4.25pm: Straight flushes and great calls just before the break
UKIPT Edinburgh Day 1A had reached the halfway point with four levels in the past.
Just before the break a rare sight was seen as Ronni Borg of Denmark made a straight flush to get up to 29,000.
Also doing well is Neil Rawnsley who made a great call to eliminate Jack Salter. The board read [Qs][6d][4h][8h][6s] and around 10,000 chips had ventured to the centre of the table.
Salter shoved for around 13,000 and he made a tank-call for most of his stack. It was a good call with pocket jacks as his opponent could only muster [as][td] for a bluff. That put Rawnsley up to 38,000. -- MC
4:15pm: Respect your Elder
EPT7 San Remo champion Rupert Elder is one of the alternates in the field today. His twitter feed suggests that he should've been recovering from an operation on a leg he broke in Las Vegas but a scheduling mix up means he's here in Edinburgh.
We're going to try and grab him on the break to find out exactly what went on. But what we do know for sure is that he has Jack Ellwood to his left and Andrew Hulme across the table. -- NW
4:10pm: Mortensen shoves; Derrick folds
A couple of hands to tell you about from different tables...
In the first Morten Mortensen shoved all-in for 5,600 over the top of a raise and a call. The original raiser folded but both players folded to give him the pot.
Meanwhile Chris Derrick was getting busy, raising it up to 1,125 over a raise to 400 and a call. He did get action though, first William Cheung cold called, the original raiser (Keith Christie) folded but Kevin Steward also called.
On the [2d][7d][Qh] flop Derrick continuation bet 1,600, Cheung folded, Steward check-raised to 3,600 and Derrick smooth called. On the [10d] turn Steward continued for 4,500 and Derrick folded. "You have queens or sevens?" asked Derrick, to which Steward nodded. "I folded an overpair," said Derrick.
4:05pm: Sykes up over 50,000
Jamie Sykes made a deep run in Nottingham, busting in 11th place and he looks set for another deep run.
Coolered another big stack KK vs AK on AKxxx in a 3bet pot, up to 50k and change. #stillaskillgame #UKIPTEdinburgh
— Jamie Sykes (@gotdeuces) January 16, 20144:00pm: Silver's run comes to an end
Max Silver's came sixth at EPT Prague in December for €160,200 and followed that up last week at the PCA with a ninth place finish for another $135,400. His incredible run in tournaments had to come to and end soon, and it turned out to be today.
He raced for his final chips with pocket eights but failed to stay ahead of an opponent's ace-queen.
He was joined on the rail by Aleksandar Sukalo, Joscha Rutert, Gordon Huntly and Anthony Hamilton. -- MC
3:50pm: Get in quick if you want to play Day 1A
There is only about 50 minutes left before registration closes on Day 1B of UKIPT Edinburgh, so if you're on your way or in the vicinity, you'd better hurry up! -- MC
3:35pm: Barber a cut above
The current chip leader is Lewis Barber, he's up to 48,500 after winning a pot against Ondrej Drozd. The latter raised to 450 from middle position and Barber peeled from the button. The [9c][4d][5d] flop checked through and the [Jd] fell on the turn. First to act Drozd took a stab at the pot but Barber called his bet of 700. The [3h] fell on the river, Drozd checked, Barber bet 1,000 and Drozd mucked his hand. -- NW
Blinds up: 100/200, 25 ante
2:25pm:Farrell falls foul of a bluff
Niall Farrell and Magnus Martin tangled in a chopped pot earlier and the two have locked horns together once more, with the former failing with a bluff.
The two had made it to the turn where the board read [4c][Jh][2s][Qc] where Farrell bet 800 from the big blind after Martin had checked from the small blind. Martin called and check-called another 2,025 on the [3d] river.
Farrell quickly opened [kc][tc][ for the bluff and lost out to Martin's [jd][ts]. He dropped to 7,600. -- MC
3:10pm: Table 13 - unlucky for some?
A new table, number 13, has opened up and it might prove unlucky for some. That's because it contains Jack Salter, who finished third at UKIPT4 London, Max Silver, who's UKIPT victory during Season 1 in Dublin is now not even in his top five cashes and Thomas Partridge, who won the PokerStars Baltic Festival in Tallinn in 2009.
This tournament has proven to be unlucky for Stephen Ng as he's the latest player to exit this tournament. The tournament board is showing that 104 of 108 entries remain. -- NW
2:55pm: Elvis has left the building
Bruce "Elvis" Atkinson was the latest player to depart after he ran a flopped top pair into Stephen Docherty's slow played pocket aces.
Atkinson called from second position, as did Docherty in the next seat, before David K Lappin raised to 525 from the small blind. Both opponents called to the [5c][9h][3c] flop where the action was checked to Docherty. He bet 1,500 and made a quick call when Atkinson shoved for 8,600 after Lappin had folded.
Atkinson: [ks][9s]
Docherty: [Ad][Ac]
The board ran out a blank [Th][7s].
