Former European Number One Become Inaugural GUKPT Champion of Champions

In the early hours of Friday 5th November, former European number one Ash Hussain triumphed over a field of 87 2008 GUKPT tournament winners to become the tour’s inaugural Champion of Champions. He secured a first prize of £20,000 in claiming the prestigious title in the unique tournament at the G casino in Luton. The tournament broke new ground by allotting players varying sized starting stacks, based on the size of the buy of the tournament they won to qualify for it. Players were also uniquely given the opportunity to vote for two different prize structures. One option was to have a top prize of £25,000 and to pay the top nine players, while the second flatter option offered a £20,000 first prize and a total of 13 players in the money. The players voted in favour of the second option by a count of 45-34 (players who arrived late were not entitled to vote).

It was a high quality field that featured almost all of the 2008 tour’s 93 event winners. Tony Cascarino, Ian Woodley, Donal Norton, Glenn Ashworth, John Eames and Gavin Ball were the only players not in attendance. Sam Trickett and Marc Goodwin, two of the favourites for the event started on the same table and before too long they had clashed, with 22-year-old Sam getting the better of the their early exchange. However Goodwin fought back and eventually outlasted the three-time tour event winner (Trickett). GUKPT Grand Final winner Paul ‘Pab’ Foltyn also came through the early stages of the tournament and he and rankings winner Goodwin were still in by the time the last thirteen players were reached and the prize money had kicked in.

With ten players left Ben Callinan and Ganesh Rao were taken out on separate tables, resulting in an eight-handed final. Essy Jahanpour was first to go in 8th place while fellow short-stack Foltyn followed shortly afterwards, ending his chance of making it two wins in less than a week. Marc Goodwin, who went into the final as a massive chip leader claimed both these early scalps and continued in the same vein by eliminating Paul Newman and Derek (John) Miller in 6th and 5th places respectively. It looked like the 2008 GUKPT player of the year was getting it all his own way, however his luck was soon to run out. Ash Hussain spoilt Marc’s party by taking responsibility for 4th placed Antony Ross’s departure, but David Rudling, who had been quiet during the early part of the final then turned the table on its head, winning a series of large pots from both of his opponents. David then knocked out Goodwin by outdrawing him with K-9 against Mr Cool’s A-K, when a 9 came out on the turn. Stunned Goodwin stumbled from the table, losing the defining characteristic of his moniker for a short while before regaining his usual composure.

This left Rudling with a chip lead of over 2-1 going into the heads-up stage, but Ash was by no means beaten yet. It was a good spirited final stint of the tournament and despite David taking a good chip lead into it, Hussain fought back and eventually overcame his opponent to become the inaugural GUKPT Champion of Champions. In the final hand he limped and David then bet 45,000, which Hussain called. As the flop was being dealt, David moved all-in in the dark and on a flop of 2-J-T (rainbow) and Ash called with J-8, while David had pocket nines. A further jack on the turn and a 5 on the river ended the tournament in favour of the former European number one from Accrington.
Hussain had taken time out from poker for most of the year, but signalled his return to the game by taking down the Grosvenor Grand Prix last month, which qualified him to play in the Champion of Champions tournament. He then went on to make a final table in a side event in leg 9 of the tour in Blackpool and has now confirmed that he is still a class act and one to watch on next year’s tour.

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