set, but a superior flush.

Wing Ko: 300,000
Deniz Orhan: 155,000

Michael Meade (whom this poker.pro live reporter shared a drink with last night) opened to 7,000 from the Cut-off. Emmanuel Mulemwa three-bet to 25,000 from the Small Blind, and then called a 55,000 shove from Meade.

Michael Meade: A♥Q♣
Emmanuel Mulemwa: K♦J♣

Meade was ahead, although not by much. He sighed as he witnessed the K♥4♣6♦ flop. No dice on the 3♣4♠ runout, and all his chips went the way of Mulemwa.

Emmanuel Mulemwa: 160,000
Michael Meade: 0

It has been announced that 22 players (i.e., 15% of the field) will advance to Day 2.

Csaba Kovacs told this poker.pro live reporter about a big hand that played out a few minutes ago at Table 14.

Wing Ko opened to 5,000 UTG by putting out a 5,000 chip. Angela Rogan (Cut-off) wasn’t aware of the action and put out the same chip, announcing, “Raise”. As such, she was forced to do a minimum raise to 7,500. Seated right next to her on the Button, Csaba Kovacs made it 20,500. Rogan was the sole caller.

First to act, Rogan checked the J♥5♦8♦ flop. Kovacs bet 21,000, and Rogan then completed a check-raise move to 55,000. Kovacs proceeded by moving all in for 150,000, having Rogan just covered. Rogan made the call.

Csaba Kovacs: A♥A♦
Angela Rogan: 8♣5♣

Kovacs was in rough shape. It wasn’t much consolation for him that Deniz Orhan confessed to folding J♣J♠ in the Small Blind. Still, though, miracles can happen. The J♦ river saw Kovacs improving to a better two-pair, and with the K♠ river, he sent Rogan to the rail, while he now is one of the bigger stacks.

Csaba Kovacs: 340,000
Angela Rogan: 0

Emmanuel Mulemwa, who final tabled the £500 Main Event during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield, opened to 5,000 from UTG+1. Jack Hoyle three-bet to 15,000 from the Hi-jack, and was then faced with a 57,000 four-bet from Mulemwa. Hoyle five-bet shoved for 96,000, and Mulemwa made the call.

Jack Hoyle: J♣J♥
Emmanuel Mulemwa: A♠Q♠

It was a classic coin flip confrontation. Hoyle maintained his lead on the 6♣3♣5♣ flop, and on the 7♣ turn, the only thing Mulemwa could do was pray for a chop with a straight flush. The 6♥ brought no such kind of scenario, and Hoyle doubled up.

Jack Hoyle: 198,000
Emmanuel Mulemwa: 85,500

Seated UTG+1, Amir Kamal decided to limp the 2,000 Big Blind. Chenyi Lyu made the call from the Small Blind before Guang Yang made it 12,000 from the Big Blind. Kamir then moved all in for 55,000; Lyu folded before Yang snap-called.

Amir Kamal: J♥
Guang Yang: A♣K♣

Yang was ahead, but Kamal claimed the driver’s seat on the 10♠2♥2♦ flop. Kamal, however, improved to a superior pair on the K♦ turn, and the 7♥ river didn’t help Kamal.

Guang Yang: 125,000
Amir Kamal: 0

Play has resumed in Day 1d of the £150 Main Event after the 45-minute dinner break. Late registration is now closed; the flight scored 147 entries.

One of those who registered in the eleventh hour was PartyPoker Team Pro Jaime Staples. He just doubled up through PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong. Speaking of ambassadors, Rebecca Hardisty is back in the mix, after her first bullet came to an end.

It’s time for the 45-minute dinner break, which is the last window for late registration. Day 1d has already become the biggest starting-day flights of this year’s edition, and the £50,000 guarantee has been reached. Below are the 10 biggest stacks that this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify at this stage.

Fucheng Zhang opened to 3,600 UTG. Jack Hoyle (UTG+1) and Connor Butt (Button) both made the call.

Hoyle and Butt both called the 5,000 continuation bet from Zhang on the 2♦10♥3♠ flop. Zhang sized up to 15,000 on the K♦ turn; after a fold from Hoyle, Butt made the call. Zhang slowed down and checked the 7♦ river. Butt forced his opponent all in for 30,000 on the dot. After some consideration, Zhang decided to let his hand go.

