Nobu Chef Cooks Up £130,000 Hotpot in Poker Tournament

26-year old chef Leo Kam has won the 9th leg of the bluesqpoker.com Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) in London’s Grosvenor Victoria casino.

The Canadian player, who usually plays in £20 games, claimed his place in the £1,000 event after winning a feeder satellite tournament that cost him just £50 to enter.

He emerged victorious after six hard fought days of poker against some of the UK’s finest players to take down the £130,000 first prize. He defeated scrap yard merchant Robert Boon in a relatively short heads up battle and outlasted 432 other players in one of the biggest tournaments of its kind ever staged in the UK.

Leo is the first overseas player to win a GUKPT event, but was one of three non-British players on the final table. American Carl Buskirk finished in 4th place while former Pokerroom CEO Patrik Selin from Sweden took eighth in the nine-man final.

Leo, who had previously worked for Gordon Ramsey, now works at Nobu, one of London’s most exclusive restaurants. He had specially booked time off work to play in the event and will now have to take even more time off to play in the £3,000 GUKPT Grand Final later in the year. After being presented with the trophy Leo admitted that it hadn’t really sunk in yet, but the £130,000 cheque that he left the casino with will be a very welcome reality check when he does eventually reflect on his achievement.

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Tags: Blue Square Poker,  Bluesq Poker,  Grosvenor UK Poker Tour,  GUKPT,  GUKPT 2008,  Leo Kam