The 2024 edition of the Grosvenor Poker Goliath is only weeks away with the first of eighth flights scheduled to shuffle up and deal on July 27. The Goliath has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2011, and everything points to the 2024 Goliath being the biggest ever.
Grosvenor Poker estimates the Goliath prize pool will weigh in at around £1.5 million despite each flight only costing £200 to enter. One of the reasons the prize pool is thought to climb so high is Grosvenor Poker and PokerStars joining forces, with PokerStars supporting the iconic live event through online satellites.
Head to the PokerStars tournament lobby, search for “Goliath,” and you’ll see dozens of feeder satellites and seat-only satellites. The feeders run four times daily, each costing £2.20 to enter, with each awarding a £22 Goliath Coventry Seat Only Qualifier ticket for every £22 in the prize pool.
Also daily, but at 7:30 p.m. BST, a £22 Goliath Coventry Seat Only Qualifier kicks off. It pays a £200 Goliath seat for every £200 in the prize pool. This satellite awards £200 Goliath seats only, so you’ll need to make your way to Coventry for the Goliath under your own steam.
Past Goliath Champions
The Goliath debuted in 2011 and was an instant success. Lee Rawson was crowned the inaugural Goliath champion after outlasting 1,764 opponents on his way to collecting £32,705.
Such fields were unheard of in the United Kingdom, and nobody expected the Goliath to grow into the beast it is today.
A year after Rawson’s victory, Les Fenton came out on top of a 1,954-strong field to become the 2012 Goliath champion. The tournament’s attendance broke through 3,000 players by 2014, through 5,000 players in 2016, with Lee Reynolds battling through a bumper crowd of 9,300 entrants in 2019.
The Goliath grew every year with the exception of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Even then, Grosvenor Poker’s online poker room saw 2,013 players turn out in 2020, and 2,722 entrants for the 2021 edition.
When the Goliath returned to a live setting in 2022, it picked up where it had left off before the pandemic forced it online. Kyle Jeffrey bulldozed his way through 10,583 opponents as he became the 2022 Goliath champion and recipient of £200,000, the largest-ever Goliath prize.
Last year, 11,493 players bought in, and Alex Todd outlasted them all. Todd scooped £176,800 after a six-handed deal.
With the support of PokerStars, the 2024 Goliath could surpass 12,000 entrants!
How Winning the Goliath Opened Poker Doors for Kyle Jeffrey
| Year | Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | £120 | 1,765 | £176,500 | Lee Rawson | £32,705 |
| 2012 | £120 | 1,954 | £200,000 | Les Fenton | £35,800 |
| 2013 | £120 | 2,570 | £257,000 | Jake Skidmore | £29,690 |
| 2014 | £120 | 3,394 | £339,400 | Ryan Foster | £62,320 |
| 2015 | £120 | 4,210 | £421,000 | Miikka Toikka | £70,800 |
| 2016 | £120 | 5,232 | £523,200 | Vamshi Vandanapu | £62,750 |
| 2017 | £120 | 6,385 | £638,500 | Elliot Marais | £85,760 |
| 2018 | £125 | 7,584 | £758,400 | Florian Duta | £101,450 |
| 2019 | £125 | 9,300 | £911,410 | Lee Reynolds | £64,601 |
| 2020 – online | £125 | 2,013 | £231,495 | “WRDortmund7” | £42,248 |
| 2021 – online | £110 | 2,722 | £272,200 | “Whityestar” | £54,460 |
| 2022 | £150 | 10,584 | £1,270,080 | Kyle Jeffrey | £200,000 |
| 2023 | £150 | 11,493 | £1,324,000 | Alex Todd | £176,800 |
Full 2024 Goliath Schedule
It is not only the £200 buy-in Goliath that has poker players far and wide tingling with excitement. The festival’s schedule is packed from top to bottom with prestigious tournaments and side events, and the atmosphere at the Grosvenor G Casino Coventry will be electric.
A £1,250 buy-in GUKPT Main Event kicks off the series on July 25 and runs until July 28. There’s also a £1,500 High Roller, a £440 Mystery Bounty, a £100 charity event, and £110 buy-in, £25,000 guaranteed Closer event to look forward to; the latter is hosted online at Grosvenor Poker.
There is every chance that the 2024 Goliath will sell out, resulting in a potentially long alternates list. You can avoid the queues and guarantee your seat at the table by visiting any Grosvenor Casino in the United Kingdom, heading to the cashier’s desk, and buying in direct.