£2,100 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2022 888poker LIVE London
£2,100 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2022 888poker LIVE London
Buy-in
£2,100
Prize Pool
£181,248
Entries
96
Level
22
Blinds
8,000 / 16,000
Ante
16,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
A dominant final table performance from Jack Hardcastle saw him top a 96-player field to win the 888poker LIVE London High Stakes Series Main Event for £57,098.
In the final hand, Hardcastle cracked Kings to defeat Neil McCulloch heads-up who had to settle for £37,500, while start-of-day chip leader Jaspreet Panchhi fell in third place.
Tipped earlier this year as a 'British Player to Watch', Hardcastle moved into the chip lead after the very first hand and held on through a rapid-fire four-hour final day.
888poker LIVE London High Stakes Series Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Hardcastle | United Kingdom | £57,098 |
| 2 | Neil McCulloch | United Kingdom | £37,500 |
| 3 | Jaspreet Panchhi | United Kingdom | £24,500 |
| 4 | Shah Athar | United Kingdom | £17,200 |
| 5 | Andrew Seabright | United Kingdom | £12,700 |
| 6 | Euan McNicholas | United Kingdom | £9,400 |
| 7 | Matthew Skeadas | United Kingdom | £7,250 |
| 8 | Eoghan O'Dea | United Kingdom | £5,800 |
| 9 | Harry Law | Ireland | £5,100 |
Winner's Reaction
A regular in both England and the United States, Hardcastle admits that the tournaments are much tougher on this side of the Atlantic.
"American tournaments have bigger fields for sure, so that makes them more minefield-esque," he told PokerNews. "The standard of poker [in England] is much better, but also you're more familiar with everyone."
After knocking out Eoghan O'Dea on the very first hand of the day, Hardcastle never once relinquished the chip lead in what was a dominant performance. He said that that first elimination was a "sign of things to come."
"I don't think I lost an all-in all day," had said. "There wasn't any pressure with a big stack; it's just about taking it spot by spot and making the best decisions I can."
After securing victory, Hardcastle was planning to head off to his father's 50th birthday party, with a newly-acquired shiny new gold trophy in hand. Would that make the perfect birthday gift?
"If he wants it, he can have it!" replied Hardcastle.
Final Table Recap
There was a rapid-fire start to the final table, with two eliminations in the space of three hands. Harry Law had his kings cracked by Jack Hardcastle on the first hand of the day, before Eoghan O'Dea was felted by Shah Athar.
Matthew Skeadas failed to pick up anything at the final table, before falling in seventh. Euan McNicholas was then on the receiving end of a bad beat to bust in sixth, losing out to the running diamonds of Athar.
Hardcastle had held the chip lead since the early stages, and boosted his chip stack further with the elimination of Andrew Seabright.
Read More: Five British Poker Players to Watch in 2022
Five eliminations in the space of two hours were always going to inflate the average stack, but with Hardcastle holding more than 150 big blinds he was the clear chip leader.
The remaining three players nervously battled it out against one another, failing to land a clear blow on the chip leader as Athar fell in fourth place and start-of-day chip leader Jaspreet Panchhi in third place.
Hardcastle held a huge chip lead heads-up and despite McCulloch securing a double-up, he never looked like catching up to his opponent, who held on to secure victory at the Victoria Grosvenor Casino.
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Neil McCulloch opened to 38,000 and Jack Hardcastle moved all in.
McCulloch called all in for his last 461,000.
Neil McCulloch: 
Jack Hardcastle: 
McCulloch was in a good spot to double up although Hardcastle did pick up a ten on the 
flop.
The turn was the 
and the river was the 
giving Hardcastle trips and eliminating McCulloch in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,920,000
476,000
|
476,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 22
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,444,000
-56,000
|
-56,000 |
|
|
477,000
76,000
|
76,000 |
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Jack Hardcastle 
raised to 27,000 and Neil McCulloch 
called.
The flop came 
and McCulloch checked. Hardcastle continued for 12,000 and McCulloch called.
The turn 
saw both players check and the river was the 
.
Both players checked and McCulloch took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,500,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
401,000
71,000
|
71,000 |
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Jack Hardcastle 
limped and Neil McCulloch 
checked.
The pair checked the 
flop and McCulloch check-called 24,000 on the 
turn.
The river was the 
and McCulloch checked. Hardcastle shoved and McCulloch snap-called for his last 129,000, and he doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,600,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
330,000
126,000
|
126,000 |
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Jack Hardcastle 
raised to 27,000 and Neil McCulloch called.
The flop was 
and both players checked. McCulloch check-called 36,000 on the 
turn.
The river was the 
. McCulloch checked and Hardcastle bet 90,000. McCulloch folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,700,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
204,000
-87,000
|
-87,000 |
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Jaspreet Panchhi shoved blind on blind for 202,000 and Jack Hardcastle called.
Jaspreet Panchhi: 
Jack Hardcastle:
There was no help for Panchhi as Hardcastle flopped a set on 
and the start-of-day chip leader was eliminated in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,600,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
291,000
-17,000
|
-17,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 21
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000 | |
|
|
308,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
227,000
-5,000
|
-5,000 |