3.15pm: Five betting
Joe Grech opened on the button for 300, which would be his last positive act in the hand. Next to him in the small blind was Robert Sherwood who immediately raised to 900.
This had the effect of sending Mark in the big blind, into the tank. He had something and wasn't ready to back out. Quite the opposite. Baker reached for his chips and four-bet, 2,500 in total. Needless to say Grech folded.
With the action back on Sherwood he now tanked briefly before lumping a stack worth 16,000 into the middle.
Sherwood leaned back and took a sip of coffee. Baker leaned back and took a gulp of what looked a little stronger. He wasn't prepared to take this any further though and passed. Pot to Sherwood. - SB
2.55pm: No back to back winner
Duncan McLellan triumphed at UKIPT4 Isle of Man, winning £94,090 when he defeated Team PokerStars Sport Star Fatima Moreira de Melo heads-up.
He won't be able to join the exclusive club of double UKIPT winners just yet though as he's been eliminated from this tournament in 230th place. Currently 227 of 245 runners remain. -- NW
2.50pm: Bradpiece folds the river
As mentioned below (see 2.30pm post) table 53 is one of the tougher ones in the room, full of aggressive players and I just saw two of them clash in a pot. I caught up with the action on the turn of a [6h][10c][4s][Qd] board, Caicai Huang (under-the-gun) bet 1,400 into a similarly sized pot and Jerome Bradpiece made the call. The [6d] river paired the board, Huang bet 3,500 and after a long old think Bradpiece released his hand. -- NW
2.40pm: Bet call, bet call
Simon Hemsworth opened for 350 in the hijack and Benjamin Sweetman called to his immediate left for a flop of [4c][qc][6s]. Hemsworth bet another 425 which Sweetman called, all matter-of-factly for an [8s] on the turn.
This time Hemsworth fired 900 into the middle and again Sweetman promptly called for a [3c] on the river. One last bet from Hemsworth, 1,700. One last call from Sweetman, who mucked his cards when Hemsworth turned over [ah][ac]. - SB
2.30pm: Newcomers
New tables are still being opened as players continue to arrive. One such table is 53, it contains Team PokerStars Online's Dale Philip, Jerome Bradpiece, EPT winner Zimnan Ziyard and UKIPT4 London seventh place finisher Patryk Slusarek.
Two-time EPT runner-up Max Heinzelmann is also in the house. -- NW
2.20pm: Exits
The number of runners today is up to 237 but just 225 of those players remain. The exits in the first two levels were: Leon Campbell, Marius Ciamas, Chris Gordon, Tina Ainsworth, Cato Vonheim, Philip Butt, Ryan Mandara, Ian Simpson, Stephen Ayres, Giuliano Bendinelli, Jeremy Wray and Robert Toplak. -- NW
2.10pm: Chip counts
I whipped round the room with about 15 minutes left in the level to grab some chip counts, here's what I saw:
Jake Cody - 20,200
Dan Carter - 20,800
Daniel Stacey - 22,500
Mickey Petersen - 18,300
Jon Spinks - 38,000
Tom Hall - 21,400
Senh Man Ung - 12,000
Willie Tann - 26,000
John Eames - 26,000
Simon Hemsworth - 22,000
Steve Watts - 12,000
Ben Martin - 19,150
David Docherty - 19,500
Emmett Mullin - 17,000
Osman Mustanoglu - 18,000
Fintan Gavin - 22,000
James Atkin - 16,000
Ross Jarvis - 19,600
Rupinder Bedi - 26,000
Sin Melin - 15,600
David Vamplew - 19,400
Thomas Ward - 19,800
Nick Wealthall - 20,050
Craig McCorkell - 9,500
Chris Brammer - 17,700
Dara O'Kearney - 26,000
Blinds up: 75/150
2pm: Break time
Players are now on a 15 minute break.
1.45pm: Watts asking questions
Steven Watts just got beaten up in successive pots. In the first Benjamin Sweetman opened for 225 in the cut off which Ben Martin called from the button. Watts was in the small blind and raised to 750 which Sweetman called before Martin passed.
