GUKPT Leeds 2026: £550,000 Guarantee and the Best Tournaments of the Year

The GUKPT Leeds 2026 festival will take place from September 23 to October 4 and guarantees a prize pool of at least £550,000. Find out the schedule, structure, and favorites.

With the Grand Final of the 2026 season approaching, there are only two stops left in the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) series. One of them is GUKPT Leeds , which will take place from September 23 to October 4. This event promises to be one of the most significant stages of the year, with a guaranteed festival prize pool of at least £550,000 . In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the tournament schedule, event structures, and also recall the most successful participants from previous years. GUKPT Leeds 2026: History and Place in the Series In 2026, GUKPT Leeds will be held for the tenth time in the tour’s twenty-year history. Except for a forced break during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Leeds stop has been a constant feature in the series calendar since 2017. Over this time, it has become one of the most anticipated events for British and European players, as well as for poker fans following the careers of well-known professionals. GUKPT Leeds 2026 Schedule: Formats, Buy-ins, Guarantees The festival kicks off on September 23 with a £60 satellite , awarding at least 10 tickets to two key tournaments: the £150 Warm Up and the £250 Mini Main . The first main tournament — the £150 GUKPT Warm Up — starts on September 24 at 18:00. This event features a guaranteed prize pool of £75,000 . While the Warm Up is determining its champion (final — September 27), the first of four flights of the £250 Mini Main will begin. The Mini Main Event guarantees at least £100,000 in prize money. The schedule also includes: £200 Pot-Limit Omaha — a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament, £1,500 High Roller — for players who prefer higher buy-ins, £340 GUKPT Cup , £200 Turbo — a fast-paced format, £250 Last Chance — the last chance to make the money, £200 Closer — the festival’s closing event. Each of these events comes with a guaranteed prize pool, making the series attractive for players with different bankrolls. Main Event: £1,000 GUKPT Leeds Main Event The highlight of the festival will be the Main Event with a £1,000 buy-in and a £200,000 guarantee. The tournament features three starting days (Day 1), and late registration will be open until the start of Day 2. You can enter not only by paying the buy-in directly, but also by winning a seat through live or online satellites. Online satellites are available on Grosvenor Poker and GGPoker — with qualifying tournaments starting from just £1 . There’s a special offer for players who qualify or pay the buy-in via a GGPoker account: they will receive a 10% cash bonus on their Main Event winnings. This is possible thanks to the partnership between Grosvenor and GGPoker. GUKPT Leeds 2026 Schedule Table All tournaments are played in No-Limit Hold'em format unless otherwise specified. September 23, 19:00 — £60 Satellite (at least 10 tickets to £150 Warm Up and £250 Mini Main) September 24, 18:00 — £150 GUKPT Warm Up (guarantee £75,000) September 27 — Warm Up Final, start of the first of four £250 Mini Main flights (guarantee £100,000) £200 Pot-Limit Omaha £1,500 High Roller £340 GUKPT Cup £200 Turbo £250 Last Chance £200 Closer Main Event: £1,000 GUKPT Leeds Main Event (three starting days, £200,000 guarantee, late registration until the start of Day 2) For the latest schedule and start times for individual flights and tournaments, it is recommended to follow the official announcements from the organizers. Past Champions: Who Has Won the GUKPT Leeds Main Event Since the first GUKPT Leeds Main Event in 2014, a number of well-known players have claimed victory. Here is a list of champions and their achievements: 2014 — Harry Law became the first winner, taking home £32,500 with a £550 buy-in. 2023 — For the first time, the Main Event had a £1,000 buy-in. Christopher Johnson won and received £73,070 . 2024 — Konstantinos Patsourakis outlasted 360 opponents to claim the top prize of £78,419 . This is the largest payout in GUKPT Leeds Main Event history. 2025 — The reigning champion Keith Littlewood triumphed over 246 entrants and earned £40,440 . In 2025, when the tournament was last held in Leeds, 11 tournaments were played and 10 champions crowned — Keith Littlewood became a two-time winner, taking down not only the Main Event but also the £330 Mystery Bounty . Other notable winners from previous years include: Robert Douras — won the £250 Mini Main and took home £20,830 . Thomas Clack — topped the £1,650 High Roller and added £31,570 to his bankroll. Statistics and Interesting Facts about GUKPT Leeds The festival has been held in Leeds 10 times over 20 GUKPT seasons. Since 2017, the Leeds stop has been held annually, except during COVID-19 restrictions. In 2025, 11 tournaments were played and 10 champions crowned. The largest Main Event win was £78,419 (Konstantinos Patsourakis, 2024). The Main Event with a £1,000 buy-in first appeared on the schedule in 2023. Players who qualify for the Main Event via GGPoker receive a 10% cash bonus on their winnings. Other Notable Players Associated with GUKPT Leeds Among the participants and prize winners of various GUKPT Leeds tournaments over the years have been players such as Adam Owen , Brett Angell , Jack Hardcastle , and James Jones . These names regularly appear on the payout lists of major UK and European tournaments, highlighting the high level of competition at the Leeds stop. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, the news about GUKPT Leeds 2026 is a great reason to consider expanding your poker experience. First, the festival schedule shows that even with a small bankroll, you can get into major events through satellites with buy-ins starting from £1. This approach to qualifying is an important part of a successful player’s strategy and can also be applied in PPPoker online clubs, where similar satellites and qualifiers are held regularly. Second, the variety of formats (from classic No-Limit Hold'em to Pot-Limit Omaha and Mystery Bounty) highlights the importance of versatility. Regular practice in different disciplines in PPPoker clubs will help you be ready for any structures and formats if you decide to try your hand at live series. Finally, the experience and achievements of players like Keith Littlewood, Christopher Johnson, and Konstantinos Patsourakis show that the road to big wins starts with playing regular tournaments and constantly improving. Use the opportunities in PPPoker clubs to hone your strategy, gain experience, and prepare for major achievements — perhaps you’ll be the next champion of a major festival!