Waheed "Wadey" Ashraf is heading to the 2023 PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) after capturing a $30,000 Platinum Pass in the Road to PSPC event at Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham. The Dusk Till Dawn Hall of Famer came out on top of a 449-strong field in the £340 buy-in tournament, winning a £16,380 cash prize plus the all-important added Platinum Pass.
It has been quite the year for the man affectionately known as Wadey. Ashraf started 2022 with a third-place finish in the £1,000 GUKPT Coventry Main Event worth £39,600. He won the €250 buy-in The Hendon Mob Championship at the 2022 Irish Open in April for €10,825, and followed that up with a victory in the £560 PartyPoker Championship Nottingham Main Event at Dusk Till Dawn for £66,271.
Dusk Till Dawn recognized Ashraf's continued success at the club – no other DTD member has cashed in more tournaments than Ashraf – by immortalizing him in the club's Hall of Fame. Ashraf will now fly the Dusk Till Dawn flag at the 2023 PSPC in the Bahamas.
Road to PSPC Nottingham Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waheed Ashraf | £16,380* |
| 2 | Nigel Hannan | £21,560* |
| 3 | Artin Bazazi | £18,905* |
| 4 | Gary Miller | £13,635* |
| 5 | Anonymous | £15,820* |
| 6 | Matthew Church | £5,500 |
| 7 | Orlando Anderson | £4,000 |
| 8 | Martyn Frey | £3,000 |
| 9 | Chris Doran | £2,500 |
*reflects a five-handed deal
Sixty-eight of the 449 starters progressed to Day 2 and locked in at least £600 for their efforts. The likes of Tamer Kamel, Daniel Trett, Bash Mahmood, Paul Vas Nunes, Tom Bacon, WSOP bracelet winner Ben Dobson, and Ilana Belsky each cashed but missed out on a final table appearance.
Chris Doran navigated his way to the final table but his time there was short-lived because he busted in ninth for £2,500, the largest live score of his career.
Martyn Frey took his live poker tournament earnings passed the $720,00 mark by scooping the £3,000 eighth-place prize, before Orlando Anderson crashed out in seventh for a £4,000 addition to his bankroll. The finalists gained a little extra elbow room when Matthew Church bowed out in sixth place, a finish good for £5,500.
With five players remaining, a deal was struck that saw those final five secure between £13,635 and £21,560 for their £340 investment, leaving the $30,000 Platinum Pass up for grabs.
An anonymous player busted in fifth for £15,820 before recent UKIPT Nottingham High Roller champion Gary Miller dusted off his stack in fourth place and walked away with £13,635 to show for his efforts.
Third place and £18,905 went to Artin Bazazi, which was his first-ever five-figure score, and left Ashraf heads-up against Nigel Hannan. Ashraf utilized his vast experience to defeat Hannan and secure the $30,000 Platinum Pass in addition to his £16,380 payout; Hannan collected a career-high £21,560.
Ashraf Is Heading to The Bahamas
The $30,000 Platinum Pass Ashraf won gives him a free shot in the $25,000 buy-in PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) event, which is part of the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Ashraf heads to The Bahamas armed with the following package:
- Buy-in to the $25,000 PSPC
- Six nights hotel accommodation for winner and a guest in a 5-star hotel
- Airport transfer
- $1,900 expense money
- Platinum Pass Winner experiences during the event
The inaugural PSPC took place in January 2019 and saw 1,039 players create a $26,455,500 prize pool. Spanish Platinum Pass winner Ramon Colillas was the last man standing in the event and saw $5,100,000 make its way to his bankroll.
Future editions of the PSPC were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but PokerStars is resurrecting this amazing event as part of the returning PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).
