2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester

Val Bennet opened to 3,500 from the Lo-jack. Seated right next to her, Annalee Barlow made the call from the Hi-jack.

Bennet continued for 2,400 on the 10♥2♣10♠ flop. Barlow then raised to 6,800, and Bennet wasted little time before making it 22,400. After a minute’s worth of consideration, Barlow mucked.

Being a good sport, Bennet revealed her A♣10♣ holdings. Barlow claimed she folded pocket nines. With Bennet, Barlow, and Roberta Tassiello, there are three women seated at Table 12.

Val Bennet: 126,000
Annalee Barlow: 82,000

Nicholas Mitchell limped the 1,200 Big Blind from the Lo-jack. Slann Michael (Hi-jack) and Craig Beardsworth (Small Blind) made the call before Peter Turner checked his Big Blind.

Action was checked to Mitchell on the 8♣2♣7♠ flop, who continued for 2,000. Michael made the call, Beardsworth mucked, and Turner called. It was once again checked to Mitchell on the 5♣ turn, and now, he raised it up to 5,000. Michael was the only caller. Both contestants then checked the 4♦ river.

“I’ve got a deuce,” Mitchell told his opponent without revealing his cards. Michael tabled A♠8♥, and top pair was good enough to take down the pot.

Slann Michael: 155,000
Nicholas Mitchell: 54,000

Connor Butt min-raised to 2,000 on the Button. Big-stacked Cieran Tighe defended his Big Blind.

Tighe check-called a 1,500 continuation bet from Butt on the J♠9♦3♣ flop. Both players swiftly checked the 9♥ turn, and this poker.pro live reporter had the feeling there wouldn’t be any immense action this hand. Boy, was that gut feeling wrong. After another check from Butt on the 2♦ river, Butt fired a 10,000 overbet. Then, Tighe re-raised his opponent all in for perhaps 21,000 in total. “I know I should fold, but I can’t,” Butt said before making the call.

Tighe tabled K♠9♣ for trips, and, as he probably knew himself, Butt couldn’t beat it. All his chips went to Tighe, who could be the current chip leader. Butt still has two levels and a break left to re-enter Day 1a of the £150 Mini Main Event, if that’s what his heart desires.

Cieran Tighe: 168,000
Connor Butt: 0

Seated UTG, Benjamin Liu (who finished ninth in the £500 Main Event during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield) opened to 1,600. Nigel Burge-Jones made the call from UTG+1, and the two were soon heads-up to the flop.

Lie continued for 1,500 on the 10♣6♦2♦ flop, and Burge-Jones snap-called. Lie then check-called 2,500 from Burge-Jones on the 10♦ turn, before both players checked the J♦ river.

Burge-Jones revealed his 7♥7♦ holdings for a flush, and Liu mucked his hand.

Nigel Burge-Jones: 54,500
Benjamin Liu: 34,400

Action folded to Nicholas Mitchell, who limped the Small Blind. Seated in the Big Blind, Slann Michael decided to check.

Both players checked down the A♥K♥9♠J♠6♠ runout.

Nicholas Mitchell: 5♣2♦
Slann Michael: 5♥3♣

Both players shared a laugh as they saw each other’s premium holdings. “It just wasn’t worth paying for,” Mitchell joked as the two players split the pot.

Slann Michael: 131,500
Nicholas Mitchell: 55,000

Tony Cartwright opened to 1,500 from the Hi-jack. Seated in the Big Blind, Connor Butt was the sole caller.

Both players checked the 4♥10♠2♦ flop. On the 8♣ turn, Butt check-called another 1,500 from Cartwright. Action then went check-check on the Q♠ river.

Butt tabled 9♣2♣, and Cartwright chuckled as he tabled his A♠K♣ holdings. “How can you call with that garbage?” Cartwright joked with his opponent. Suited cards are good enough, Butt claimed, as he stacked his newly-won chips.

Connor Butt: 56,200
Tony Cartwright: 44,500

Play has resumed after the first 20-minute break of the day. There are some prominent names in the field; below is a list of some of the biggest live poker players, according to The Hendon Mob.

Two hours have passed, and it’s time for the first 20-minute break of the day for the £150 Mini Main Event Day 1a players. Below are some of the biggest stacks in the room, as play soon will resume with Level 5.

The board read 3♣4♦K♣ with 6,000 in the middle. Kyle Naylor (Big Blind) checked it over to Wanhan Lee (UTG), who continued for 2,000. UTG+2 and the Button both folded before Naylor made the call. Both players checked the 3♠ turn, and Naylor then bet 2,600 on the 10♣ river. Lee then raised to 10,000, and Naylor made the call fairly swiftly.

Lee tabled 10♥10♦ for a rivered set, and Naylor couldn’t beat it, seeing as he mucked his hand. Playing double the average stack, Lee is probably one of the chip leaders at this point.

