Irish poker streamer Fintan “easywithaces” Hand dominated today’s final table at the UKIPT Edinburgh stop to bag victory and the £44,200 top prize, KO-ing four of his five opponents in succession.
The UKIPT was paying its first visit to Edinburgh in eight years, and the £1,100 buy-in Main Event at the Genting Casino in Fountainbridge attracted 220 entries, producing a prize pool of £211,200 and paying out 33 spots.
The final six had already secured a minimum of £9,100, with Hand still in the mix alongside fellow PokerStars Team Pro Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg, who came into the final table second in chips and looking to take down his second UKIPT Main Event title of the year, after victory in Brighton.
Whoopsie for Spraggy
Things didn't go so well for Spraggy this time, though.
First he lost with jacks against kings, and then top pair vs. flopped trips. His tournament life was on the line shortly afterwards, with chip leader Daniel Gormley calling Spraggy’s shove.
Spraggy's pocket fours were in good shape against Gormley's 5♣4♣, but a five on the flop sent him to the rail in sixth place—definitely not what he planned or expected
Meanwhile, the locals were proving tough opposition for the pros, among them a whisky distillery worker and an oil worker. It’s hard to find professions more Scottish than that.
It was oil-rig supervisor Stephen Mckay who hit the rail next. Hand dominated him with AK vs. A♠10❤️, and then ousted Nohad Teliani in fourth spot.
This time it was Hand that was dominated, with Q♣7♣ up against Teliani's A❤️Q♠. The 6♠8♣9❤️ flop gave Hand an open-ended straight draw, the 7♦️️ turn gave him a pair, and the river bricked out for the Canadian.
It was a great series for Teliani. She chose to play the UKIPT Edinburgh event on a whim while passing through London, and it proved well worth her while, bagging victory in a £220 tournament and then second in the high roller before adding this deep Main Event run worth £15,240.
Hand beats birthday boy to the title
A blind-on-blind battle saw yet another pre-flop showdown, with Hand flopping two pair and then rivering a full house he didn't need to send Andrew Mackenzie tumbling out in third for £19,810.
That left the Irishman heads-up against the last remaining Scot, Daniel Gormley, who, like Hand, had previously worked as a poker dealer—in fact, at the very casino in which Gormley was now vying for the tournament win.
Gormley, celebrating his 31st birthday, closed the chip gap when his sevens held up against Hand’s suited ace-queen, but the to-and-fro battle finally saw Hand victorious. His winning hand was pocket eights, which held up against Gormley's A❤️4❤️.
That gave Hand the title, the trophy, and £44,200, with Gormley taking a birthday present of £27,580 for an excellent runner-up performance.
UKIPT Edinburgh results
| Place | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Fintan Hand | £44,200 |
| 2 | Daniel Gormley | £27,580 |
| 3 | Andrew Mackenzie | £19,810 |
| 4 | Nohad Teliani | £15,240 |
| 5 | Stephen Mckay | £11,680 |
| 6 | Benjamin Spragg | £9,100 |
Photos by Danny Maxwell/PokerStars
