The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) has landed in London for the opening stop of its 2026 season, and it didn’t take long for a major winner to emerge. Among the first champions crowned was Brandon Sheils, who claimed victory in the £2,500 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller after outlasting a competitive 72-player field to pocket £49,560.
A well-known and highly respected grinder on the UK circuit, Sheils began 2026 brimming with confidence following the most profitable year of his career. According to The Hendon Mob, the Birmingham-based pro earned $696,389 in 2025, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max event at the World Series of Poker. This latest success nudges his lifetime live earnings ever closer to the $2.5 million milestone.
£2,500 GUKPT London High Roller – Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Sheils | £49,560 |
| 2 | Ryan Fronda | £33,030 |
| 3 | Mehdi Chaoui | £22,030 |
| 4 | James Mitchell | £15,260 |
| 5 | S.S. | £11,320 |
| 6 | Conor O’Driscoll | £8,500 |
| 7 | Bryan Taylor | £6,610 |
| 8 | Adria Dalmau | £5,820 |
| 9 | Keith Johnson | £5,190 |
Only the final nine players shared the £157,310 prize pool. Veteran Keith Johnson was the first to cash, bowing out in ninth when his ace-jack was cracked by James Mitchell’s ace-ten after a ten landed on the flop.
Spain’s Adria Dalmau exited in eighth following a dramatic blind-versus-blind clash. Conor O’Driscoll shoved from the small blind holding ten-five, and Dalmau called with ace-jack. Although Dalmau paired his ace, O’Driscoll spiked trip tens on the river to seal the knockout.
Seventh place went to Scotland’s Bryan Taylor, the reigning GUKPT Edinburgh Main Event champion. Short-stacked with just six big blinds, Taylor moved all-in with ace-eight but was called by Sheils’ king-ten. A ten on the river ended Taylor’s run.
O’Driscoll was next to depart in sixth and narrowly missed out on a five-figure payout. His seven big blind shove with ten-nine of diamonds ran into Mitchell’s pocket tens, and no miracle arrived.
An anonymous player fell in fifth before Sheils eliminated James Mitchell in fourth. Mitchell committed his remaining 14 big blinds with ace-queen, only to be dominated by Sheils’ ace-king. Trips for Sheils sealed the hand, sending Mitchell to the rail with £15,260, adding to the £47,700 he had already won earlier in the week by taking down the inaugural G500.
The tournament moved to heads-up play after Morocco’s Mehdi Chaoui was eliminated in third. Continuing a remarkable run that saw him earn over $1.9 million in 2025, Chaoui shoved his final 6.5 big blinds with queen-ten but failed to improve against Ryan Fronda’s ace-eight.
The final duel saw Sheils face seasoned pro Ryan Fronda, who recorded a cash in the very first GUKPT season and now boasts one in its 20th. Fronda settled for second place and £33,030—his second-largest career score—after his king-eight came up short against Sheils’ ace-eight in the deciding hand.
Sheils wasted no time riding the momentum, jumping straight into Day 1a of the £1,250 buy-in, £250,000 guaranteed GUKPT London Main Event. From an 83-player field, just 26 survived the day, with Sheils finishing near the top of the leaderboard. He bagged 135,400 chips, trailing only Joseph Bold (187,000), Maximilian Sanders (162,500), and Longmao Fan (136,300).
Remaining 2026 GUKPT London Schedule
| Date | Time | Tournament | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Jan | 12:00 p.m. | £140 Main Event Satellite | — |
| 12:00 p.m. | £1,250 NLHE Main Event Day 1b | £250,000 | |
| 9:00 p.m. | £1,250 NLHE Main Event Day 1c Turbo | £250,000 | |
| Sat 17 Jan | 12:00 p.m. | £1,250 NLHE Main Event Day 2 | £250,000 |
| 1:00 p.m. | £550 NLHE GUKPT Cup Day 1 | £50,000 | |
| Sun 18 Jan | 12:00 p.m. | Main Event Day 3 | £250,000 |
| 12:30 p.m. | £550 NLHE GUKPT Cup Day 2 | £50,000 | |
| 1:00 p.m. | £330 PLO Bounty | — | |
| 3:00 p.m. | £200 NLHE Closer | — | |
| Mon 19 Jan | 7:00 p.m. | £110 Online Closer | £20,000 |
| Tue 20 Jan | 7:00 p.m. | Online Closer Day 2 | £20,000 |
