Damon Burch-Hyson Wins Record Goliath After Four-Way Deal
The Coventry Main Event drew 14,663 entries, built a £2.2 million prize pool, and ended with a triple all-in after the final four agreed terms.
Damon Burch-Hyson won the 2026 Goliath Main Event in Coventry after the last four players struck an ICM deal, then kept playing for the title and the extra money on offer. He finished with £365,520, which was £20 more than the original first-place prize.
PokerNews reported that the £200 event drew 14,663 entries including re-entries and built a £2,228,780 prize pool. That was 1,702 entries more than last year’s record 12,961, and the pool comfortably beat the £2 million guarantee.
The festival ran from 23 July to 2 August in Coventry. Grosvenor’s Goliath page listed the Main Event as a £160+£40 buy-in and said the festival returned to Coventry.
The final day began with 36 players left, and two former champions were still in the mix at that stage: Alex Todd, who won in 2023, and reigning champion Paul Worsley. Worsley finished 27th and Todd came 25th.
Nicholas Fellone was the last player to miss the final table, bowing out in 10th place. That set a nine-handed final table where each player had already locked up £26,000.
The endgame tightened quickly. Bryan Taylor was first out at the final table when his pocket jacks ran into Burch-Hyson’s pocket aces. Wai Lun Lam went in seventh with ace-jack and lost to Lorenc Boci’s ace-king and Burch-Hyson’s pocket queens, and Boci then went out sixth in the same all-in.
Reema Bodalia fell in fifth place as the last woman left in the tournament, after which the final four paused the clock and agreed to deal. That left £88,520 still to play for, with Burch-Hyson in the chip lead and in the best position in the split.
The event then skipped heads-up play and ended in a triple all-in. Lewis Aikman moved in with ace-five, Jonny Elworthy had queen-nine, and Burch-Hyson called with ace-eight; the board ran out 6-4-J-J-3 and missed everyone, giving him both eliminations and the title.
