David Docherty on final Live League push: ‘It’s always been about becoming a PokerStars Ambassador’
We speak to David Docherty about the late Live League charge that shot him up the Low leader board, and why his mates are getting annoyed at him banging on about it – “I can’t overstate how important it feels to me.”
The maiden PokerStars Live League is hurtling down its home stretch, with just EPT Prague and PokerStars Open Cannes remaining on 2025’s live calendar.
Needless to say, those two exciting stops are must-play, can’t-miss-under-any-circumstances events for those battling near the top of the three leader boards and hoping to add some final points to their tallies. There are big prizes on the line for the top three finishers in the Low, Medium and High boards (we’ve outlined the prizes at the bottom of this article), not to mention the top 10 from each are in with a shot of landing a PokerStars Ambassador contract worth €100,000.
David Docherty has relished the Live League competition from the start. At the first qualifying event–PokerStars Open Campione, back in March–the former Irish Open and UKIPT Player of the Year winner made the final table of the €550 Second Chance, busting in a disappointing seventh place but kick-starting his run on the Low leader board (which only counts events with buy-ins €999 or less).
Since then, he’s been a constant near the top of the Low board. But a few weeks ago, after a disappointing trip to EPT Malta, he felt his chances had slipped through his fingers. He’d watched rivals extend leads, felt the pain of a stone-bubble bust, and even warned friends that PokerStars Open Manchester might be the last stop on his campaign trail.
PLOT TWIST
But like M. Night Shyamalan, poker loves a plot twist, and Manchester provided a great one. Two side event victories and a third-place finish (all in Low qualifying events) and suddenly, Docherty wasn’t dropping out of the race but charging into second place.
In Manchester, Docherty won a £220 Deep Stack for £7,232, a £550 Last Chance Deep Stack for £7,020, and finished third in the £550 Second Chance for £12,710
As we wait for EPT Prague to commence on December 3, Docherty sits just a few points behind Low leader board leader Steinn Thanh Du Karlsson, an Icelandic player who has been in fine form this year.
Here, he talks us through the journey, how he’s perfectly equipped for this kind of contest, and why he’s going all-in to become a PokerStars Ambassador.
DAVID DOCHERTY INTERVIEW
PokerStars Blog: Hey David! How are you feeling now that we’re nearing the end of the League and you’re competing at the top of the Low leader board?
Hey! I’m only a few points behind Steinn now, and my competitive instincts are starting to kick in. I’m all-in on trying to win it from here.
Did you always know you were going to battle for the leader board or was it something that came about after some early momentum?
When I heard about the PokerStars Ambassador contract on offer, I definitely planned on playing for the leader board–it was just a matter of which tier I focused my efforts on.
Early on, I felt the Low tier would be the one that offered the best prospects for me finishing in the top 10, and the early final table I made at PokerStars Open Campione helped solidify that decision for me.
Are there any particular skills or habits that you think have given you an edge in this competition?
I think, psychologically, the fact that I’ve won a leader board before means I’m probably feeling a little less pressure [Docherty was crowned the UK and Ireland Poker Tour Player of the Year in 2023].
I know how to get over the line, and I have a robust understanding of ICM, which won’t hurt either if things get tight in the final events.
Docherty took down the Irish Open in 2023 and went on to win the UKIPT Player of the Year
‘GETTING THE CONTRACT WOULD BE A GENUINE HONOUR’
How has your experience with PokerStars live events helped shape your game over the years, and in the Live League?
I guess it’s just a case of comfort levels growing as experience levels increase, the same as they do through playing online or studying. I’ve won major tournaments and won a player of the year title, but I’ve also bluffed off EPT chip leads, taken nasty beats at the deep end for huge amounts of money, and fired dozens of bullets in a row without cashing before.
All of that comes together to make you more immune to the swings of the game, and while I don’t always manage it, I do try to remain as stoic as possible these days. I’ve just seen it all before, and that can give a significant edge any time the pressure ramps up.
What would success in the PokerStars Live League mean to you personally?
The Live League has always been about the Ambassador contract for me. Winning the Low tier is fueling me purely for competitive reasons, and I’ll be delighted if I pull it off, but I’d love the opportunity to represent PokerStars on a professional level.
Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about poker, and for most of my career, PokerStars has been the brand whose ethos I’ve felt most closely aligned with.
Getting the contract would be a genuine honour, and it would also give me a platform where I could give something back to a game that has shaped the last 18 years of my life.
I can’t understate how important it feels to me. I think my friends are sick of me talking about it at this point, and they’re just hoping I win so I’ll shut up about it!
LEAGUE RIVALRIES
Have you developed any rivalries or friendly competition with other players on the leader board?
I recently suggested to Soraya Estrada Gonzalez that all the main challengers go out for dinner at PokerStars Open Cannes to mark the end of the leaderboard, so I don’t think there are any true rivalries!
I’m already good friends with Daniel Johnson, Thomas Clack and David Lappin, who are all in the Low tier top 10, and Robbie Bull, who is sitting just outside the top 10 in the Medium tier, so I’ll obviously be rooting for those guys if I’m not the winner.
Outside of them, Steinn Thanh Du Karlsson is an incredibly high-morale guy to play poker with, and I’d love to go drinking with him. I’ll be the first to shake his hand if he beats me.
Some of Docherty’s mates include poker pros Jamie Dwan, Jack Hardcastle, and Bradley Harwood, shown here cheering him on at PokerStars Open Manchester
LIVE LEAGUE PRIZES
The leader board tiers and prizes are as follows:
HIGH
All tournaments with a buy-in of €/£/$5,000 and above
- First place: 4 x EPT Main Event and 4 x EPT High Roller buy-ins – worth €62,400
- Second place: 4 x EPT Main Event buy-ins – worth €21,200
- Third place: 2 x EPT Main Event buy-ins – worth €10,600
MEDIUM
All tournaments with a buy-in of €/£/$1,000 to €/£/$4,999
- First place: 4 x EPT Main Event and 4 x PS Open Main Event buy-ins – worth €25,600
- Second place: 6 x PS Open Main Event buy-ins – worth €6,600
- Third place: 3 x PS Open Main Event buy-ins worth €3,300
LOW
All tournaments with a buy-in equal to or less than €/£/$999
- First place: 10 x PS Open Main Event and 10 x Cup buy-ins – worth €15,000
- Second place: 10 x PS Open Cup buy-ins – worth €4,000
- Third place: 5 x PS Open Cup buy-ins – worth €2,000
Winners can use the buy-ins whenever they choose (including as re-entries into the same event).
Restricted entry tournaments such as Seniors’ and Ladies’ events are also eligible for Live League points.
CURRENT STANDINGS
LOW
Last updated: Monday, November 17
1. Steinn Du Karlsson (Iceland) 875 pts
2. David Docherty (UK) 856
3. Andreas Froehli (Switzerland) 800
4. Soraya Estrada (Spain) 695
5. Thomas Clack (UK) 593
MEDIUM
Last updated: Monday, November 17
1. Gerard Rubiralta (Spain) 2,851 pts
2. Kenny Hallaert (Belgium) 2,593
3. Petre Ionescu (Romania) 2,284
4. Jon Kyte (Norway) 2,153
5. Antoine Labat (Italy) 1,846
HIGH
Last updated: Monday, November 17
1. Klemens Roiter (Austria) 3,496 pts
2. Enrico Camosci (Italy) 3,039
3. Aleks Ponakovs (Latvia) 2,040
4. Jesse Lonis (USA) 1,755
5. Christopher Nguyen (Austria) 1,628
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