Steven Been wins the Behemoth High Roller, Andrew Halm is the HR League champion

Steven Bean claimed victory in the prestigious Behemoth High Roller tournament in Coventry, while Andrew Hulme became the leader of the NPL High Roller Leaderboard.

At the end of 2025, the prestigious Behemoth High Roller tournament with a £1,000 buy-in concluded at Grosvenor G Casino in Coventry. This event attracted many of the strongest poker players, all aiming to finish the year on a high note, and became the stage for an intense battle for both the championship title and the top spot on the NPL High Roller Leaderboard. The Return of Stephen Bean and His Victory in the Behemoth High Roller Stephen Bean became the main star of the tournament, claiming his second victory since returning to live poker in September—before that, he hadn’t played live events for five years. In the short time since his comeback, Bean has already cashed seven times, reached three final tables, and won twice. His latest success was winning the Behemoth High Roller with a £1,000 buy-in. The tournament drew 97 entries, including re-entries, which created a prize pool of £82,930. The top 12 players made the money, and the battle for the title unfolded at a final table of nine. Some well-known players, such as Fadil Isufi, Jack Moore, and Team Grosvenor’s Calogero Morreale, managed to cash but didn’t make the final table. The Final Table Showdown: Key Hands and Moves The first to leave the final table was Andrew Hulme, known as "Stato." He went all-in with ace-queen but lost a coin flip against Ravi Sheth’s pocket tens. For ninth place, Hulme received £3,230, as well as crucial leaderboard points that later proved decisive. Keith Johnson, a close friend of Hulme, finished eighth. His short stack went in with ace-four and lost to Stephen Bean’s king-jack after a king hit the turn. Shuhao Zhang finished seventh. He went all-in with pocket eights, but Ravi Sheth had pocket kings. Sheth called easily and won the hand, as no cards came on the board to improve Zhang’s hand. Ben McCann finished in sixth place. He was all-in with eight-five on a queen-eight-four flop, but Tom Hall’s pocket aces held up. After this, Hall had a real chance to contend for the leaderboard lead. In fifth place, Jamie Bott fell victim to a three-way all-in. His ace-king couldn’t beat Phil Clarke’s pocket eights or Stephen Bean’s king-ten. Bean hit a ten and knocked Bott out, significantly increasing his stack. Soon after, Ravi Sheth exited in fourth place. First, he lost most of his stack in a coin flip against Hall, and then, left with six big blinds, went all-in with jack-nine against Bean’s king-queen and lost. The points Sheth earned secured his fourth place on the NPL High Roller leaderboard. Phil Clarke busted in third place when his pocket fours lost to Bean’s king-four. The board brought cards that counterfeited Clarke’s hand, and his stack went to Bean. This set up the heads-up battle between Bean and Hall. Heads-Up: Bean vs. Hall In the decisive duel, Stephen Bean started with the advantage: 47 big blinds to Tom Hall’s 13. In one of the key hands, Hall was all-in preflop with ace-nine of hearts against Bean’s king-jack of diamonds. The board came queen-high, and Hall doubled up, nearly evening the stacks. However, Bean soon pulled ahead again when his ace-six made trips on the flop, while Hall picked up a flush draw on the turn. In this hand, Hall lost most of his stack and was left with six big blinds. In the next hand, Hall went all-in with nine-five, and Bean called with jack-eight of diamonds. The flop brought an eight, the turn a jack, giving Bean two pair, but the turn also gave Hall outs to a straight. The river brought a five, but it wasn’t enough—Hall finished second, and Stephen Bean became the Behemoth High Roller champion. Behemoth High Roller Final Table Results (£1,000) Place Player Prize (£) 1 Stephen Bean — 2 Tom Hall — 3 Phil Clarke — 4 Ravi Sheth — 5 Jamie Bott — 6 Ben McCann — 7 Shuhao Zhang — 8 Keith Johnson — 9 Andrew Hulme £3,230 The exact prize amounts for the other places were not specified in the original. The Battle for the Lead: NPL High Roller Leaderboard Alongside the main tournament intrigue, there was a battle for victory in the NPL High Roller Leaderboard. Andrew Hulme managed to claim the series champion title, edging out Tom Hall by just 4.42 points. This was especially significant for Hulme, as he was counting on Hall not winning the tournament to maintain his lead and secure the top prize of nearly £15,000. Thomas Clack, who is also competing for a £40,000 sponsorship from Grosvenor Poker as part of the National Poker League, finished third in the final standings. Ravi Sheth and Harry Sandford also made the top 5 and received cash prizes for their results. Final NPL High Roller Leaderboard (Top 10) Andrew Hulme Tom Hall Thomas Clack Ravi Sheth Harry Sandford — — — — — Full details on points and prizes for all positions were not provided in the original, but it is known that the gap between first and second place was just 4.42 points. Key Participants and Their Achievements The tournament featured many well-known representatives of the British poker scene. Among them were Fadil Isufi, Jack Moore, Calogero Morreale from Team Grosvenor, Ben McCann, Shuhao Zhang, Keith Johnson, Phil Clarke, Ravi Sheth, Stephen Bean, Thomas Clack, Tom Hall, Jamie Bott, and Harry Sandford. Each contributed to the intense battle for the title and leaderboard positions. Special attention should be paid to Andrew Hulme, who, thanks to consistent results and cashing in this tournament, managed to hold onto the top spot in the NPL High Roller Leaderboard and claim the main prize of nearly £15,000. For Tom Hall, this tournament was a chance to catch up and overtake Hulme, but he fell just short, losing to Bean heads-up. Ravi Sheth, who finished fourth in the tournament, also secured fourth place on the leaderboard, while Thomas Clack continues his quest for major sponsorship from Grosvenor Poker. Context: The Behemoth Series and Grosvenor G Casino Coventry The Behemoth High Roller is part of the Behemoth series, which traditionally attracts the strongest players from the UK and Europe. Grosvenor G Casino in Coventry is one of the key venues for major live tournaments. It regularly hosts national series stops and prestigious high buy-in events, attracting both professionals and ambitious amateurs. The High Roller format means a high buy-in (£1,000 in this case), ensuring a high level of competition and a solid prize pool—£82,930. These tournaments often allow re-entry, increasing the total number of participants and the size of the payouts. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great example of how even after a long break, it’s possible to return to poker and quickly achieve significant results. Stephen Bean showed that experience and self-confidence not only help you cash, but also win major tournaments with tough fields. The results of the Behemoth High Roller highlight the importance of working on your game and participating in leaderboard series. Even if you don’t win every tournament, consistent cashes and final table appearances earn leaderboard points, which can be converted into large cash prizes and extra opportunities, as happened with Andrew Hulme. PPPoker club players should pay attention to high buy-in formats and leaderboard systems: regular success in such events not only builds your reputation but also opens the door to sponsorships and participation in prestigious live events. Tournament discipline, the ability to play short stacks, and making the right decisions in key hands are all skills that can and should be honed in club games on the PPPoker platform.