Live poker is as popular as it has ever been in the United Kingdom, with the impressive attendance figures for the 2023 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) evidence of that. Exciting times lay ahead for British grinders because there is a new tour in town for 2024: the 888poker UK Poker League.
The 888poker UK Poker League, abbreviated to UKPL, was announced in late November alongside 888poker LIVE’s schedule release. The fledging tour sees 888poker join forces with Grosvenor Casinos, a partnership that bore fruit throughout 2023, to run seven UKPL festivals in 2024.
Everything kicks off in January with a trip to Coventry, a poker hotbed of late. The UKPL then heads north of the border to Edinburgh, down to Luton, then to Manchester, Leeds, and the world-famous The Vic in London, before rounding off in Coventry, where it all began.
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed most of the dates are close to those scheduled for the 2024 GUKPT tour. Indeed, with the exception of Leeds and the final leg in Coventry, all of the UKPL festivals take place a couple of days after the GUKPT wraps up, giving seasoned grinders the chance to enjoy a good couple of weeks at the tables each month.
888poker UK Poker League (UKPL) Schedule
| Dates | UKPL Festival |
|---|---|
| January 16-21 | Grosvenor Casino Coventry |
| February 13-18 | Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh |
| March 5-10 | Grosvenor Casino Luton |
| April 16-21 | Grosvenor Casino Manchester Bury New Road |
| August 27-September 1 | Grosvenor Casino Leeds Westgate |
| September 24-29 | Grosvenor Casino Victoria, London |
| October 10-21 | Grosvenor Casino Coventry |
Amit Berkovich, VP Head of Poker and MD ROW for 888 William Hill, cannot wait for the UKPL to flex its muscles on the live circuit.
“The partnership between 888poker and Grosvenor Casinos has produced some fantastic live poker experiences over the past couple of years and we are excited to now take this successful collaboration to the next level.
“We are thrilled to announce the new, year-round 888poker-Grosvenor Poker League (UKPL) that will reach even more destinations throughout the UK, bringing fantastic poker moments to players all over the country.
“The UKPL is anticipated to become a significant fixture in the UK poker calendar for players with a passion for the game and aims to make incredible poker experiences accessible to poker players of all levels, in all corners of the UK.”
Check out the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar
888poker UKPL Event Breakdown
888poker and Grosvenor Casinos want players to enjoy the same experience and have the same opportunities regardless of which UKPL festival they play. This is why each of the seven legs features identical schedules that run from Monday to Sunday
Each leg sees a £330 buy-in Mystery Bounty opening event to kick off matters. 888poker is a huge fan of the mystery bounty format, and remains today the online poker site with a dedicated mystery bounty schedule.
Other regular events include a £1,100 High Roller, £400 buy-in Big Shot, a 4/5/6 card Omaha bounty costing £330, and the festival-ending £200 Closer; both the High Roller and Big Shot have late registration open until the start of their respective Day 2s.
Of course, it is the 888poker UKPL Main Event that has caught the attention of the British poker community. All UKPL Main Events have four starting flights, each costing £560 to get involved with. Main Event players sit down armed with 30,000 chips, and play to a 40-minute clock throughout. Day 1s end when only 15% of the field remains, with that top 15% progressing to Day 2 with a min-cash in tow.
The £560 buy-in is the perfect sweet spot because it is large enough to attract professional players but affordable enough for players at the more recreational end of the scale to take a shot at the big time. In all, the 888poker UKPL Main Events should be incredibly well attended and be a great mixture of players and personalities.
| Day | Time | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 7:00 p.m. | Cash Out Sat to Mystery Bounty and Main Event | £100 |
| Tuesday | 2:00 p.m. | 888poker Opening Mystery Bounty Day 1A | £330 |
| 7:00 p.m. | Cash Out Sat to Mystery Bounty and Main Event | £100 | |
| Wednesday | 12:00 p.m. | 888poker Opening Mystery Bounty Day 1B | £330 |
| 7:00 p.m. | 888poker Opening Mystery Bounty Day 1C Turbo | £330 | |
| 9:00 p.m. | Cash Out Sat to Main Event | £125 | |
| Thursday | 12:00 p.m. | 888poker Opening Mystery Bounty Day 2 | |
| 2:00 p.m. | 888 High Roller Day 1 | £1,100 | |
| 6:00 p.m. | 888poker Main Event Day 1A | £560 | |
| Friday | 12:00 p.m. | 888poker Main Event Day 1B | £560 |
| 1:00 p.m. | 888 High Roller Day 2 | £1,100 | |
| 6:00 p.m. | 888poker Main Event Day 1C | £560 | |
| Saturday | 12:00 p.m. | 888poker Main Event Day 1D | £560 |
| 6:00 p.m. | 888poker Big Shot Day 1A | £400 | |
| Sunday | 12:00 p.m. | 888poker Main Event Day 2 | |
| 2:00 p.m. | 888poker Big Shot Day 2 | £400 | |
| 4:00 p.m. | Omaha 4/5/6/ Bounty | £330 | |
| 6:00 p.m. | The Closer | £200 |
888poker UKPL Online Satellites from $0.01
You can win 888poker UKPL Main Event seats online at 888poker. Click the “Live Events” checkbox in the 888poker tournament lobby, and you will find the 888poker LIVE UKPL 2024 Passport Seat Only Qualifier.
That satellite costs $55 to enter, and guaranteed at least one £560 ($680) UKPL Main Event seat. Although $55 is an affordable sum, there are feeder satellites for far less money. Those cut-price satellites tip the scales at $0.01, $0.50, $5.50, and $8.80. It is also highly likely that 888poker will be giving away satellite tickets on its social media channels, and the 888poker Stream Team will dish out more than their fair share of goodies on their Twitch channels in the coming weeks and months.
Exciting times are ahead for live poker in the UK, and PokerNews cannot wait to see the first events shuffle up and deal on January 16 at the Grosvenor Casino Coventry.
