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

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 field of 49 players on Friday night to win the High Roller title, and then defeated a field of 345 players in the Main Event to take the Main Event title.

The two victories brought Simpson a total of £54,620 in prize money, allowing him to return to the podium with two consecutive important wins after a less-than-ideal WSOP summer schedule.

For this British professional poker player who won the 2013 Irish Open, the Manchester event once again proved his competitiveness in live tournaments.

He won the High Roller with 49 players, and then topped the Main Event with 345 players.

Simpson's two titles came from two important events at the UKPL Manchester tournament.

First, he beat a field of 49 players on the High Roller, earning £16,620.

Then, he won the Main Event championship, taking home £38,000.

Ian Simpson's double win at Manchester

This double win further expands Simpson's Main Event title list.

Prior to this, he had won the 2013 Irish Open, 2025 888poker LIVE Madrid and 2025 UKPL Newcastle Main Event championships.

With the addition of UKPL Manchester, Simpson's record of victories in live poker tournaments in the UK and Europe has been further expanded.

The main event had 345 participants; Simpson defeated Ali Mallu to win the title.

This year's UKPL Manchester Main Event attracted 345 participants.

Simpson eventually made it all the way to Heads-Up, where he faced Ali Mallu for the championship.

He successfully secured the final victory and won the £38,000 champion's prize.

Mallu finished as runner-up with £25,400, while Lewis Spencer came in third with £16,700.

UKPL Manchester Main Event Final Table Results

Notably, Gaoyang Yang also made it to the 9-player final table, ultimately finishing in 7th place and earning £4,200.

High Roller's Key Hand: AK River Card Reverses KK

Simpson's double crown journey began on Friday night's High Roller.

A total of 49 players participated in this event, with only 6 spots ultimately making the prize pool.

With nine players remaining, Simpson faced a crucial pre-flop all-in.

At that time, one player raised the bet first.

Simpson received the following in the BTN position:

A♠ K♣

Choose 3-bet.

Josh Manley, in the BB position, received:

K♥ K♦

And make a 4-bet.

Both sides eventually put all the scoreboards in the center.

Pre-flop AK vs KK

Manley's pocket kings gave him a clear lead pre-flop, while Simpson had to wait for an ace or other favorable community cards to complete the comeback.

Flip the card:

J♠ 10♥ 5♦

Turn Card:

5♥

The first four community cards did not help Simpson.

But the last card changed the outcome of the entire hand.

River card:

A♣

Simpson hit a pair of aces, reversing Manley's pocket kings and winning the crucial pot.

This hand allowed him to avoid elimination and also saved him important chips for winning the High Roller championship later on.

Eminoglu is gone; Simpson and Andy Wilson face off in a one-on-one match.

After High Roller entered the bubble phase of the prize pool, Yucel Eminoglu became the last player to leave without winnings.

The remaining 6 players have officially entered the prize pool.

Simpson continued his run and eventually met up with Andy Wilson, a regular in the UK live tournament, at Heads-Up.

After the championship match, Wilson finished as runner-up and earned £11,400.

Simpson took home £16,620 and the first championship trophy of this year's UKPL Manchester.

Full prize pool rankings for the UKPL Manchester High Roller

It's worth mentioning that although Josh Manley suffered a river reversal in a crucial AK vs. KK hand, he still managed to make it into the money, finishing in 6th place and winning £2,850.

After a disappointing summer performance at the WSOP, they rebounded upon returning to the UK.

For Simpson, the significance of these two championships goes beyond just the prize money.

He told PokerNews that his overall performance at the WSOP in Las Vegas this summer did not meet expectations.

He only made it into the money once during the entire WSOP.

Back in the UK, their performance in online tournaments did not improve significantly either.

But when they arrived at UKPL Manchester, things suddenly changed.

Simpson first won the High Roller, and then took the Main Event.

This contrast between a continuous slump and winning two titles in a single event led him to remark after the competition that poker is always a game full of variables.

Simpson: The opponent's playing style is very varied, and there is still much to learn.

Simpson said that making it to a Final Table is already great, let alone reaching the final stage twice in a row in the same series and winning the championship.

He specifically mentioned that the opponents in these two matches were quite interesting.

Some players possess highly refined skills and extensive experience, while others employ unexpected tactics that deviate from the usual strategic approaches.

This also led him to believe that no matter how much live tournament experience one accumulates, there is always something new to learn in poker.

He also stated that he very much hopes to rewatch the Final Table of these two games to review the actual decisions and overall performance.

Special thanks to my wife Emma for supporting my live race schedule.

When discussing his double victory at the Manchester Grand Prix, Simpson also expressed his special thanks to his family and friends who came to support him.

He specifically mentioned his wife, Emma.

Simpson said that whenever he goes out to participate in live events, Emma not only needs to devote herself to her own work, but also needs to take care of their daughter.

This family support enabled him to continue participating in live tournaments and maintain his work as a professional poker player.

For Simpson, the two championships were not only his personal achievements at the poker table, but also included the support his family provided off the table.

From the 2013 Irish Open to the 2026 UKPL Manchester, the number of main event titles continues to accumulate.

Simpson is already a well-known player in the British poker world.

In 2013, he won the Irish Open Main Event, achieving a major breakthrough in his career.

Since then, he has continued to participate in major live series in Europe.

In 2025, he once again demonstrated his ability to win main event championships, winning the 888poker LIVE Madrid and UKPL Newcastle Main Event titles.

Now at the 2026 UKPL Manchester, he not only adds another Main Event trophy, but also completes a High Roller and Main Event double at the same event.

Ian Simpson's recent major event champion

This double victory at the Manchester Grand Prix also brings new achievements to his live racing schedule in the second half of 2026.

Next stop: UKPL Coventry and 888poker LIVE London

Despite having just won two races in a single event, Simpson said he doesn't have many live races planned for the rest of the year.

Next, he plans to participate in two events:

UKPL Coventry

as well as:

888poker LIVE London

Among them, 888poker LIVE London will be held at Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London from October 8 to 18, 2026.

The site will be led by Main Event, which offers a buy-in of £1,250 and a minimum buy-out of £250,000.

Before his next trip, Simpson hopes to dedicate more time to studying poker strategies while continuing to stream 888poker online tournaments on his Twitch channel.

The Manchester double is a key achievement for Simpson in the second half of the year.

From reversing the High Roller situation with AK on the river to KK, to defeating Andy Wilson to win his first title, and then breaking through the 345-player Main Event field to defeat Ali Mallu, Ian Simpson completed a fairly complete double title at the UKPL Manchester.

They earned £16,620 and £38,000 from the two matches, for a total of £54,620.

For Simpson, who experienced a slump in the WSOP and online tournaments, these two championships have put him back on track for the second half of 2026.

With UKPL Coventry and 888poker LIVE London taking turns to perform, whether this 888poker brand ambassador can carry over his performance from Manchester to the next stop will be a major point of interest in his subsequent schedule.

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