Chris Cousins went into the third and final day’s play of leg four of the GUKPT in Reading from 30 April-4 May with 345,500 chips to his name, enough to see him start fourth of the 14 remaining players.

Otto Richard, Babis Lappas, Callum Smith, start-of-the-day chip leader Fraser Bellamy and Sven Tiesmeyer each lost their stacks before the final table was set with Cousins by that stage a commanding chip leader.

And when Ben Winsor exited in fourth place, Cousins was still there to make a deal with Hui Jin and Chris Barnes with each player guaranteed £19,800, leaving £500, the trophy and a Grand Final seat to play for.

Barnes was the first player the deal benefited as he crashed out in third when his 25-big-blind shove with AC-10S was called by Cousins and his KC-10C. Cousins took the lead on the KD-3D-6H flop and stayed ahead on the 5S turn and 5C river.

The hand meant Cousins went into the heads-up battle with Jin armed with a 2.9m to 700,000 chip advantage and 20 minutes later his stack accounted for all the chips.

Jin moved all-in with QH-9H with Cousins making an easy call with AH-KH. Both players flopped a flush on a 7H-5H-4H flop, but Cousins was way in front with the ace-high flush. The 3H on the turn meant the pot would be split if the 6H landed on the river, but it was the 8H that completed the board and with that Cousins became GUKPT Brighton champion.

GUKPT Brighton result
1 Chris Cousins £20,300
2 Hui Jin £19,800
3 Chris Barnes £19,800
4 Ben Winsor £7,800
5 Martin Bader £5,400
6 Joe Greenfield £3,900
7 Francois Goulet £3,200
8 Lee Taylor £2,700
9 Ellie Biessek £2,300