Connor Butt: 113,000
Fucheng Zhang: 30,000

Seated UTG, Caroline Cove limped the 1,200 Big Blind. Amir Kamal made it 3,000 from the Hi-jack, and Cove made the call.

Cove checked in the dark prior to the dealer revealing the 4♥3♥J♠ flop. “I’ll give you the rest,” Cove told Kamal after he bet 6,000, and moved all in for 23,300. Kamal snap-called.

Caroline Cove: 5♦4♣
Amir Kamal: A♥K♣

Cove was ahead, but when Kamal improved to a pair on the K♥ turn, she rose from her chair, getting ready to leave. “Oh, never mind, I’ll stay,” she smiled as she saw the 4♦ river. What a way to extend one’s tournament life!

Caroline Cove: 55,300
Amir Kamal: 30,000

Henry Owen made it 2,500 UTG. PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong made the call on the Button before James Riley three-bet to 8,500 from the Small Blind. Owen and Acheampong both made the call.

All three players checked the 4♠9♥7♥ flop. On the 4♥ turn, Riley and Owen checked it over to Acheampong, who bet 5,000. Riley made the call before Owen folded, and Riley checked again on the K♥ river, and then snap-called 10,000 from Acheampong.

Sam Acheampong: 10♥9♣
James Riley: A♥K♣

With the nut flush, Riley took some chips from Acheampong.

James Riley: 101,500
Sam Acheampong: 58,000

Sean Swimby made it 4,000 UTG. Tom Harold (Cut-off) and Henry Owen (Button) both made the call.

Swimby continued the action with a 6,500 bet on the A♣9♥5♠ flop. After a fold from Harold, Owen forced his opponent all in for 18,300. Swimby snap-called.

Henry Owen: 8♥7♥
Sean Swimby: A♦K♠

“How have you woken up with a hand?!” Owen couldn’t believe it. “Six!” Owen urged the Poker Gods on the Q♣ turn. His prayers were not answered; the J♦ river secured Swimby a full double-up.

“You should have seen the hands he played the other night,” Owen playfully teased his opponent. “He’s playing the long game!” PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong let out a mighty laugh.

Sean Swimby: 51,300
Henry Owen: 35,700

Sam Acheampong is not the sole PartyPoker Ambassador in the field anymore, seeing as Rebecca Hardisty now also is in the mix.

This poker.pro live reporter decided to check out the stack of Hardisty, but noticed she was involved in a hand. The board read J♦J♠2♦ with 8,000 in the middle. Kristian Grau (UTG) had checked it over to Hardisty (UTG+1), who bet 6,000. Grau made the call, and Hardisty wasted zero time before moving all in for 6,800 on the 4♠ turn. After receiving the count, Grau made the call.

Rebecca Hardisty: 7♦7♥
Kristian Grau: 3♠2♠

Hardisty avoided disaster on the K♥ river, and she scored a full double-up.

Sam Acheampong: 68,000
Rebecca Hardisty: 33,000
Kristian Grau: 12,500

Nick Drinkwater min-raised to 1,600 from the Lo-jack. Lynne Beaumont made the call from the Hi-jack before Robin Yeung three-bet to 7,500 from the Big Blind. Both of his opponents made the call.

Yeung wasted little time before moving all in for 18,400 on the 4♥2♦J♥ flop. Drinkwater swiftly mucked; after some consideration, Beaumont made the call, having her opponent at risk.

Robin Yeung: A♥Q♥
Lynne Beaumont: 9♣9♠

Yeung improved to a pair of aces on the A♣ turn, and, for good measure, to a flush on the 5♥ river.

Robin Yeung: 69,500
Lynne Beaumont: 45,000

This poker.pro live reporter took a page from the Deniz Orhan playbook, and ordered Chili Con Carne.

Two-time £60 poker.pro PL H.O.R.S.E. winner Henry Owen opened to 1,600 UTG. Seated right next to him, prominent player Oliver Hutchins three-bet to 5,100. Back to Owen, who made it 12,000, and Hutchins made the call.

