Day 1 of PartyPoker Tour UK London: Dhawan and Fan Triumph in First Two Contests
Kicking Off with a Bang:
The 2025 PartyPoker Tour UK blasted off at Aspers Casino Westfield Stratford City in East London on April 19, attracting hundreds of poker enthusiasts for the six-day extravaganza, running from April 19-27.
The £150 Mini Main Event set the stage for the series, with 176 players already in the action on Day 1. Each opening flight aims to whittle down to 25 percent of the field advancing to Day 2 on April 23. The leader of the pack was none other than Grace Smith, who used her initial 50,000 stack to build a whopping 487,500 chip stack by the end of the day. Just under 500k in chips? Now that's a dominating day!
Meanwhile, some players went for a more niche experience, opting for the £100 8-Game event. It's not your standard no-limit hold'em tournament, with the rotation of eight games including HORSE (H), Omaha h/l (O), Razz (R), Stud (S), Stud Hi-Lo (E), and limit 2-7 Triple Draw. And yes, there's still some no-limit hold'em and pot-limit Omaha thrown in for good measure.
A dozen players battled for a £1,020 prize pool, with Ding Fan taking home the title and £445 prize. Masoud Etemadiherisi finished second and earned a little extra cash thanks to a heads-up deal, but it was Ding who secured the victory.
For those who were hungry for a hold'em trophy, Jitin Dhawan managed to snatch one at the £200 NLH Knockout event. There were 79 players competing, including bwin streamer Aleksandar Georgiev and William Redding. They agreed to a deal, locking in £2,175 plus bounties for each of them, but Dhawan was the last man standing to scoop the final bounty and the title.
Make sure to tune in for Sunday, April 20th, as the action continues at Aspers Casino. The live-reported £200 poker.pro PLO event will be the highlight of the day, with other events including the £20 Mini Main Satellite, Day 1b of the £150 Mini Main Event, and a £60 Main Event Satellite.
- Just can't get enough of PartyPoker action? Here's all you need to know about the PartyPoker Tour UK[2].
- Want to qualifier online for live poker events? We got you covered[5].
- Been saving up for a shot at a big tournament? The PartyPoker Tour Leaderboard could be just the ticket[4].
- Excited for the return of the PartyPoker Tour? Matt Staples shares his thoughts[7].
- Ready to turn that measly penny into live poker glory? The PartyPoker Tour is still the place to be[8].
- Still don't believe in the sexiness of live poker? Jaime Staples sure does[9].
- The London schedule reveals a variety of events, including the £500 Main Event[10].
- Traveling to London for the tournament? Here's what you need to know about the UK ETA[11].
- Heading to the £200 poker.pro PLO? Check out our live reporting hub[6].
Insights:- The 2025 PartyPoker Tour - UK is officially part of the partypoker Live (PPL) circuit[1].- Besides the London stop, there's another UK event planned on June 19–22, the PartyPoker Tour - Manchester[1].* While the provided data didn't offer specific dates for side tournaments or satellites, the broader festival window could potentially include these events[1][3].
- Next year's festival at Aspers Casino Westfield Stratford City, London, won't just be about poker, as it also planned to offer sports betting opportunities for enthusiasts.
- Despite the casino-and-gambling aspect, the PartyPoker Tour UK will still showcase sports-betting tournaments like the sports-focused £200 NLH Knockout event, where Jitin Dhawan claimed victory.
- Some runners might opt for niche events, like the £100 8-Game event, offering a mix of HORSE, Omaha h/l, Razz, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, and limit 2-7 Triple Draw.
- Exactly a year from now, Grace Smith will surely remember her dominating performance at the £150 Mini Main Event, having built a 487,500 chip stack on Day 1 of the 2025 PartyPoker Tour UK.
