International news

International news

Ian Simpson wins the 2026 UKPL Manchester High Roller and Main Event double.

UKPL Manchester | Ian Simpson wins both the High Roller and Main Event titles, earning a combined £54,620.

International news
International news /

  In September 2026, 888poker brand ambassador Ian Simpson achieved a double victory at the UK Poker League (UKPL) Manchester event. He first broke through a 49-player field to win the High Roller title on Friday night, then defeated a 345-player Main Event field to take the Main Event title. The two victories earned Simpson a total of £54,620, returning him to the podium after a less-than-ideal WSOP summer season. For the British professional poker player who won the 2013 Irish Open, the Manchester event once again proved his competitiveness in live tournaments. Simpson's double victory came from two important events at the UKPL Manchester event. First, he defeated a 49-player field in the High Roller, earning £16,620. Then, he successfully won the Main Event, taking home £38,000. Ian Simpson's Double Win at Manchester Events: First Place Winner: UKPL Manchester High Roller (49 players): £16,620; UKPL Manchester Main Event (345 players): £38,000. Total Winner: £54,620. This double win further expands Simpson's Main Event title tally. Previously, he had won the 2013 Irish Open, 2025 888poker LIVE Madrid, and 2025 UKPL Newcastle Main Event. With the addition of the UKPL Manchester title, Simpson's record in live poker tournaments in the UK and Europe is further strengthened. In the Main Event, Simpson defeated Ali Mallu to win. The UKPL Manchester Main Event attracted 345 players. Simpson fought his way to the Heads-Up to face Ali Mallu for the championship. He successfully secured the victory, taking home the £38,000 first-place prize. Mallu finished as runner-up, earning £25,400, while Lewis Spencer came in third, taking home £16,700. UKPL Manchester Main Event Final Table Results: 1. Ian Simpson £38,000 2. Ali Mallu £25,400 3. Lewis Spencer £16,700 4. Ronnie Ma

Wang Hengming staged a comeback with 77 chips to defeat KK and become the chip leader on Day 1A of the 2026 IPG Jiuhuashan Main Event.

IPG Jiuhuashan Station | Main Event Day 1A: 267 players entered, 41 advanced; Wang Hengming reversed a 77-point deficit to defeat KK and become the chip leader.

International news
International news /

  On September 18, 2026, the second day of the seven-day IPG Grand Finals Qualifier at Jiuhuashan Station commenced, with the Main Event officially kicking off its first starting group, Day 1A, at the Four Seasons Yongyi Hotel. A total of 267 players participated in this group, and after 14 levels and simultaneous hands, 41 players qualified for the second round. The most anticipated key hand occurred during the bubble stage. Wang Hengming, holding 77 against Wu Tao's KK, hit a set on the flop, completing a comeback and eliminating his opponent while increasing his chip count to 649,000, becoming the chip leader for Day 1A. In the supplemental events, Meng Zhiyuan successfully won the "Jiuhuashan Cup," while Zhang Zhiqiang, Guo Yangyang, and Zhao Chen also won titles in their respective tournaments. Main Event Day 1A: 267 players participated, 41 successfully advanced. This year's IPG Jiuhuashan Station Main Event consisted of four rounds. The first round was divided into four starting groups: A, B, C, and D, with group D using a fast-paced format. Day 1A officially started at 12:00 noon on September 18th. Each group used a qualifying mechanism where play stopped when approximately 151 TP3T remained. Successful qualifiers entered the final round. Key Day 1A data: Event: IPG Jiuhuashan Main Event; Date: September 18, 2026; Starting Group: Day 1A; Number of Players: 267; Levels Completed: 14; Number of Players Qualified: 41; Chip Leader: Wang Hengming; Chip Leader: 649,000; Bubble Player: Wu Tao. In Level 14, with blinds at 2,000/5,000/5,000, 44 players remained, and the game entered the synchronized hand phase early. Seventh hand in the synchronized hand: Two players were eliminated simultaneously. After Day 1A entered the synchronized phase, players began to manage their chips more cautiously. Until the seventh hand in the synchronized hand, both tables went all-in almost simultaneously. At one table, the long-stacked player held A♦6♣ against the short-stacked player's A♠7♠. The community cards were dealt as follows: 4♦ 9♠ 4♣ 6♥ 9♦. A6, initially slightly behind, hit a pair of 6s on the turn, ultimately winning with two pairs. Player A7 thus became the first player eliminated in the synchronous phase. Meanwhile, Nian Qishun's Q9 lost to AT. With 42 players remaining on Day 1A, another table saw a pre-flop all-in. Nian Qishun held Q♣9♦, while his opponent held A♦10♦. The community cards were J♠ 6♣ 9♣ 7♣ 10♥. Although Nian Qishun hit a pair of 9s on the flop, his opponent completed a pair of 10s on the river, ultimately taking the lead. Nian Qishun was unfortunately eliminated. With one player eliminated from each of the two tables, Day 1A was officially down to 42 players, just one short of the qualification threshold. The crucial bubble: Wu Tao's KK clashed with Wang Hengming's 77. The eighth hand, a synchronized hand, became the most important turning point of Day 1A. At that time, Wu Tao had approximately 150,000 chips, while Wang Hengming had accumulated nearly 500,000 chips. Both players were to go all-in pre-flop.

