6.14pm: Break time
Another level passes us by. Players are on a 15 minute break. — SB

6.13pm: Gift of the Gavin
Irishman Fintin Gavin is usually pretty talkative at the table and when I passed by his table it was no different. He’d raised it up to 27,000 from under the gun +1 and was looked up by John Hall from middle position. The flop fell 7♦ J♠ J♦ . Gavin continued the aggression firing out a bet of 30,000. Hall quickly folded and Gavin showed J♣ J♥ and said, ‘Ah why can’t you have had your aces there. ‘ Gavin is up to 240,000, Hall has around 1,140,000. — NW

6.12pm: Kagawa power
A flurry of all-ins as the clock ticks down towards 24 players. First Maasaki Kagawa opened for 50,000 from the button and John O’Shea shoved his chips in from the big blind, another 214,500 more to call.

Kagawa announced a staccato call and thumped in a pile of chips, turning over K♥ Q♠ . O’Shea was ahead though with A♥ J♥ .

The board ran 5♠ 3♣ 10♣ 9♠ 5♥ , appearing to eliminate Kagawa, but no. The Japanese was handed 20,000 back, mostly in 500s. Undeterred Kagawa got to work reviving his fortunes almost immediately. He moved all-in with Q♠ 3♠ and was called by O’Shea who turned over J♥ A♣ , admitting he wouldn’t mind losing this one.

The board ran Q♣ 3♦ 4♥ 3♣ 9♦

“Yes!” said Kagawa with no small amount of irony. — SB

6.11pm: I shot the Cherif
David Rheem has accounted for the tournament life of Cherif Zacca from France. Rheem made a move and Zacca made a good call – only for Rheem to improve to a flush. With that, Rheem takes the likely chip lead at around 1.5million. — SY

6.10pm: Brown can lose a pot
Over the course of the last few days we’ve become accustomed to seeing Jamie Brown winning substantial pots on his way to the chip summit. So it came as something of a surprise to see him lose this one. The flop was A♦ 10♦ J♦ and Brown bet 33,000, called by Fernando Brito from Portugal.

The 6♣ turn didn’t seem to slow Brown down much and he bet 87,000 this time – and again Brito called. Both then slowed to a check on the 5♥ river, and Brown mucked quietly when Brito opened A♥ 10♠ for the flopped top two pair.

With that, Brown drops to around 1.1million and is on roughly the same number of chips as Per Ummer. — SY

6.05pm: Gray makes them pay
From the hi-jack Mattias Lannermark made a minimum raise to 20,000, an amount that small blind, Jason Gray, elected to call; from the big blind Marton Czuczo three-bet to 65,000 total. This amped up aggression was enough to force out Lannermark, but Gray was not so quick to act. After a minutes or so thought he moved all-in, Czuczo didn’t hang around for a count, mucking swiftly. — NW

5.55pm: Chino breaks the million mark
David ‘Chino’ Rheem has just joined the seven figure club winning a pot of around 100,000 against Klaus Pautrot. A bet of 80,000 on the river of A♦ 6♦ 9♥ 7♠ 10♥ board good enough to force a fold from Pautrot. — NW

5.45pm: Double up for Gavin
Fintan Gavin doubled up to 270,000 after his 5♣ 5♥ held up against Scott Palmer’s A♠ Q♠ . “The good news is it’s not that much,” Gavin told Palmer. — SY

5.40pm: Fintan fun
Fintan Gavin, an EPT runner-up from two seasons ago, just pushed his chips into the middle on a flop of A♣ 5♣ 6♥ – 170,000 in total, but found no takers. Elsewhere Bruce Atkinson doubled up, his jacks beating pocket fours on a board of 6♥ A♠ Q♣ 9♦ 5♠ to take him up to 250,000. — SB

5.35pm: Ummer crushing right now
Per Ummer is on something of a tear, using unconventional play and then letting the cards do the work. First hand he open-raised from the small blind and Pim De Goede, a PokerStars qualifier from Holland, called from the big.

But before the dealer had even dealt the flop, Ummer announced he was all-in blind – for around 800,000, well covering the Dutchman. In the event, the flop was 8♥ 4♠ K♠ , and de Goede mucked. “Well I’ve never seen that before,” said Joe Hachem. Nor had anyone else at the table, for that matter.

