Brandon Sheils enjoyed a remarkable week in London, completing a stunning double by capturing the £1,250 GUKPT London Main Event just days after winning the festival’s High Roller. The latest victory added £88,760 to his bankroll and saw him lift a second trophy at the 2026 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour London stop.
Only a week earlier, Sheils had powered through the £2,500 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, defeating a strong field to claim £49,560. Riding that wave of momentum, he jumped straight into the Main Event, where a field of 368 entrants generated a £383,060 prize pool, paid out among the top 44 finishers. Sheils carried his form forward, bagging one of the biggest stacks early and never looking back.
A host of well-known names cashed but fell short of the final table, including Jack Hardcastle, Ali Sarkeshik, Mariusz Czech, Jamie O’Connor, and Longmao Fan. Gary Fisher exited in tenth place, setting the stage for a competitive nine-handed finale.
The final table began with early drama. Jacob Mulhearn was first to go when his pocket tens couldn’t fade Mehdi Chaoui’s ace-queen. Joseph Field followed in eighth after suffering a brutal bad beat, his pocket aces cracked by Vitalie Grecul’s seven-deuce that completed a flush on the river.
Paul Vas Nunes exited in seventh after losing a classic race, while Grecul’s run ended in sixth despite earlier heroics, falling to Giorgos Onisiforou’s straight. Vikrum Mehta, chasing a second GUKPT Main Event title, bowed out in fifth when his ace-ten couldn’t overcome pocket fives.
Peter Stewart was next to fall after Sheils made a flush, leaving four players. Onisiforou then saw his tournament end in third place when Sheils’ ten-nine improved on the turn, setting up heads-up play against Chaoui.
Although Sheils entered heads-up with a commanding chip lead, the contest was anything but straightforward. Chaoui’s experience shone through as he fought back repeatedly, with the match stretching deep into the final level of the night.
The decisive moment finally arrived when Chaoui attempted a bold river bluff. Sheils trusted his read, made the call, and watched Chaoui table air. With that, Sheils sealed the victory, completing an unforgettable double triumph in London.
By claiming both the High Roller and the Main Event in the same festival, Brandon Sheils firmly established himself as the standout performer of the 2026 GUKPT London stop — a run few players will ever replicate.
