2026 Goliath Main Event | Damon Burch-Hyson triumphs over 14,663 competitors, taking home £365,520 with a £200 buy-in.

On August 2, 2026, the Goliath Main Event in Coventry, England, concluded with the final round. Damon Burch-Hyson emerged victorious from a record field of 14,663 entries, winning the championship and a prize of £365,520.

This year's tournament had a buy-in of only £200, yet it generated a total prize pool of £2,228,780. With 1,702 more entries than the 2025 record, Goliath has once again broken its own record and continues to solidify its position as a large, low-buy-in live poker event.

14,663 entries, with the total prize pool exceeding £2.2 million.

After nine starting groups, the final number of participants in Goliath 2026 was 14,663.

With an entry fee of only £200, the champion's prize money still reaches £365,520, a significant reward that can change the trajectory of a player's career and life.

The 36 returned for the final day, but the two former champions failed to reclaim the title.

A total of 36 players returned to the arena on the final day, including two former Goliath champions.

2023 champion Alex Todd and 2025 defending champion Paul Worsley both have the chance to become the first player in the tournament's history to win the title twice.

However, Worsley finished in 27th place, while Todd finished in 25th, ending both of their second Goliath championship dreams before the final table.

The nine-player final table is now set after Nicholas Fellone finished in 10th place and won £22,000. All final table players have secured at least £26,000, but the champion's spot still has over £360,000 up for grabs.

Bryan Taylor's pocket J collided with pocket Aces, and he was eliminated first.

Bryan Taylor, the current leader in the National Poker League standings, became the first player eliminated at the final table.

Taylor went all-in with approximately 14 big blinds and pocket jacks, only to run into Burch-Hyson's pocket aces. The community cards failed to bring a comeback, and Taylor ultimately finished in ninth place, earning £26,000.

Next to be eliminated was Nittin Sonawane. He had A-3 against Lewis Aikman's AQ, but his inferior hand couldn't be reversed, and he finished in eighth place, earning £31,500.

Sonawane's previous highest live tournament prize money was only £2,700, making this result a significant improvement over his career record.

Pocket Q achieves double elimination, Burch-Hyson takes over the game.

One of the most important turning points at the final table came from a three-way all-in.

• Wai Lun Lam: AJ

• Lorenc Boci: AK

• Damon Burch-Hyson: Pocket Q

Burch-Hyson's Pocket Q successfully maintained its lead, eliminating two opponents in one go. Lam finished seventh and earned £37,890, while Boci finished sixth and took home £50,000.

This huge pot reduced the number of players on the field from seven to five, giving Burch-Hyson a crucial advantage in the championship race.

Reema Bodalia's river card reversal ended his run in fifth place.

With only about four big blinds remaining, Reema Bodalia went all-in with KQ, while Jonny Elworthy responded with J-4.

The flop came a J, giving Elworthy a temporary lead; the turn brought a K, and Bodalia took the lead, seemingly poised to double up.

However, another Jack appeared on the river, giving Elworthy a set and eliminating Bodalia in fifth place. She ultimately won £71,500, far exceeding her previous best live tournament prize.

The four players reached an agreement to retain £88,520 for the championship.

After Bodalia was eliminated, the remaining four players paused the match and discussed the prize money agreement.

After lengthy negotiations, the four players redistributed the prize money according to the current scoreboard situation, while reserving £88,520 for the final championship.

Because of the agreement-based prize distribution, the final rankings and prize money are no longer entirely based on decreasing order. Fourth place Dayle Gallagher received £178,850, actually higher than runner-up Lewis Aikman and third place Jonny Elworthy.

Gallagher finished fourth, with a career prize of only £810.

After the agreement was finalized, Dayle Gallagher became the first player to be eliminated.

Gallagher went all-in with approximately 13 big blinds and A-8 against Aikman's AQ. The board failed to produce an 8, and Gallagher finished in 4th place.

Prior to this Goliath, his The Hendon Mob resume only included one live tournament cash prize of £810. This £178,850 prize represents a significant leap forward in his career.

All three sides go in to determine the champion.

With three players remaining in the match, Elworthy suffered a major setback in a pot against Burch-Hyson, leaving him with only about 4.5 big blinds.

After several hands, the three players were drawn into a decisive all-in:

• Jonny Elworthy: Q-9

• Lewis Aikman: A-5

• Damon Burch-Hyson: A-8

The community cards formed a double pair, but did not change the pre-flop lead order. Burch-Hyson's A-8 maintained the best hand strength, eliminating Elworthy and Aikman in the same hand to directly secure the 2026 Goliath Championship.

Elworthy finished third and earned £167,330, while Aikman came in second and earned £173,700.

Elworthy receives an additional 20% bonus from GGPoker.

Jonny Elworthy purchased his Goliath tournament slot through his GGPoker account, thus qualifying for the live tournament bonus offered by GGPoker in partnership with Grosvenor.

In addition to the official 3rd place prize of £167,330, he also received a 20% cash bonus, equivalent to £33,466, bringing his total earnings to £200,796.

2026 Goliath Final Table Results

The prize money for the top four winners reflects the result of the four people agreeing to split the prize.

Burch-Hyson ultimately won £365,520, £20 more than the originally agreed-upon first prize, making him the biggest winner in this prize distribution and subsequent title race.

Multiple large-scale side events jointly support the Goliath Poker Festival

In addition to the £200 Goliath Main Event, this year's poker festival also features several other major tournaments that will produce champions:

Dean Hutchison prevented Ravi Sheth from achieving consecutive victories in the GUKPT Main Event; Jamie Dwan, after winning his first WSOP gold bracelet, also claimed the title at the Goliath Super High Roller.

A £200 purchase that changed his career

Winning from a field of 14,663 entries means Damon Burch-Hyson needs to beat 14,662 other entries to become the ultimate champion.

His championship run included eliminating Taylor with pocket Aces, completing a double elimination with pocket Queens, and sending off two opponents with A-8 in the final three-way all-in.

The £365,520 prize money is not only the highest return of this year's Goliath tournament, but also proves once again that large, low-buy-in events can create career-changing results.

With Burch-Hyson lifting the championship trophy, the record-breaking 2026 Goliath has officially come to a close. Grosvenor's next major series will be the GUKPT Glasgow, held from August 16th to 23rd.

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