The very next hand, it kicked off again – with fatal results for de Goede. There was a raise to 23,000 before Ummer re-raised to 55,000. Now it was de Goede who moved all-in, but while the original raiser folded, Ummer called in a flash. And here’s why:

De Goede: 10♣ 10♠
Ummer: A♠ A♦

There were no dramas on the 4♦ J♣ K♥ 9♦ 9♥ board and de Goede’s 300,000 chips moved to Ummer, who is now on more than 1.1million. — SY

Joe Hachem: never seen anything like it

5.25pm: Gray’s day looking up
Wayne Scott opened to 40,500 from middle position and then from the button Jason Gray moved all-in for his last 190,000 and was looked up by Scott. Gray’s J♠ J♦ just pipped Scott’s 10♠ 10♥ and it stayed ahead on the 5♣ 9♠ K♠ Q♠ 2♥ board. Scott was down to just 20,000 after the hand. — NW

5.25pm: Two for the price of one
It’s an advantage enjoyed only by the De Meulder family, two runners in every tournament trying to place EPT silverware on the De Meulder mantel piece. Alas, first De Meulder, Matthias, went on day one and now brother Christophe has joined him on the rail.

De Meulder, C, opened for 23,000 on the button, with 260,000 behind. Mattias Lannermark was waiting in seat one, and after checking the numbers, announced one of the most casual “all-ins” ever seen – not on the scale of Cengizcan Ulusu’s Quixotic coin flip in Dortmund back in season five (what could beat that?) – more a low-talking aside.

De Meulder wasted no time in calling, showing 10♥ 10♠ to 201’s A♦ 10♠ . De Meulder’s hopes were short lived, the board coming 9♣ 5♦ A♠ 3♠ J♦ .

De Meulder performed a kind of primal groan and then left the tournament floor. — SB

5.15pm: Burland doubles up
I’ve had the pleasure of reporting on the majority of the UKIPT season one events. With the elimination of Femi Fakinle in 85th place, Jamie Burland is the last surviving UKIPT winner in the field. I chose a good time to stop by and check on his progress as he played a big pot, doubling up in the process.

Burland raised to 30,500 from middle position and from the small blind Barkatul Mohammed moved all-in. Burland got a count (310,000) and started dwelling as the cameras circled, sensing a all-in showdown. ‘This guy’s granite,’ said Burland to no one in particular as he mulled over his decision. Eventually he said, ‘Ok I call.’

Burland: J♠ J♣
Mohammed: A♣ K♣

Flop: A♠ 7♥ 9♥

Cue rueful look from Burland, mini celebration from Mohammed

Turn: 10♠

Burland picked up some outs.

River: 8♣

‘Eight ball corner pocket,’ shouted Burland, who is sat to the left of John Juanda. — NW

5.05pm: Cheerio, Mr Ivey
Phil Ivey is out, busted by the relentless Jamie Brown. There had been a raise on the button, Ivey shoved from the small blind for 100,000 with A-J – but then Brown woke up in the big blind with pocket kings.

“There were no dramas on the flop,” said Brown, who is now up to well over 1.3million. — SY

5pm: Play restarts
We have moved in to level 19, with blinds now up to 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 running ante. The blue 10,000 chip has been brought into play. — SY

4.46pm: Break
Break time. Back in 15 mins. — SY

4.50pm: Sheringham sunk
Teddy Sheringham is out, his Q-4 no good on an A-A-4 flop no good against Kevin Eyster’s A-7. — SY

4.45pm: Big hands, small pot
Keven Stammen opened to 21,000 from under the gun and picked up a caller in the shape of John O’Shea in middle position. The flop was K♦ 6♦ 5♦ . Stammen fired out a bet of 26,000, call. The 2♣ turn was checked through and on the A♣ river Stammen bet out for 41,000. After a long period in the tank, O’Shea folded what he said was pocket queens – with the queen of diamonds. Stammen, who was moved tables immediately after the hand said he’d connected with the river. — NW

4.35pm: Wasek eliminates Akery
I missed how it went in but Rob Akery and Artur Wasek got it all-in pre-flop, Akery the at risk player. Wasek had 3♣ 3♠ , Akery Q♦ Q♥ . The flop of 2♣ 3♣ J♣ vaulted Wasek from worst to first and the 6♥ 7♠ turn and river sent Akery to the cashiers desk. Wasek has around 400,000. — NW

4.30pm: Hachem on high
A nice looking 340,000 chips to the good for Joe Hachem who just survived a three-way all in against Kyle Bowker and a player now departed.

