United Kingdom Poker 2025 SPI Review: Top Ten UK Poker Players

The 2025 poker season was a landmark year for British grinders, as the top ten UK poker players combined sharp high-stakes results with impressive volume across the global circuit. According to the Somuchpoker Poker Index (SPI) , the 2025 leaderboard highlights a year where UK professionals successfully balanced elite stops in Cyprus and Las Vegas with dominant performances in the booming Asian poker scene.

The following table breaks down the stats and surgical precision that defined the seasons for the top ten UK poker players in 2025.

2025 SPI Score: United Kingdom Top Ten

Player Profiles

1. Jun Li

Sitting at the top of the top ten UK poker players for 2025 is Jun Li . Li’s season was a masterclass in regional dominance, navigating 17 festivals to accumulate a massive 2025 SPI Score of 18,273. His relentless consistency resulted in SPI earnings of $422,396 across 63 events.

Li’s year reached its peak in the Asian circuit, where he secured multiple final tables, pushing his total live earnings over the $1.6 million mark. His highest score of the year came from APT Incheon , where he secured a runner-up position in the APT High Roller event for KRW 148,750,000 ($107,555). Impressive as it is, Li’s career-best cash still stands at $138,310, which he earned at the APT Taipei 2024 with his lucrative victory in the Zodiac event.

2. Ryan Plant

Ranked second among the top ten UK poker players, Ryan Plant focused on a high-efficiency strategy. He reached a 2025 SPI Score of 14,471 by turning 35 event entries into 26 cashes. His efforts across 8 festivals resulted in SPI earnings of $304,507. With over $1.3 million in total live earnings, Plant’s 2025 highlight was a deep run in a marquee series in Las Vegas. He secured a tenth-place finish in the Monster Stack event at the 56th World Series of Poker, earning him $99,989.

Around the Asian circuit, his best score of the year came from the Players Series Taiwan Championship II when he emerged victorious in the Trip of Poker’ High Roller Cup for TWD 1,450,700 (~$47,485). While impressive, his career-best cash still stands at $189,035, set at the EPT Prague 2024 with his 4th finish in the Eureka Main Event.

3. Matthew Belcher

Matthew Belcher secures the third spot with a 2025 SPI Score of 12,365. Belcher was a constant threat in mid-to-high stakes fields, generating SPI earnings of $362,370. Known for his tactical depth, he maintained a high ITM ratio of nearly 100% across the 36 events he attended. His career-best score remains an important point on a resume that now boasts over $1.5 million in total winnings.

His biggest moment of 2025 came at the Triton Montenegro series, where he recorded a career-best $293,000 for a 13th-place finish in the $100,000 Main Event. During the same week, Belcher also placed 7th in the $50,000 NLH 8-Handed for $283,000, his second-largest cash to date, capping off an impressive stretch of results.

4. Stephen Chidwick

The legendary Stephen Chidwick occupies the fourth position. Despite playing only 5 events, Chidwick’s incredible SPI earnings of $5,632,088 led to a 2025 SPI Score of 10,826. Currently, the UK’s #1 All-Time Money Leader with over $76 million in earnings, his 2025 pinnacle came from a massive Super High Roller victory in Jeju, proving he remains the final boss of world poker.

Chidwick claimed the title in the $200K Short Deck PLPF event at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II 2025 and took home his highest score of the year for $3,455,000. Notably, his career-best cash stands still at $5,368,947, which he earned in 2019 with his runner-up finish in the Triton Million for Charity at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London.

5. Alfie Adam

Rounding out the top five of the top ten UK poker players is Alfie Adam with a 2025 SPI Score of 10,042. Adam utilized a high-volume approach across 10 festivals to secure SPI earnings of $97,512. While focusing on more accessible buy-ins, his consistency in reaching the money 32 times throughout the year highlights a very disciplined tournament grind.

While his lifetime earnings are approaching half a million, Adam’s highlight in 2025 occurred at the APT Championship Taipei , where he took home TWD 960,700 (~$31,090) with his deep run in the APT Championship Main Event Freezeout event. While impressive, he earned his career-high score of $33,734 with his deep run in the 45th World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em event.

