From Gutshot to Manchester235: Sam Acheampong on Community, Competition and the PartyPoker Tour

Image: Nunzia Esposito

As the PartyPoker Tour unfolds at Manchester235, stories of memorable hands are shared alongside reunions between familiar faces. Players travel from across the UK and beyond to compete, catch up with friends and welcome newcomers making their first appearance on the live circuit. Community sits at the heart of the experience, something PartyPoker Tour ambassador Sam Acheampong believes has remained constant throughout his twenty years in the game.

Poker has evolved enormously during those two decades. Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategy has reshaped how many players approach the game, and hoodies, headphones and sunglasses have become familiar sights around the tables. Yet according to Sam, the people have never stopped being the reason to play.

I caught up with him during the PartyPoker Tour’s Manchester stop to discuss how he first discovered poker, why Manchester has become one of the tour’s most popular destinations, and what continues to draw players back, year after year.

Considering how recognizable Sam has become within British poker, it is perhaps surprising that he still describes poker in remarkably modest terms.

“It’s still a hobby,” he laughs.

His journey began around twenty years ago when friends introduced him to the legendary Gutshot Poker Club in Clerkenwell.
“It was a £5 rebuy tournament,” he recalls. “It was such good fun. It was really about the social scene.”

Like many players of his generation, poker wasn’t initially about chasing life-changing prizes or traveling the tournament circuit. The attraction lay in the atmosphere, the conversations and the friendships built around the table.

Looking back, those early experiences still shape how he views the game today.

• Read more: PartyPoker Tour Heads Back to the UK for Manchester Stop
• Read more: Anwar Kanj Wins the £150 Mini Main Event during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester

Poker continues to evolve.

Players now arrive armed with sophisticated Game Theory Optimal strategies, solver outputs and countless hours of online study. The relaxed atmosphere of earlier years has given way to hoodies, headphones and intense concentration.

“Poker has changed,” Sam says. “Poker’s always evolving.”

Yet one aspect remains reassuringly familiar.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed is the community.”

For Sam, the PartyPoker Tour has helped strengthen that sense of belonging.

Following a successful first season, the tour has expanded from five stops to ten, with players traveling across Britain and Europe to compete alongside friends they’ve met through previous events.

“I see people coming back to the tour,” he explains. “We’ve had a couple of Spanish stops, and people travel to those as well. It’s fantastic.”

Speaking about the tour, Sam returns repeatedly to one theme. Players do not simply arrive to chase trophies or prize money. They return because they recognize faces, renew friendships and become part of a community that extends far beyond a single tournament.

Image: Nunzia Esposito

Being a PartyPoker Tour ambassador involves considerably more than playing tournaments.

Sam helps players navigate the PartyPoker Tour Path, where online qualifiers can begin from as little as 20p before progressing towards complete live event packages.

Away from the tables, his responsibilities include hosting tournaments, filming promotional content, answering questions, helping players with practical issues and acting as one of the most approachable faces on the tour.

“It’s nicer if somebody says, ‘I met Sam in Manchester’ or ‘I met Sam in Seville,'” he explains. “They can just drop me a message.”

Sometimes players need advice about a tournament package.

Sometimes they need help understanding the qualification process.

Sometimes they simply need reassurance before taking their seat in their first live tournament.

Those everyday conversations have become an important part of the ambassadorial role.

Image: Apolo Photography

Poker is frequently described as a game of probabilities.

While Sam acknowledges the importance of mathematics, he believes psychology remains equally significant.

“There are people who know the maths,” he says. “But it’s not just about the maths.”

Reading body language.

Recognizing tells.

Understanding emotions.

Managing pressure.

These remain skills that no solver can fully replace.

“Everybody tilts,” Sam says. “Some people hide it better than others.”

Live poker presents information that simply doesn’t exist online.

“You have a face to the name.”

As players meet repeatedly across different PartyPoker Tour stops, those observations become another fascinating dimension of the game.

Image: Nunzia Esposito

Every stop on the PartyPoker Tour develops its own identity.

Manchester has become one of Sam’s favorites.

Much of that comes down to Manchester235 itself.

Unlike many casinos where visitors walk through the gaming floor before reaching the poker room, Manchester235 places poker at the center of the experience.

“You walk in, and you’re into the poker room.”

For players transitioning from online poker, that layout immediately feels more welcoming and considerably less intimidating.

Sam is equally complimentary about the venue staff.

“The team at Manchester235 have been fantastic.”

Positive experiences during previous visits made the decision to return an easy one, and judging by the popularity of this year’s stop, Manchester continues to justify its place on the growing PartyPoker Tour calendar.

Every live poker player remembers their first tournament.

The excitement.

The nerves.

The uncertainty.

Asked what advice he would give to someone preparing for their first live event, Sam’s answer is immediate.

“Don’t be scared.”

He points towards the dealers, tournament staff and ambassadors, all of whom want new players to enjoy themselves.

“No question is silly.”

It is a simple philosophy, yet one that captures the atmosphere the PartyPoker Tour is striving to create.

Poker may appear intimidating from the outside.

According to Sam, asking questions, introducing yourself and enjoying the experience are every bit as important as the cards themselves.

Regular viewers of PartyPoker streams will immediately recognize Sam’s trademark catchphrase.

Whenever all the chips go into the middle, and he believes he has the best hand, one word echoes around the room.

“Hold!”

The nickname has become synonymous with Sam himself.

“I keep telling people I only play the nuts or the second nuts,” he laughs.

“So when all the chips go in, I stand up and shout ‘Hold!’ because I’m begging the poker gods to make sure my hand holds.”

It has become one of the PartyPoker Tour’s most recognizable traditions, and many players now know him simply as “the Hold guy.”

Away from poker, conversation turned briefly to food.

As the son of Ghanaian parents, Sam immediately thought of waakye, the traditional rice-and-bean dish his mother still prepares.

Waakye Ghanaian dish Image: Xibitgh

“I don’t get it very often these days,” he says. “Whenever she’s made some, I have to have it.”

Like many food memories, it is tied not simply to flavor but to family.

Asked how he celebrates a big tournament result, however, the answer comes much more quickly.

“A steak.”

Although, he admits with a smile, these days it is usually served alongside broccoli or spinach rather than a generous helping of chips.

Image: Nunzia Esposito

As poker continues to evolve, conversations often center on software, strategy and statistics.

Speaking to Sam Acheampong offers a useful reminder that, for many players, those elements tell only part of the story. Twenty years after first sitting down at a £5 rebuy tournament at the Gutshot Poker Club, he still speaks about poker primarily as a way of bringing people together.

Friendships are formed around the tables, conversations continue long after tournaments have ended, and shared experiences draw players back from one stop to the next. Those qualities continue to define the PartyPoker Tour and help explain why Manchester235 has become such a popular destination on the circuit.

Powered by VibeLive

This interview is proudly powered by VibeLive, an event collective dedicated to telling the stories behind live events through original journalism, photography, video and audio.

Website: https://www.vibelive.net

Instagram: @vibeliveeventcollective

Facebook: VibeLive (Event Collective)