Seat 1: David Wilkes, Uk - 152,000David Wilkes, 54, has probably covered more miles to return to UKIPT events than any prior finalist, flying over from his home in Spain for just about they all. His favourite places to play was Barcelona and Dublin, beautiful cities both, the latter with "the most efficient banter," although he tries to wait no less than one live poker festival every couple of months. Wilkes, now retired, was playing poker for seven years ("four of them properly") after starting out in cash games and small weekly tournaments, and has cashed a couple of times in UKIPT events, although this represents his biggest live win to date

Seat 2: Graham Parkin, Uk - 600,000Graham Parkin, 46, a self-described cash game grinder (now based here though originally from Kidderminster) started to play seriously around five years ago, specializing in No Limit Hold'em cash two years ago. Parkin reminisces about his experiences on the UKIPT: "Just how much fun they are, and friendly - now we have numerous banter at all times". Parkin has made a couple of final table of deep-stacked live events, racking up over $50,000 in cashes since 2011, but should he win the principle Event here it'll represent his biggest tournament prize to date.

Seat 3: Jeremy Wray, Uk (PokerStars Passport Winner) - 783,000London-based businessman Jeremy Wray played his first UKIPT long ago in Season 1 and says: "I REALLY LIKE live events and that i couldn't miss the last one. I'd love to win the last one - that is the reason for entering." Poker could be very much a hobby for Wray as his business interests and five children keep him busy. For Wray, poker is ready the intellectual challenge and he says he likes playing against better players than himself. You'll often find him playing for higher stakes at the EPT and his largest live cash up to now came on the PCA in 2014 where he finished 22nd for just over $60,000. Wray has ridden the emotional rollercoaster to get so far and upon getting unlucky at the first hand of play on Day 2 when he had jacks cracked by tens, but he cracked aces right back to survive.

Seat 4: Nathan Webb, Uk - 340,000Nathan Webb is a 35 year old head of finance, who's played poker recreationally for over a decade before turning his mind (and whatever free time he has what with a whole time career and 15 month old daughter) to the study of the sport. From reading Harrington to winning $2,000 in a WCOOP event a year ago, Webb waited for the Birmingham UKIPT stop to roll around to make use of this bankroll to play his first ever live Main Event. His patience has paid off as he's come straight through to the final, having finished Day 1 as overall chip leader (although not without periods he describes as "a grind - hard work!"

Seat 5: Ludovic Geilich, Uk - 1,575,000Ludovic Geilich, UKIPT4 Marbella winner and recently-crowned WCOOP PLO 6-Max High Roller champion is among the most well-known players at the UKIPT. From a background of near-professional snooker as a teenager, Geilich discovered poker in private clubs in Glasgow where he split his time playing and dealing as a dealer. He built and lost a bankroll again and again over - as he says, "rinse and repeat" - until finally his bankroll management caught up along with his talent and because his win in Spain has taken shots at big tournaments worldwide, meanwhile learning from his mistakes. "I learned when to not put the foot down," he admits, "Although I still love to put the foot down." Expect a large rail and shouts of "Lu-do!" should he look on the subject of taking his second title.

Seat 6: David Clarkson, Uk (PokerStars Qualifier) - 1,215,000David Clarkson is a UK and Ireland Poker Tour regular, and although he has a facet event win and half-a-dozen other cashes to his name, that is his first appearance on a UKIPT Main Event final table. To win would mean his biggest live cash thus far but he has a larger one within the online arena having cashed for $72,000 when he won a SCOOP event on PokerStars this year. "I NEED to be the last ever winner of a UKIPT," Clarkson said on a break before the general table. He heads to the overall second in chips, his online and live experience combining to make him a powerful opponent.

Seat 7: Ted Jackson-Spivack, Uk - 940,000Ted Jackson-Spivack turned 24 today and says: "IT'LL be an even birthday whatever happens, but winning the tournament will be the best present ever." He's already locked up his biggest live cash which comes as no surprise as he's usually to be found playing mixed games online on PokerStars. He went to college with fellow mixed game stud Adam Owen and the 2 of them honed their skills during break time before graduating via freerolls to real money play. It's greater than paid off for him as he now plays full time and this September he had his biggest online cash thus far when he finished third in a WCOOP PLO/8 event winning over $12,500. In addition to playing UKIPT events he travels to EPT stops where he mostly plays the mixed game tournaments on offer.

Seat 8: Krishna Nagaraju, India - 431,000Krishna Nagaraju, 37, used to play three-card poker in India, before catching the live game bug from his Icelandic roommate in Denmark and moving directly to play regularly in London, the town he now calls home. From this idiosyncratic beginning, Nagaraju reckons he's been playing seriously live for around three years, mainly at PokerStars LIVE on the Hippodrome Casino. Working in business development in London, he has still managed to rack up 16 live cashes this year, amassing over $100,000 in winnings. Though he could have been a UKIPT regular as much as this point, he says he is probably not playing so frequently as his wife is expecting and gave him strict instructions to win this event.

Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: UKIPT]