The deceased, no longer in the building, opened for 16,000 which Hachem raised before Bowker moved all-in. Both players called.Hachem showed A♣ K♣ , Bowker J♣ J♥ , against kings.

The board ran 8♣ 7♣ 2♥ J♠ 4♣ , much to the delight of the Team PokerStars Pro. Not so good for his two opponents. Bowker not looking pleased but he is still at least in the event. — SB

4.25pm: Bichon bonus
Thomas Bichon just knocked Mikulik Taras out of the main event, by accident. Taras had shoved with A♥ 9♠ and Bichon called showing 2♦ A♦ . The flop set up a straight draw for Bichon, landing as it did 8♥ 3♠ 5♣ . Then the 4♥ turn sealed Taras’s fate, the 9♣ on the river making no difference. Taras turned a shade of pink and left for the rail.– SB

4.20pm: Baldwin happy
Peyman Luth raised to 21,000 from the cut-off before Eric Baldwin moved all in from the small blind for 176,000. But then Scott Palmer announced he was all in from the big blind. He had Baldwin covered, and Luth got out of the way.

Palmer had J♣ J♠ and was in a race against Baldwin’s A♥ Q♦ – a race he was to lose when the board ran 4♠ K♥ 8♦ A♦ 9♠ . That sent Baldwin up to 350,000 and Palmer down to 380,000/. — SY

4.18pm: Who’s won what?
I’ve been slacking updating the payouts page, among those to have already troubled the cashier are Team PokerStars pros Greg Raymer and Arnaud Mattern. — NW

4pm: Another double for Bonavena
Team PokerStars Pro Salvatore Bonavena has doubled up again, his pocket jacks besting Joel Nordkvist’s pocket sevens in a pre-flop coup. The board changed nothing and the Italian is now up to 290,000. — SY

3.57pm: Vamplew steps in the Brown stuff
He’s been runaway chip leader for so long, but now David Vamplew has fallen back into the chasing pack after doubling up Jamie Brown. Brown himself now looks to have taken the chip lead.

The board was showing 10♠ 2♣ 5♣ 2♦ , Vamplew had checked, Brown made it 122,000 and Vamplew moved all-in – insta call!

Brown: 10♥ 10♣ for the turned full house
Vamplew: A♠ Q♥ for ace high.

Vamplew hit his ace on the river, but it was too little, too late. Vamplew down to one million, Brown up to 1.2 million. — SY

Jamie Brown

3.55pm: Gavin still in – to his surprise
Fintan Gavin was all-in for 60,000 with 10♥ J♥ and had found a caller in the shape of Klaus Pautrot with A♠ Q♦ . The board ran 9♣ 6♣ 9♦ 6♠ – and when the 9♥ fell on the river, Gavin went to stand up and bid his farewells. “Wait!” he was told. “The board is a full house!” With that, a grateful Gavin apologised for his luck and sat back down again. — SY

3.50pm: Captain… Kayvan!
Kayvan Payman opened for 20,000 and had his chips in the middle half a second after Phil Ivey said “all-in.” Ivey had the Canadian covered and turned over A♦ J♠ . Payman showed 9♦ 9♥ for a classic race situation.

The board ran 10♦ 8♣ 10♣ 5♦ 7♥ , taking Payman up past the 300k mark. Ivey, who showed zero emotion at every stage of the hand, slips to 410,000. — SB

3.45pm: Bounce-back-ability by Bonavena
Salvatore Bonavena has doubled through in fortuitous circumstances against Mikulik Taras. The latter shoved first – for 118,000 – and then Bonavena moved in for his last 64,000. Whilst they waited for the cameras to arrive they flashed each other their hand, both held ace-queen, Bonavena had A♣ Q♦ and Taras A♥ Q♣ . The flop was monotone and all clubs 2♣ 10♣ 7♣ , and sure enough a fourth club the 8♣ hit the turn. The river was the 4♥ . Bonavena said sorry as he stacked the chips. — NW

Salvatore Bonavena

3.30pm: Once more
Players are heading back to their seats. We’ll be under way soon.

David Vamplew still seems a long way ahead, although Steven Levy is putting on a charge and is just shy of one million.

Here is a picture of some chips. — SY

PokerStars Blog reporting team (in order of golfing prowess): Simon Young (once got down to 21 handicap), Stephen Bartley (shot a round of 120 once), and Nick Wright (prefers to play little courses with windmills and clowns)

Photos (c) Neil Stoddart and Mickey May

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