A Historic Moment After 20 Seasons: Renee Xie Becomes the First Female Champion of the GUKPT Main Event

A Historic Victory in the Anniversary Season

The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour has been one of the most significant domestic tournament series in the UK for two decades. Despite hundreds of Main Events, it had been waiting until now for its first female winner.

This historic achievement occurred during the sixth stop of the 20th anniversary season. The GUKPT Luton Main Event, with a buy-in of £560, drew 396 entries and a prize pool of £188,100. Fifty players made it to the paid positions, but Renee Xie took home the largest share. “It means the world to me. I have no words, I can't believe it,” the champion admitted just after her victory.

Nine Years Ago, She Came Close

This wasn't Xie's first attempt at the GUKPT Main Event title. She was incredibly close in 2017 in Leeds, where she finished second, claiming a then-record £33,000. She waited nine more years for another opportunity. In Luton, she managed to make the leap, and her £35,435 prize became her new career-high in live tournaments.

The final table included Timothy Chung, the GUKPT London Main Event champion from 2022. His journey ended in eighth place. Ciaran McCullagh, who made a deep run in the 2024 WSOP Main Event, finished fifth.

Live Stream from the Final Day Can Be Found Here:

A pivotal moment came when there were four players left. Gary Nordigian went all-in with his remaining 11 big blinds holding T d 5 d, only to face Xie's pocket aces. Despite the flop not sealing his fate and even hitting two pairs on the turn, the river produced another ace, completing Xie's set and advancing her to the final three.

Renee Xie, Sanjay Ranchhoddas, and Christopher Gallagher then agreed on an ICM deal. They split most of the remaining prize pool, setting aside £9,100 for the eventual champion. Gallagher, eliminated in third place, benefited the most, claiming £26,930.

A Flop to Remember Seals the Deal

Heads-up saw Xie face Sanjay Ranchhoddas, who had limited big live tournament experience before this result. The decisive hand unfolded at blinds of 60,000/120,000. Ranchhoddas opened for 300,000 with A h 3 h, leaving less than a million chips behind. Xie called with T s 8 c, and the flop came T h 9 d 9 s.

Xie checked, Ranchhoddas continued with a bet of 375,000, and after Xie’s all-in, he called off his remaining stack. Neither the turn 7 d nor the river Q h helped him, as Xie's pair of tens remained the winner. For his runner-up finish, Ranchhoddas earned £28,545. Xie added the £9,100 stipulated for the winner to her agreed prize, raising the trophy and ending the nearly two-decade wait for the first female GUKPT Main Event champion.

GUKPT Luton Main Event Final Table Results

Sources: PokerNews, Grosvenor Poker, YouTube