The flop came [qh][5c][6s] and Watts kept at it, betting 1,000. But Sweetman re-raised, forcing Watts into the tank, emerging only to fold.
In the next hand he opened for 300 in the cut off. John Eames was on his left on the button and raised to 800. The action was folded back to Watts who made the call.
On the flop of [4c][4h][7h] Watts check called Eames bet of 700 for a [kh]. Watts then check-called again when Eames bet 1,100 ahead of a [jd] river card. Watts stuck to his plan and checked to Eames. For his part Eames paused for a second before betting 1,600.
Watts was stumped. After a few moments of stillness he turned to Eames and said something, but didn't get much of a reaction. So he tried again with a few words to Eames, this time getting a laugh. None of which changed things though. Watts folded, leaving a pot of around 5,000 for Eames. - SB
1.30pm: What Fintan said...
A total of 228 players have entered Day 1C so far and there's still time to get yourself into this amazing tournament. If you don't believe me on that second point then believe Fintan Gavin. He's a man who's played a lot of poker in a lot of places.
Playing Day 1C @UKIPT, the best poker tour in the world in the best poker club in the world. Late Reg for couple more hours @dusk_till_dawn_
— Fintan Gavin (@fintangavin) November 29, 2013
1.30pm: Prew can play too
Richard 'Tightend' Prew is a man who spends a lot of time around poker tables. Very little of that time is spent playing though. Through various roles in the poker industry he's probably watched more poker than anyone (including Jesse May) in the last few years.
Much of that poker has been watched here at Dusk Till Dawn and on the opening two Day 1s he's been here blogging for poker forum Blonde Poker. Today though, thanks to donations from various members of that forum who appreciate the hard work he puts in, usually for free, he's playing 'Tighty's tourney'. And for a man who told me that he hasn't played a hand of poker for three years he's not doing too badly so far.
Into the world of update tweets. 25k in level 2, flushed with 63dd. Old guys rule. #ukipt pic.twitter.com/YVZFO0iWIT
— Rich Prew (@tighty) November 29, 2013He's got Chris Brammer on his table, although Prew does at least have position on him -- NW
1.20pm: Coolers everywhere
Some information on two of the exits mentioned below. Giuliano Bendinelli must be sick of the sight of Jon Spinks, they both final table the High Roller (which Spinks won) and Spinks eliminated Bendinelli on the first hand he played. Spinks flopped a straight with [7][5] on a [3][4][6] flop and Bendinelli connected heavily with it too as he had pocket sixes. There was no getting away from it and he's out.
And Jeremy Wray also flopped the second best hand with top set as on a [kh][9h][2h] board he had pocket kings, but Milorad Dobrijevic had [6h][5h] for the flopped flush. Ouch. -- NW
1.15pm: Five out already
A level played and there have already been five eliminations, including Irish Open Champion and UKIPT London runner-up Ian Simpson. He wasn't the first to go. That honour went to Robert Toplak, who was followed by Jeremy Wray, Giuliano Bendinelli and Stephen Ayres. - SB
1.05pm: Brammer back
After losing a pot to Tommy Bingham earlier, Chris Brammer just got his own back just before the break, and more without even having to show a card.
On a flop of [ac][tc][3h] Bingham in the big blind checked to Brammer, in the under the gun position, who bet 300, which was called by Bingham. On the [7d] turn Bingham again checked, as Brammer went for his chips, betting 800. Bingham then went to his chips, check raising to 2,025 with his hand covering his mouth.
Brammer paused, then called for an [ad] on the river. Bingham checked, but got no pleasure in watching Brammer do the same. Bingham sheepishly pushed his cards forward, mucking them. Brammer, now up several thousand, did the same. - SB
Blinds up: 50/100
12.55pm: Table mates
There are now over 200 players in the field today and there are some interesting table match ups amongst the 30 plus tables in play. Here are a few of them:
Table 11 - Joe Grech and Rob Sherwood
Table 23 - Jonathan Weekes and Dermot Blain
Table 54 - Jon Spinks, Mickey Petersen and Stu Barnett
Table 57 - Fintan Gavin and James Atkin
Table 58 - David Vamplew and Sin Melin
Table 63 - Jake Cody and Daniel Stacey
Table 64 - Senh Man Ung and Tom Hall
Table 65 - Simon Hemsworth, Ben Martin, Steve Watts and John Eames
Table 66 - David Docherty and Ducan McLellan
We'll be keeping an eye on these match ups throughout the day. -- NW
12.45pm: Betting all the way
James Conway opened in the hijack for 150, which Max Heinzelmann called in the cut-off, as did the player in the big blind. The flop came [as][ts][2s] which was checked to Conway who bet another 250. Heinzelmann, a double EPT runner-up, called before the big blind folded.
