PokerStars Player Josh Hart Wins UKIPT Isle of Man for ￡57,484!
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After five long days of non-stop poker action, PokerStars Player Josh Hart has secured his first ever UKIPT title and ￡57,484 after defeating a field of 402 players. Hart, a 24 year-old online professional, made a heads-up deal with Irishman Ciaran Heaney where they virtually chopped the prize money and played for ￡5,000 and the title. It was doubly good news for Hart as his Isle of Man hotel roommate, German player Marc Radgen, also made the final table, eventually finishing in 5th place.
The final table had started with most players fairly deep and former UKIPT winner Ludovic Geilich in typically aggressive form. Josh Hart took the early chip lead in Hand #7 when David Hill bluffed two streets with a missed gutshot into Hart's turned flush. Geilich's luck changed in Hand #15 when he limp-called preflop blind-on-blind against another former UKIPT winner, Fintan Gavin. Geilich fired all three streets of a 
board with 
but found that he'd always been behind to the Irishman's 
.
Geilich was further crippled when Marc Radgen beat the Scotsman's 
with 
after Radgen made a full house on the 
board. Geilich then shoved with 
over the top of a Hart raise but the Englishman called with 
and Geilich couldn't catch an eight to survive.
Two hands later, fellow Scot Thomas Ward was eliminated when shoving 
over the top of a Gavin raise.
Josef Snejberg, who had played very well, making impressive (and correct) folds, throughout the day was knocked out in 6th place. In Hand #63 the Czech player bet/three-bet all in on a 
flop against Hart with 
only to find the Englishman had outflopped him with 
. The 
turn and 
river changed nothing and Snejberg had to be content with making his biggest ever live score - ￡14,900.
Marc Radgen busted out in 5th place, the German having gotten short, pushed with but found David Hill behind him with . Radgen was unable to hit his kicker and the final table became four-handed.
Fintan Gavin had been many people's tip to win the final table, the Irishman was looking to win his second UKIPT title but he crucially came unstuck when he ran a huge bluff against Hill. Gavin stayed alive for a while longer but eventually fell with 
to Hart's in fourth place.
The three remaining players, Heaney, Hart and Hill were all fairly evenly-stacked but there was no discussion of any deal. Gradually Hart slipped into third until two hands back-to-back completely changed his tournament destiny. Firstly in Hand #116 Hill raise/called with 
and lost to Hart's 
. In the very next hand, Hill limp-called a raise on the button with against Hart's 
in the small blind. Hart fired a bet of 175,000 on the 
flop before Hill made it 375,000. Hart called and both players checked the 
turn to see the 
river. Hart now bet 700,000 and Hill responded by moving all-in for 1.6 million in total. Hart quickly called and in two hands had gone from nearly being out to chip leader going into the heads-up action.
Hart and Heaney agreed on a deal, saving ￡5,000 to play for (along with the UKIPT trophy) and although Hart started with the chip lead, it was Heaney who quickly took the lead, dominating the early action. Hart managed to double up with against and then with 
against 
on a 
board after Heaney had committed himself on the turn. The real turning point was Hand #137. Hart opened to 160,000 with 
, Heaney made it 425,000 with 
, Hart four-bet to 800,000 and Heaney moved all in, getting quickly called. The Irishman couldn't catch an ace and suddenly it was Hart who was looking the likely winner.
Gradually Hart ground his opponent down, Heaney managed to double up first with against , then with against 
but the third time proved the charm for the Englishman when his held against Heaney's to secure him the victory and keep the title in English hands.
We're expecting many of the players here will be travelling straight to London and so will the PokerNews Live Updating Team as the European Poker Tour hits London this week with the Main Event starting on Sunday. In the meantime, from the Isle of Man, it's over and out!
| Place | Name | Nationality | Status | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Josh Hart | United Kingdom | PokerStars Player | ￡57,484* |
| 2nd | Ciaran Heaney | Ireland | PokerStars Qualifier | ￡50,216* |
| 3rd | David Hill | Isle of Man | PokerStars Qualifier | ￡30,200 |
| 4th | Fintan Gavin | Ireland | PokerStars Player | ￡24,400 |
| 5th | Marc Radgen | Germany | PokerStars Qualifier | ￡19,300 |
| 6th | Josef Snejberg | Czech Republic | PokerStars Player | ￡14,900 |
| 7th | Thomas Ward | United Kingdom | PokerStars Qualifier | ￡11,120 |
| 8th | Ludovic Geilich | United Kingdom | PokerStars Qualifier | ￡8,000 |
*Denotes a deal made heads-up