Owen continued for 7,000 on the 7♠J♦8♥ flop, and Hutchins swiftly folded.

Henry Owen: 84,500
Oliver Hutchins: 26,500

It’s time for the first 15-minute break of the day. Below are some of the biggest stack in the room that this poker.pro live reporter was able to identify.

Elliot Lythgoe opened to 1,400 from the Lo-jack and was faced with a 4,000 three-bet from Elliot Anthonioz (Hi-jack). Warris cold-called on the Button, and Lythgoe joined in on the fun.

All three players checked the J♠J♥A♥ flop. Lythgoe then bet 12,500 on the 8♣ turn, and Anthonioz swiftly folded. Warris met the gaze of Lythgoe and shared a cheeky smile. “Well, that didn’t work,” Warris said, folding K♠K♥. As he was raking in the chips, Lythgoe claimed that he had pocket queens. “I got away cheap,” Anthonioz stated.

Asif Warris: 67,500
Elliot Lythgoe: 56,000
elliot Anthonioz: 37,300

Seated UTG+1, Mihail Zglavoci limped the 400 Big Blind. So did Jason Hayzeldan (Button) and Scott Murphy (Small Blind), before Thales Salomao checked his Big Blind.

All four contestants checked the 9♦Q♦K♣ flop. After an initial check from Murphy, Salomao bet 700 on the A♠ turn, a bet which Hayzeldan and Murphy both called. All three players then checked the 9♠ river. Salomao immediately mucked his cards.

Scott Murphy: J♦3♥
Jason Heyzeldan: 6♦4♦

Murphy did not expect to claim the pot with jack high; the players at the table chuckled.

Scott Murphy: 46,000
Jason Heyzeldan: 44,000
Thales Salomao: 40,000

The board read 4♥3♣8♠9♠ with 6,000 in the middle. Deniz Orhan (Small Blind) checked it over to Alexander Brett (Big Blind) who bet a hefty 15,000.

“I’m thinking of shoving here,” Orhan warned his opponent. He contemplated his decision for a couple of seconds. “You show if I fold?” he asked Brett. Brett declined, and Orhan decided to let his hand go, revealing his 7♦4♦. “I’m winning,” he asked his opponent, between the lines, whether he would have forced a fold out of Brett.

Alexander Brett: 52,500
Deniz Orhan: 46,500

Some recognizable faces in the field include PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong, 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester £500 Main Event winner Deniz Orhan, and two-time £60 poker.pro PL H.O.R.S.E. winner Henry Owen.

Seated UTG+1, Jermaine Queeley opened to 600. Louis Duffy decided to defend his Big Blind.

Both players checked the 4♣6♥8♥ flop, and Queeley then called 400 from Duffy on the 2♠ turn. Duffy bet 1,200 on the 10♠ river, and Queeley made the call.

Duffy tabled 10♥9♣; it’s an educated guess Queeley was ahead until the river.

Louis Duffy: 55,500
Jermaine Queeley: 11,200

2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester £500 Main Event champion Deniz Orhan min-raised to 400 from UTG+1. Alexander Brett (Hi-jack), Oliver Dodd (Button), and Roddy McDonald (Small Blind) all made the call.

After an initial check from McDonald on the A♣Q♠9♦ flop, Orhan continued for 900. Dodd was the sole caller, and the dealer soon revealed the 6♣ turn. Orhan now check-called 2,500 from Dodd, then check-folded to a 7,000 bet on the J♥ river.

Denizz Orhan: 52,500
Oliver Dodd: 28,000

Relatively short-stacked Elliot Lythgoe opened to 700 from the Lo-jack. Seated in the Big Blind, Michael Hill was the sole caller.

Hill checked the A♦10♣J♣ flop, and Lythgoe continued for 1,200. Hill then completed a check-raise move to 3,500.

“I run inte ace-king again?” Lythgoe monologued. “I’m folding eights, you know,” he told Hill, as his cards hit the muck.

From the looks of it, it seems like the majority of Lythgoe’s starting stack has gone to Justin Devonport.

Justin Devonport: 110,000
Michael Hill: 46,000
Elliot Lythgoe: 9,300

Day 4 of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester is here, and right now, today’s action is about to kick off with Day 1d of the £150 Mini Main Event.