The turn came [2d] and Conway bet again, 550 this time. Heinzelmann peeked at his cards again and made the call for a [3d] river card. So Conway tried again, betting another 1,200. That did the trick, as Heinzelmann folded. - SB
12.35pm: Old school
There aren't too many people still playing poker who can claim that they were at the Poker Million back in 2000 and have played on Late Night Poker. One man who can though is Osman Mustanoglu. The Turk took down a £500 pot-limit Omaha event at the Poker Million, beating Pascal Perrault heads-up and defeating a final table that included Paul Phillips and Jeff Duvall.
He then appeared on Late Night Poker 6 in 2002, bowing out at the semi-final stage. He's got cashes going back to 1997, with his biggest lifetime score coming in 2006 when he won £90,000 for winning a £5,000 event in London, besting a field that included Mark Goodwin, Liam Flood and Willie Tann. The latter is also in the field today.
Mustanoglu has landed himself an interesting starting table, he's in the six seat, whilst one seat to his right is Jeremy Wray, the hedge fund manager and former chairman of Swindon Town FC has a far greater claim to fame though. He won the 2013 PCA Stress Star competition!
And to the right of Wray is Emmett Mullin, the Irishman took down UKIPT3 Galway in February 2012. -- NW
12.30pm: Good start for Bingham
Tommy Bingham just won an early pot against Chris Brammer. He opened in the hijack for 150 which Brammer called in the cut off, as did Colin Worgan on the button and Wesley Hutchinson in the big blind.
The flop came [5h][jc][td]. Hutchinson checked to Bingham who bet another 250. Brammer called while the button and big blind folded. On the [5c] turn Bingham checked, his hand covering his face. He then, in the style of Action Man or GI Joe, made Eagle Eyes at Brammer, who responded by betting 700. Bingham called.
Both then checked the [kh] river card, Bringham turning over [kd][6d] to win the hand. - SB
12.20pm: Names, names, names
New tables for players are being opened at a rate of knots in the opening minutes of Day 1C. The tournament clock shows me that 174 players are spread across 30 tables. Players like Keith Hawkins, Ian Simpson, Team Online's Mickey Petersen and Dale Philip, UKIPT Host Nick Wealthall, UKIPT winners Fintan Gavin, Emmett Mullin and Sergio Aido, Thomas Ward - the man Aido beat to win the title - Jonathan Weekes, Dara Davey and Rob Sherwood. They're all here. It should be a cracker. -- NW
There's double the bustle at Dusk Till Dawn this morning as the third of three opening days gets under way.
Over the past two days 193 players have taken seats in the 6-max Main Event. Today a bumper field is expected to clog up the halls, bar and car park, with a guaranteed £500,000 on the table.
The tournament room at Dusk Till Dawn
In the usual way the last of the opening flights is bigger, and pocked with the bigger names usually found gracing the chip counts.
Regular players like Jake Cody, David Vamplew, John Eames, Dermot Blain and Dara O'Kearney take their seats today, as does Chris Brammer, who finished second in the High Roller event yesterday.
Here are the details for the day:
- 20,000 starting stack
- Blinds starting at 25/50 for 400 big blinds
- One hour levels, we'll play eight today with no dinner break meaning play will end around 8.45pm
- Late registration is open until the end of level four.
- This is the last of three starting days, then Days 2, 3 and 4 will be a combined field to a UKIPT champion.
Cards will be in the air at midday.
Stephen Bartley is a PokerStars Blog reporter.