Like a certain escapologist, Gaspare Sposato has created magic in the London Hippodrome. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Blacksmith versus escapologist

In 1904, the Hippodrome in London played host to a high-profile challenge set to a very famous man by the Daily Mirror newspaper. It was a showdown of sorts between a celebrated escapologist and a Birmingham Blacksmith who had spent five years perfecting a pair of handcuffs with a lock ‘no mortal man’ could pick. 

The thirty-year-old Hungarian-American Erik Weisz had wowed crowds all across the US but it was only his second visit to the English capital. With more than 4,000 people gathered and his reputation on the line, would he be able to unshackle himself? Ever the showman, Weisz examined the handcuffs and exclaimed:

I do not know whether I am going to get out or not. But I can assure you I am going to try my best.”

The escape attempt began and Weisz vanished into a little cabinet onstage which he called his ‘ghost house.’ After 70 minutes and much apparent struggle, the accompanying band reached a stirring crescendo and he emerged victorious, the handcuffs held aloft. Weisz, better known by his stage-name Harry Houdini, had done it again.

Sposato comes back to win

120 years later, in the same building, Gaspare Sposato was a modern-day Houdini, not once but twice escaping from the handcuffs of Atanas Pavlov. Sposato, who came into heads-up play in the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) London Main Event as a 6:1 underdog, overturned the deficit to take a commanding position only to find himself back under the cosh with just 17% of the chips.  

Along the way, in what was an engrossing mano y mano encounter, the two did some business to flatten out the payout structure but it was clear that nothing changed in terms of their ferocity and will to win. Blows were traded. Pots went back and forth. After over two hours of battle, Sposato emerged victorious, the trophy held aloft, and a career-best £107,660 ($137,411) payday secured. 

Speaking after the win, Sposato said how fixated he was on clinching the title:

“I was only playing for the trophy. I was really close last year in Paris but I lost heads-up, and many times tonight I thought the same thing was going to happen again. But this trophy is a present for my wife, it was her birthday yesterday. It’s a great moment to be all together with friends and enjoy it.”

Huge success

The 725-runner field represented a huge success for the UKIPT brand after what was a lacklustre London stop in 2023. The Hippodrome is a unique venue, charming and plush but not perfectly suited to hosting big poker tournaments. That’s where having great staff comes into play and it was clear from the outset that the players were in safe hands with resident force of nature Kerryjane Craigie and organizational wizard Nick O’Hara at the helm. 

Another epic heads-up produced a deserving winner in Roed

Whilst the Main Event played out on the new Hippodrome feature table, in another part of the building, the 376-entry £330 ($360) UKIPT London Cup was reaching its denouement. The fierce and fearsome Ivonne Montealegre was in the mix as was the 2013 UKIPT London champion Robbie Bull, but it ultimately boiled down to a clash between Kent Roed and David McConachie. Another epic heads-up produced a deserving winner in Roed who took home the £21,498 ($27,438) first prize. 

On Thursday, Mallory Frere took down the the £2,200 ($2,808) Highroller for £59,940 ($76,501), defeating Pokerstars ambassador Alex Romero heads-up. That second place finish plus his tenth in the Main Event propeled the Spaniard into a big lead at the top of the UKIPT Player of the Year Leaderboard, overtaking washed-up content creator David Lappin who took silver in Monday’s £220 ($281) Opener behind Ersan Khan.

Other tournaments during the festival included the £220 Pokerstars Ambassador Bounty, the record-breaking £220 8-game and the £220 Ladies Event won by Nikolay Ponomarev, Ryan Wakefield and Louisa Pliny respectively.