Atkinson joined Mark Lane on the rail after he departed shortly before. -- MC
2:35pm: Chip counts
Some are up and some are down, here's the (rough) counts of the name and notables two levels into the tournament.
Jake Cody - 18,100
Phil Baker - 11,100
Ian LeBruce - 23,600
Leon Louis - 19,800
Jack Ellwood - 24,300
Niall Farrell - 28,000
Max Silver - 7,800
Andrew Ferguson - 31,900
Paul McTaggart - 9,400
Ben Jenkins - 13,800
Tim Davie - 29,500
Dean Lyall - 19,800
Neil Rawnsley - 19,000
Jamie Sykes - 18,000
Jack Salter - 17,000
Chris Derrick - 21,000
Thomas Ward - 28,000
2:25pm: A catch up with Max Silver
Max Silver is here playing Day 1A after making a quick dash from the Bahamas where he finished 9th in the PCA Main Event for $135,400. We caught up with him in the break to see how's he's feeling after getting so close to the final table, how he's feeling about the day so far and UKIPT Edinburgh in general.
"I feel pretty good, not so jetlagged and had a really good time at the PCA. I don't feel too disappointed with my result and am not angry about anything I did. It was a really good result and a lot of money, so yeah, I feel good!"
"I made some second best hands today and made one bluff at the end of level two that didn't work out. I wouldn't change any of my moves though and it's a long day ahead."
"I treat every event as separate, no matter what the buy in or the stature. This is a good event to win!"
Silver started level 3 with 7,800 chips. -- MC
Blinds up: 75/150
2pm: End of the level and a couple of exits
That's two levels in the books and the players are now on a 20 minute break. Although for two of them the break will be permanent, as Oliver McDonald and Nathan Gallagher
are both out. -- NW
1:50pm: Morten Mortensen doubles up
It looked like it might be a short day for Morten Mortensen, the Dane, who has final tabled an EPT and a WSOP event, was down to just 3,900 before doubling up through Mark Lane.
I only caught the action from the turn, but Lane bet 675 and Mortensen called. The river was the [5h] making a full board of [2c][5d][7h][jh][5h], Lane checked, Mortensen moved all-in for 2,650 and Lane called. Mortensen showed [Ah][Jd] and Lane mucked, but given that it was an all-in situation he was forced to show [10c][7s].
Pot to Mortensen then, he climbs to around 8,000, Jake Cody is at the same table he's down to 14,000, whilst Lewis Barber looks like he took most of Mortensen's chips as he's up to 37,000. -- NW
1:50pm: Silver lining for Rutert
After a great start, Max Silver's stack is on the slide. Yet again he had to lay down a hand on the river.
He was in a blind battle with Joscha Rutert and the two had made it to the river of a [4s][3h][2h][9c][2c]. Silver checked to face a 4,000 bet and took several minutes before he open-folded two black tens.
He dropped to 14,500. -- MC
1:40pm: Wrong seat Mr Lappin
Some players will do anything to get a good seat draw, just ask David K Lappin. Although, the opposite was true for Lappin as he accidentally sat down to the left of three aforementioned sharks: Andrew Ferguson, Paul McTaggart and Ben Jenkins.
Some might say his actual seat is just as hard though as he has Tim Davie and Dean Lyall to his right.
He was all-apologetic for sitting in the wrong seat but the tournament directors were in a forgiving mood. -- MC
1:25pm: No flops, no drops
It looks like the Scots reputation for being tight with money, extends to being tight with chips too. There have, thus far, been no eliminations on Day 1A, not unusual you may think given that each player starts with 400 big blinds. But, usually a couple of players bust out in the first level in a UKIPT, the victim of a cooler of perhaps unable to lay down a big hand.
Meanwhile, potential action tables include Jake Cody's, given that Morten Mortensen has sat down a few seats to Cody's left. And sat in a row at another table are Andrew Ferguson, Paul McTaggart and Ben Jenkins. Whilst Leon "Flippetyflop" Louis is a couple of seats to the left of Niall Farrell.
1:15pm: New level, new faces
Thomas Dunwoodie, Jack Elwood and Jamie Sykes have all decided to show their faces for the second level of the day. The number of players for today is fast approaching 90, with more expected to arrive through the afternoon.
Sykes had sat down a couple of seats to the left of Chris Derrick and to the immediate left of Jack Salter. While Elwood is a two to the left of Max Silver.
Silver's good start was halted ever so slightly when he admitted defeat and folded on the river in a three-bet pot.
He opened to 150 from the hijack and called when the small blinded Christopher Matthews three-bet to 400. Silver called another 400 on the [3d][9s][Ah] flop before both checked the [Qd] turn. Matthews fired 1,100 on the [Ts] river and Silver relinquished despite having his "favourite" hand. -- MC
Blinds up: 50/100
12.50pm: Stacked
There's plenty of well-known players in the field today, we'll be updating their chip counts and those of the chip leaders (when they emerge) throughout the day right here. As for now, well there's very little movement and no exits as of yet. -- NW
12:40pm: Aggressive Silver and tilted Farrell
Max Silver and Niall Farrell are both known to be aggressive players. They are sat on adjacent tables and both battled simultaneously in pots with differing results.
