The UK Poker Open held annually at the prestigious Grosvenor Casino Coventry, solidified its reputation as one of the UK’s largest poker events. The 2024 edition, scheduled from February 22 to March 3, featured nine numbered events, but the £1,500 Main Event captured the most attention and attracted 620 entries.
Emerging victorious was Nick Marchington, who claimed the top prize of £146,560 after a four-way deal. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Marchington was one of the finalists at the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing seventh for $1.5 million. With this win, he has now accumulated over $2.3 million in career live tournament winnings.
Winning the UK Open marked Marchington’s first-ever title, fulfilling his long-held dream as he expressed in a post-win interview: “It has been something that eluded me, I really wanted the trophy. I have just not been able to close out, and to do it now, finally, it feels amazing.”
2024 UK Open Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Marchington | £146,565* |
| 2 | Tony Harmon | £119,235* |
| 3 | Simon Higgins | £81,820* |
| 4 | Yucel Eminoglu | £78,340* |
| 5 | Stuart McNally | £34,470 |
| 6 | Barrie Greenan | £23,220 |
| 7 | Maj Iqbal | £20,170 |
| 8 | Adriano Perez | £17,270 |
2024 UK Open Final Table Action
The final day started with 18 hopefuls, each aiming for the top prize of £166,690, as it was still anybody’s game. The field quickly dwindled down to a final table, with Simon Higgins and Stuart McNally being big chip leaders, followed by Nick Marchington.
The first to exit was Adriano Perez, who pushed five big blind stack with king-eight only to be dominated and ousted by Majid Iqbal’s king-jack. However, the tide turned quickly for “Maj,” who found himself in a similar situation shortly after. His king-jack was overpowered by Simon Higgins’ king-queen.
Barrie Greenan’s journey at the final table was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. On the cusp of becoming a chip leader, fortune did not favor him, leaving him with a mere eight big blinds instead. His final stand with ace-queen fell short against Tony Harmon’s king-jack.
At this point, Marchington took the role of table captain. First, he took on Stuart McNally with a three-bet all-in with jack-nine suited against McNally’s snap-called ace-king. Nick secured the pot with a flush on the turn, which propelled him to the top with four players left.
The final four players agreed to a deal that left £15,000 in the play and a trophy up for grabs. Nick Marchington got the biggest piece of the pie with £131,565, while Tony Harmon secured £119,235, Higgins £81,820 and Yucel Eminoglu £78,340.
Eminoglu was the first to fall post-deal, eliminated by Marchington. It was a good run for the “Mad Turk,” who started the final day in second to last in chips. Simon Higgins’ tournament ended when his king-jack clashed with Marchington’s ace-three, with Marchington flopping top pair to secure a commanding chip lead going into heads-up play.
On the last hand, Tony Harmon three-bet all-in with king-eight suited and got snap-called by Marchington’s ace-jack. Flop revealed one eight but also two jacks, virtually sealing Harmon’s fate. It was still a massive result for Harmon, who played in his first live tournament in nine years, while Marchington celebrated hist first-ever victory at the 2024 UK Open Main event.