Fan Liujian leads Day 1A of the 2026 RSOP Dongying Main Event with 502,000 chips.

RSOP Dongying Station | Main Event Day 1A: 125 players entered, 17 advanced; Fan Liujian leads with 502,000 chips.

International news
International news /

    On September 18, 2026, the RSOP Dongying Station entered its second day of competition, with the Main Event officially kicking off Day 1A with the first starting group. A total of 125 players participated in this group, and after 12 levels, 17 players successfully advanced to the second round. Fan Liujian became the chip leader of Day 1A with 502,000 chips, followed closely by Li Yongsheng, the champion of the previous RSOP 6 Anniversary Main Event, with 381,000 chips. In addition to the Main Event, the Opening Event, the Omaha Turbo Challenge, and the Single Day Elite Challenge also saw their champions determined, bringing several important results to this year's RSOP Dongying Station. Main Event Day 1A: 125 Players, 17 Advance On September 18, the RSOP Dongying Station Main Event Day 1A officially began. This group consisted of 12 levels, with 125 players participating. As the competition progressed, players were gradually eliminated, and ultimately only 17 players retained their chips, qualifying for the second round. Day 1A Core Data Event RSOP Dongying Main Event Competition Category Day 1A Date: September 18, 2026 Number of Players: 125 Levels Completed: 12 Number of Players Advancing: 17 Chip Leader: Fan Liujian Chip Leader: 502,000 Approximately 13.61 TP 3T players in this group successfully advanced, and the 17 players will enter the second round with their remaining chips. Fan Liujian Tops Day 1A with 502,000 Chips After competing through 12 levels, Fan Liujian became the first chip leader in the Main Event starting group. He ultimately finished Day 1A with 502,000 chips, taking the lead in Group A. The chips accumulated on Day 1 will be a crucial foundation for Fan Liujian's advancement to the second round. As other starting groups complete their rounds, the overall list of players advancing to the Main Event will be further determined. Last Year's Champion Li Yongsheng Advances with 381,000 Chips to Defend His Day 1A Title Another player attracting attention is Li Yongsheng. As the reigning champion of the "RSOP 6 Anniversary" Main Event, Li Yongsheng participated again in this year's Dongying Station and successfully advanced from the first starting group. He finished Day 1A with 381,000 chips, second only to Fan Liujian. Day 1A confirmed chip leader: Fan Liujian 502,000; Day 1A chip leader: Li Yongsheng 381,000. The difference between the two champions in the previous RSOP 6 Anniversary Main Event was 121,000 chips. For Li Yongsheng, this successful advancement means he still has a chance to compete for the RSOP Main Event title again. Mu Qiang wins the Opening Event, taking the important first title in Dongying Station. In addition to the official start of the Main Event, the RSOP Dongying Station Opening Event also concluded on September 18th. Ultimately, Mu Qiang successfully won the title. The Opening Event was one of the first events to conclude in this series, making Mu Qiang one of the first players to stand on the champion's podium in Dongying Station. The original article did not disclose the full number of participants, prize money, and final table rankings for the opening tournament; therefore, the relevant data will still be based on...

Quick Access

Return to the website introduction, or go directly to the tutorials, news, brand introduction, competition information, rankings and FAQs.

Website Introduction Poker Strategy / Tutorials Poker News Brand Introduction Match Information Top 100 Rankings FAQ