6. Luke Dainton

Luke Dainton holds the 6th spot with a 2025 SPI Score of 9,452. Dainton displayed great efficiency in 2025, attending 9 festivals to secure SPI earnings of $101,688. Known for his durability in long-haul events, he recorded 24 cashes throughout the year. His total live earnings continue to climb as he establishes himself as a regular threat on the international circuit.

With total live tournament earnings of nearly $150,000, Dainton recently crossed the $100,000 career milestone. His standout performance came in September 2025 at the Zodiac Series of Poker II in Taipei, where he finished 4th in the Snake Main Event for a career-best $50,887, setting a new mark in his poker resume.

7. Josei Kamei

Josei Kamei takes the 7th position among the top ten UK poker players with a 2025 SPI Score of 9,439. Kamei was exceptionally clinical, recording 25 cashes across only 27 events played. This efficiency resulted in SPI earnings of $113,430. His momentum in 2025 was driven by deep runs in both the UK domestic circuit and selective Asian stops.

Kamei has accumulated total live earnings of nearly $250,000, and his career reached a peak in July 2025 at the 18th Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT) . Kamei outlasted a massive field in the TMT Main Event to finish in 5th place, securing his career-best live cash of TWD 1,950,000 (~$66,336).

8. Michael Zhang

Michael Zhang ranks 8th with a 2025 SPI Score of 6,417. A specialist in the world’s toughest fields, Zhang played only 5 events but generated massive SPI earnings of $971,533. Ranking the top 15 of England’s all-time money list with over $7.5 million in career earnings, his 2025 highlight was a deep run in a major high-stakes series.

Zhang’s 2025 campaign saw him take 2nd in a Triton Jeju $50,000 Short Deck event for $510,000 and 6th in the $100,000 Short Deck for $359,000. Notably, his most significant live payday came in 2023 at the Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam, where he finished as the runner-up in the $100,000 Short Deck Main Event for a massive $1,115,000.

9. Benjamin Heath

The high-stakes titan Benjamin Heath ranks 9th with a 2025 SPI Score of 6,093. Like Chidwick, Heath focused purely on elite quality, generating SPI earnings of $2,388,000 from just three entries.

With over $35 million in total live earnings, Heath’s 2025 was defined by his usual surgical precision at the highest levels of the game. His 2025 highlight occurred at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II, where he secured a 3rd-place finish in the Triton Jeju NLHE Main Event for $2,223,000. Impressive as it is, Heath’s largest cash came from WSOP Paradise , where he finished runner-up in the Triton Million for $8,160,000.

10. Qibang “James” Cheung

Rounding out the list is Qibang “James” Cheung with a 2025 SPI Score of 6,021. Cheung achieved a perfect “In The Money” ratio in 2025, recording 15 cashes in exactly 15 events played. This anomaly resulted in SPI earnings of $89,035, marking a successful campaign across three major festivals.

Cheung has accumulated nearly $400,000 in his lifetime earnings, and his career-best cash stands at $47,475, earned for a 4th-place finish in a $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better event at the 2023 WSOP. His highlight in 2025 was from his deep run in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship (8-Handed – Freezeout) event at the 56th WSOP for $22,061.

Where to Play in the UK

The United Kingdom offers some of the most historic and prestigious poker venues in the world.

• The Hippodrome Casino (London) : Located in the heart of Leicester Square, this is a central hub for major London series and 24/7 cash game action.
• Dusk Till Dawn : Widely regarded as the home of British poker, this dedicated poker club hosts the largest domestic tournaments in the country.
• Grosvenor Victoria Casino (The Vic): The biggest venue in the franchise and a venue in London known for its high-stakes cash games and as the home of the GUKPT.

UK’s Poker Festivals

• Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT): The longest-running and most popular domestic tour in the UK, drawing the best local talent year-round.
• European Poker Tour (EPT) London: When the EPT returns to the capital, it serves as the crown jewel of the British poker calendar, attracting a global field.
• UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT): A staple for both professional and recreational players, offering high-quality structures at approachable buy-ins.

As 2026 gets underway, several of the UK’s top ten players are already making early moves in the standings. Plant currently sits in tenth place with an SPI score of 6,336. After the high standard set by the 2025 class, the race to finish as the UK’s top performer this year is already heating up across the global circuit.