Goliath Poker Tournament Returns to Grosvenor Casino This Month

Posted on: August 5, 2022, 10:48h. 

Last updated on: August 9, 2022, 01:43h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

For European poker fans who didn’t make it to the WSOP in Vegas or can’t head to the WSOP Europe in the Czech Republic, there’s another option. Coming up at the end of the month is the Goliath Texas Hold ’em tournament, making a comeback at the Grosvenor Casino Coventry in the UK.

Grosvenor Casino Coventry
An entry to the Grosvenor Casino Coventry in Coventry, Great Britain. The casino is hosting a poker tournament at the end of this month, the Goliath X. (Image: Tagvenue)

The cards start flying on Aug. 27 with the first round of flights. There will be eight through Sept. 2, of which two on that final day are turbo blinds. Next up, those who survived their flight will meet again on Sept. 3 and battle until one player remains standing on September 4.

Goliath is a one-of-a-kind festival of poker here in the UK, and it’s as big as it gets in the world of poker. We’re incredibly proud of how the event has grown over the years,” said Igor Zydek, GM at Grosvenor Casino Coventry.

Organizers are confident that the event will break the 10,000 entry mark this year. It’s a reasonable expectation, especially since the buy-in is just £150 (US$180) and the prize pool is £1 million (US$1.2 million).

Coming Back From COVID

The Goliath made its first appearance in 2011. However, the last live tournament was in 2019, the intervening years being held online because of COVID-19. It’s now set to return, branded as Goliath X. Throughout its history, it has continued to draw larger fields, and organizers expect it to do the same once again this year.

In the inaugural event, there were just 1,765 entries. While a respectable number, the 2019 event had 9,300. It’s likely that, had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory shutdowns, the 2020 and 2021 Goliath events would have continued that upward climb.

For the first Goliath, the top prize was £32,705 (US$39,416). The winning pot has changed since the festival debuted, dropping to £29,690 (US$35,770) in 2013 and increasing to £101,450 (US$122,247) in 2018. The online tournaments over the past two years had prize pools of only about one-quarter of that amount.

Side Events on Tap

There are a number of other tournaments available as part of the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) schedule. Poker players of any level should have no difficulty finding an event that suits their goals.

Kicking things off on the GUKPT side event schedule is the GUKPT Main Event, a £1,000 (US$1,204) buy-in tournament that could see some decent action. For anyone looking for an economical alternative, the £61 (US$73) buy-in RedTooth Turbo Open event is a good option.

There is also a Women’s Championship event (£110/US$132 buy-in) starting on Aug. 26, as well as a £1,650 (US$1,988) High Roller kicking off on August 28. Wrapping things up is the Seniors £150 buy-in tournament on Sept. 4.

The last live tournament winner was Lee Reynolds, who pocketed £64,601 (US$77,863). He and the last remaining four cut a deal that saw them each take home at least $75,000.