Today’s gonna be a juicy one, seeing as a lot of familiar faces are confirmed to arrive at Manchester235 Casino. For starters, PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Sam Acheampong is in the building; while he hasn’t registered for Day 1d yet, it would be very surprising if he doesn’t decide to play. Fellow Ambassador Rebecca Hardisty and PartyPoker Team Pros Matt Staples and Jaime Staples might take a shot at glory today as well.

Familiar faces on Day 1d from the get-go include mother-and-son duo, Angela Rogan and Darach Rogan. Roughly one month ago, the two of them captured one trophy each at the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester; Angela won the €250 Mystery Bounty, while Darach emerged victorious in the €150 NLH (Sponsored by Faded Spade).

Press here to read an article about Angela Rogan’s fascinating life- and poker journey.

Overall, today’s schedule is the busiest of the festival thus far. The £60 poker.pro PL Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw should be an interesting side event.

2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester – Tuesday, July 16, Schedule

Day 1c of the £150 Mini Main Event attracted 114 entries. Below are the chip counts of those 17 who made it through to Day 2.

UTG, Mark Lang opened to 24,000. Seated right next to him, Benjamin Liu three-bet to 72,000 from UTG+1. Action eventually folded back to Lang, who moved all in for 74,000. Naturally, Liu added 2,000 to make the call.

Mark Lang: 8♦8♠
Benjamin Liu: K♣Q♣

“Flip city,” one of the other players at the table stated. This poker.pro live reporter couldn’t have said it better himself. Liu took the lead on the Q♠9♥2♦ flop, and Lang wasn’t able to catch up on the 4♠9♠ runout. As such, Lang became the unfortunate bubble boy, and the remaining 17 players bagged their chips.

That wraps up today’s live coverage from the £150 Mini Main Event. Stay tuned, though, as the full chip counts from Day 1c will be posted shortly. Tomorrow’s coverage will kick off at 14:00 with Day 1d; see you all then.

Benjamin Liu: 478,000
Mark Lang: 0

Action folded to Matthew Cornes, who min-raised to 16,000 on the Button. Daniel Ryder then moved all in for 170,000 from the Small Blind. Much to the surprise of some of the other players at the table, Ali Mallu cold-called from the Big Blind. Within a split second, Cornes then re-shoved for 448,000, and the spectators let out a collective, “What’s going on?” After some consideration, Mallu surrendered his hand, leaving Ryder and Cornes heads-up to the flop.

Daniel Ryder: K♣K♠
Matthew Cornes: Q♥Q♠

“Wow,” Cornes said; he couldn’t believe it. “Don’t do it to me,” Ryder was praying. He felt more relaxed on the K♥2♠4♠ flop, and the 6♠4♦ runout saw him trippling up.

Daniel Ryder: 576,000
Ali Mallu: 410,000
Matthew Cornes: 278,000

Ali Mallu has been opening big all day, and he decided to continue with this demeanor. He made it 24,000 from the Cut-off before Matas Gerdziunas moved all in for 108,000 from the Big Blind. “Okay, give me an eight,” Mallu requested to the dealer, and made the call.

Matas Gerdziunas: K♣K♠
Ali Mallu: 8♦8♣

The Poker Gods heard Mallu’s prayers and delivered the 4♠8♥9♥ flop. The 4♣Q♠ runout meant Gerdziunas was eliminated in nineteenth place, and as such, hand-for-hand play has commenced on the bubble with eighteen players left. “Will I bubble again?” Jake George asked this poker.pro live reporter, referring to when he bubbled not one, but two £150 Mini Main Event starting-day flights during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield. Dear God, don’t let that happen.

Ali Mallu: 590,000
Matas Gerdziunas: 0

Joseph Houghton opened to 12,000 from the Hi-jack before Khayri Fazzani moved all in for 73,000 from the Cut-off. Benjamin Liu re-shoved 185,000 on the Button; after some consideration, Hughton let his hand go.

Khayri Fazzani: K♥9♥
Joseph Houghton: A♥J♥

It was an all-hearts affair, and Fazzani drew the shortest straw on the 3♠9♣A♣2♥Q♥ board.