Matthew Davenport

Matthew Davenport was born and raised in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Before poker, he trained as an apprentice mechanical engineer at AstraZeneca and later worked as a house renovator. He "fell into poker" gradually, building his skills online before transitioning to live tournaments. Early results on the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) throughout the 2010s laid the foundation for his career, and after a brief hiatus following the COVID-19 shutdown, he returned with renewed focus.

Davenport's comeback after the pandemic was explosive. In 2022, he described it as the year of his career, winning over £250,000 at live Grosvenor events alone. He topped the GUKPT National Poker League (NPL) leaderboard with 530 points, earning a three-year Grosvenor sponsorship worth £40,000. Key results that year included a runner-up finish at GUKPT Luton Main Event for £76,785 (after a chip chop), victory in the inaugural GUKPT Cup in Blackpool (320-entry £500 NLH, £40,000 first prize), and a remarkable third-place finish at another Luton event for £41,010, having recovered from just 1.5 big blinds with 12 players left. He also won the Grosvenor Player of the Year award in 2022.

In 2024, Davenport surpassed the $2 million career earnings milestone, adding $448,639 in a single year. He won the GUKPT NPL for a second time, securing a £75,000 Grosvenor sponsorship package, and simultaneously topped the 888poker UK Poker League (UKPL) leaderboard, earning a $10,000 package in 888poker LIVE packages. His total live earnings now exceed $2.77 million across 301 cashes (as of April 2026), ranking him 64th on the England all-time money list and 1,226th globally.

Davenport's best live cash is $150,041. Notable results include:

• 2024 GUKPT NPL Season Winner – £75,000 package
• 2024 888poker UKPL Season Winner – $10,000 package
• 2022 GUKPT NPL Season Winner – £40,000 sponsorship
• June 2022 GUKPT Luton Main Event – 2nd place (£76,785)
• Autumn 2022 Inaugural GUKPT Cup, Blackpool £500 NLH – 1st out of 320 entries (£40,000)
• 2022 Grosvenor 25/25 No Limit – 1st

He is a high-volume, technically disciplined tournament player known for consistent deep runs across a full season, managing his stack aggressively in late stages.

Davenport met his wife, Sinéad, when he busted her from a tournament in Luton. She became a full-time poker player in 2024 and is a former nurse. The couple married in August 2024 and have been profiled as one of the UK's great poker partnerships. In 2024, Sinéad became the first woman to finish in the top ten of the GUKPT NPL and had a breakout year with $241,834 in earnings. Off the felt, Sinéad made headlines when she saved a choking passenger on a flight to Las Vegas. The Davenports primarily play on the GUKPT and UKPL circuits, traveling together for tournaments worldwide.

Davenport employs a technically disciplined, high-volume style that suits the multi-stop tournament circuits of the UK. He is particularly resilient in late-stage situations, as demonstrated by his comeback from 1.5 big blinds to a final table. His approach combines solid fundamentals with aggressive risk management, making him a consistent threat in any field. He emphasizes bankroll management and emotional control, lessons he credits for his sustained success.