Silver was in the small blind and squeezed up to 650 after an open to 150 and a call in front of him. Both opponents called to a [5d][7c][3h] flop where all three checked.
Silver's delayed 1,100 bet on the [7d] turn was enough to force a fold from both opponents.
Meanwhile, Farrell was battling in a late position pot with Magnus Martin.
Farrell opened from the cut-off and was only called by Martin in the next seat. Farrell continued on a [Qh][Ts][Jd] board and called when raised by Martin.
Both players checked the [4c] turn before Farrell once again checked the over the [Kh] river to Martin, who bet 1,600. Farrell check-raised to 5,500 and was called.
Farrell opened [Ac][Kc] and chopped the pot with Martin who opened [Ah][Qc].
"Such a tilting river!" commented Farrell. -- MC
12:30pm: More faces
Despite most table playing five or six-handed there are plenty of UKIPT regulars at the felt. Irishman Phil Baker definitely fits that category, on a [As][10d][2d] he check-called a bet, "Irish call," he said as he did so. He also called a bet on the [9s] turn before making an Irish fold on the [3s] river.
Paul McTaggart has six UKIPT Main Event cashes to his name, he was busy filling out a waiver form whilst listening to Andrew Ferguson, who's on his immediate right, chat about the cost of car parking spaces in Edinburgh. There are two tables up on a raised stage, they're not feature tables as such, but one of them features Chris Derrick, who finished fifth here last year.
Whilst Andrew Hulme (same table as Max Silver) and Tim Davie are also in the field. -- NW
12:20pm: Who's about?
It's early days here in the Assembly Rooms and most of the tables are half full as players filter in the tournament room.
One player already here, who we thought would play tomorrow, was the aforementioned Max Silver. He seems in high spirits as he looks to continue his hot streak.
Also in the room are David Docherty, Niall Farrell, Thomas Ward, Andrew Ferguson, Gordon Huntly and Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody.
The latter two of these players are sat at the same table and tangled in an early pot that made it to the river.
The board read [2c][2s][7h][3h][4h] and Cody check-tank-folded to a 1,100 bet from Huntly.
Huntly is from Edinburgh but now resides in Thailand and has made the long trip to play his hometown tournament. His trip started well last night after he chopped the £150 Six-Max Event, with an official third place finish. -- MC
12pm: Welcome to UKIPT Edinburgh!
It's time to get the UKIPT on the road for 2014, the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh is the venue for the sixth stop of Season 4 and since the last event in Nottingham the schedule for the second half of Season 4 has been announced.
As for this stop, if there's one thing we've learned from the first three seasons of the UKIPT it's that the Edinburgh leg delivers. It delivers better than Mitchell Johnson (the Aussie bowler, not the lad who led after Day 1a of UKIPT4 Nottingham), although in Edinburgh of course the swings will be of the chip variety.
If you're looking for signs of who might be holding a novelty cheque above their head come Monday then history suggests that the winner of UKIPT Edinburgh will already have a reputation within the poker world or be about to establish one. Almost one year ago Nicolau Villa-Lobos went from first to worst to seal victory and a £101,000 payday. He's since gone on to finish second in the WSOPE High Roller for considerably more.
A season prior Fintan Gavin proved a very popular winner, the Irishman finally getting his hands on a PokerStars trophy almost three years after finishing runner-up at EPT5 Barcelona.
And back in Season 1 is where it all began for the UKIPT legend that is Nick Abou Risk as he won the first of his two UKIPT titles. But Edinburgh hasn't all been about the winners, Max Silver, Joeri Zandvliet, Thomas Ward, Jamie Dale, David Vamplew and Jamie Sykes are among those who've made the final table of the Main Event here in Edinburgh.
As has George Clyde-Smith, last year he was the UK's highest placed finisher at the 2013 Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure, this year that honour went to Max Silver (9th) although UKIPT Season 3 leader board winner Tom Hall (10th) ran him close. Both will be playing this week, although given their excursions in the Bahamas you suspect they'll play Day 1B. Hall, despite being up for thirty-six hours, played the six-max event last night!
As for Day 1A, well that's about to start.
Key UKIPT Edinburgh facts
- 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 start of level five - roughly 4.30pm.
- The Assembly Rooms is a cashless venue, you can only buy-in through your PokerStars account at the venue.
- Two starting days, then Days 2, 3 and 4 will be a combined field to a UKIPT champion (cue winner's photo, trophy swinging around, celebrations in the bar).
- There's still time to win your way to the event live at the venue in a £100 + £10 unlimited re-buy satellite. Full live tournament schedule here.
PokerStars Blog reporting team at PokerStars UKIPT Edinburgh: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. Photos by Rene Velli.