Wanhan Lee: 95,000
Kyle Naylor: 36,500

While Day 1a of the £150 Mini Main Event will be the tournament in focus on the poker.pro live blog today, the £60 poker.pro PL Sviten Special and the £60 PLO Masters Saturday Party Courchevel Bounty deserve some kind of shoutout as well. The Sviten tournament kicks off at 19:00, while 21:00 will be Courchevel time.

Sviten is a game that lies close to the heart of the poker.pro editorial office. This five-card draw and PLO5-hybrid of a game brings immense action, and is, in our opinion, the funniest poker discipline that there is.

Press here to learn how to play Sviten.

A big pot was brewing between PartyPoker Tour Ambassador and Richard Mackay at Table 11. The board read K♠5♠10♦6♦A♠ with 4,000 in the middle. Mackay (Small Blind) checked it over to Bromley (Big Blind), who bet 5,000. After a minute’s worth of consideration, Mackay moved all in for 24,500. Bromley leaned back in her chair, releasing a heavy sigh. She claimed the A♠ was a horrendous river, and she tried to get a comment from Mackay. After monologuing for a minute or two, Bromley made the call.

Her gut feeling was right; Mackay tabled Q♠6♠ for a rivered flush. Bromley’s K♥K♦ didn’t stand a chance. As such, a big chunk of the Bromley stack went to Mackay.

Richard Mackay: 53,000
Natalie Bromley: 19,500

The 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester is the fourth stop of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour. It all kicked off in Sheffield in January, before the tour expanded abroad with two stops in Spain (Seville and Madrid). Through the links below, you can catch up on the £150 Mini Main Event and the £500 Main Event action from the previous three stops.

£150 Mini Main Event Recaps

• Online Qualifier John Leslie Claims Mini Main Event Title at the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield
• 2026 PartyPoker Tour Seville Day 4: Juan Anguas Wins €150 Mini Main Event; Gloreiou Claims €500 Main Event Day 1a Chip Lead
• Estrada Mazzarella Wins All the Mozzarella in 2026 PartyPoker Tour Madrid €150 Mini Main Event

£500 Main Event Recaps

• Siddharth Sudunagunta Claims £500 Main Event Win in First 2026 PartyPoker Tour Stop
• 2026 PartyPoker Tour Seville Day 7: Francisco Garrido Wins the €500 Main Event for €30,500
• Neofitov Dominates €500 Main Event Competition during the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Madrid

During the 2025 PartyPoker Tour Manchester, Ion Oprea was the player who had the best overall success. Not only did he win the £150 Mini Main Event for £8,885, but he also came third in the £500 Main Event for an additional £10,200. Time will tell whether Opera turns up to defend his Mini Main Event title.

Press here to read all about Oprea’s £150 Mini Main Event from last year.

Natalie Bromley is one of 10 PartyPoker Tour Ambassadors for the 2026 PartyPoker Tour. She’s just arrived at Manchester235 Casino, making her the first ambassador on-site. Historically, Bromley hasn’t had much luck in the £150 Mini Main Event, something she’s looking to change. Considering Manchester is her home leg of the tour, perhaps, this will be the time she conquers this popular tournament.

The poker.pro journalist Christoffer Karlén interviewed Bromley roughly one week ago. You can read the interview and get to know Bromley a little bit better by pressing here.

Play has started in Day 1a of the £150 Mini Main Event, and the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester is officially underway.

Late registration will be open for nine 30-minute levels. Today, play will wrap up when 15% of the field remains.

Welcome, fellow poker enthusiasts, to the live coverage of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester.

The poker.pro live reporter Christoffer Karlén arrived to Manchester yesterday afternoon, and after a good night’s rest, he’s ready to cover every knook and cranny of the action that’s about to fold at Manchester235 Casino for the next nine days.

Today’s schedule features three events. First and foremost, the whole festival will kick off with Day 1a of the £150 Mini Main Event. In terms of entries, this is always the most popular tournament of the PartyPoker Tour. This time will be no different, with six starting-day flights. The inaugural flight will kick off at 16:00.

Then, at 19:00, it’s time for the first poker.pro-branded tournament of the week. The £60 poker.pro PL Sviten Special is a tournament no one wants to miss. Sviten, the Swedish game that is a mix between five-card draw and five-card PLO, offers unparallelled action, and it’s destined to become a Saturday night party.

Last but not least, JJ Hazan’s PLO Masters makes its first appearance on the schedule with the £60 PLO Masters Saturday Party Madness Courchevel Bounty. Cards will be in the air at 21:00, and together with the Sviten tournament, these two tournaments makes this quite the Mixed Games-heavy Saturday at Manchester’s finest card room.

All and all, the stage is set for an exciting first day of the 2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester. Today’s live blog will focus on the Mini Main Event, but under the “Results” tab, all results from the side events throughout the festival will be uploaded. The poker.pro live blog will be the place to be this week to catch up on all the action from Manchester235 Casino, and this live reporter is beyond ex cited for the event to kick off. See you all at 16:00.

2026 PartyPoker Tour Manchester – Saturday, June 13, Tournament Schedule