1:20pm: A couple of bumps in Boeree's road
Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree has lost a couple of pots that went to showdown...
In the first she limped form the small blind and Eldon Orr checked his option. They both checked the [10h][10d][3c] flop and the [2d] fell on fourth street. Boeree fired out a bet of 50,000, Orr raised to 155,000 and Boeree smooth called. The [4s] completed the board, Boeree checked and Orr bet 250,000. After getting a count Boeree said: "Maybe you've got there with ace-five," before making the call, Orr showed [Qh][10c] and it was good.
An orbit later Boeree raised to 80,000 on the button and Jason Beazley defended from the big blind. The [Ah][5h][Ks] flop was checked through and the [5s] hit the turn. Boeree fired out a bet of 75,000 and Beazley called. There was no betting on the [9s] river though, "I have a nine," said Beazley, showing [Qh][9h], Boeree nodded and mucked her hand. -- NW
1:10pm: Tomasz Raniszewski eliminated in 5th place (£26,430)
Tomasz Raniszewski was very short stacked and managed to double up, but it was a short-lived reprieve.
The action folded to him in the cut-off and he moved all in for 198,000 with [kc][3c]. Eldon Orr called from the big blind with [td][8d] before the board ran [2d][6h][ks][9c][8s].
A few hands later the action folded to Raniszewski on the button and he moved all in again. Dean Huchison re-raised from the small blind and successfully isolated.
Raniszewski: [3d][3s]
Huchison: [as][qc]
The board ran [th][qh][8s][6d][7s] to pair the Scot's queen.
"Let the games begin!" shouted Huchison, to the delight of his rail. -- MC
Blinds up: 20,000/40,000, ante 5,000
12:50pm: Jacobus Visser eliminated in 6th place (£20,710)
It's a hat-trick of knockouts for Liv Boeree in under 25 minutes as she just sent Jacobus Visser to the rail in sixth place.
He shoved under-the-gun for 151,000 with [9s][6s] and Boeree made the call with [Ah][7s] from the button. The board ran [Jc][2d][Ac][Qh][Kd] and just like that we are five handed.
Since that elimination Boeree has won two small pots and now has roughly 4,000,000 of the 8,540,000 chips in play. "Relentless," said Fraser Macintyre who's watching from the rail. -- NW
12:30pm: Michael Kane eliminated in 7th place (£15,570)
Liv Boeree has passed the three million chip mark after she eliminated Michael Kane in 7th place.
The action folded around to Dean Hutchison on the button and he raised to 60,000. Boeree was in the small blind and flatted before Michael Kane moved all-in for around 500,000 from the big blind. Hutchison folded but Boeree checked Kane's stack size and called.
Kane: [qs][js]
Boeree: [as][qc]
The board ran [8c][td][4s][3d][7c].
Kane was asking for a nine but it never came. The Team PokerStars Pro set the trap perfectly pre-flop and gained all the rewards. -- MC
12:15pm: Ciaran Heaney eliminated in eighth place (£11,060)
It didn't take long for the first exit of the final table, just five minutes in fact.
From under-the-gun Liv Boeree opened to 60,000, Jason Beazley flat called from the hijack only for Ciaran Heaney to move all-in from the button for 261,000. Back on Boeree she got a count and then called, whilst Beazley folded.
Boeree: [Qh][Qc]
Heaney: [Ah][10s]
The [4s][Qs][8c] flop all but ended the hand, the [5s] turn gave Heaney flush outs but he missed them on the [4d] river. He collects £11,060 for finishing eighth, whilst Boeree now has the chip lead. -- NW
12:10pm: Cards in the air
Play is underway, there's 32 minutes and 16 seconds left in level 24. A reminder of what they're playing for.
1st. £93,900
2nd. £59,180
3rd. £42,430
4th. £33,700
5th. £26,430
6th. £20,710
7th. £15,570
8th. £11,060
12:05pm: Delayed start
With all the fanfare surrounding the final eight players, the start has been delayed. There will be 32 minutes left to play of 24 when cards are in the air.
11:30am: Beazley & Boeree head final table
It's final table day here at Assembly Rooms where the fourth ever UKIPT Edinburgh champion will be crowned.
The two players at the top of the chip counts are leading the headlines; Jason Beazley because he's in pole position and Liv Boeree because she's Liv Boeree. The Team PokerStars Pro is just 71,000 behind Beazley and came storming back into contention in the latter stages of yesterday.
Beazley also has momentum after he eliminated the dangerous Jon Ludy to snatch away the lead from Boeree, and burst the final table bubble. These two players have around half the chips in play and are the ones to catch.
If poker, and UKIPT Edinburgh specifically, has taught us anything it's do not rule out the other players. No one gave Nicolau Villa-Lobos much of a chance last year as he entered the final table languishing in last place but he proved everyone wrong and mounted a stunning comeback to claim his maiden live title.
Here are the eight contenders:
Seat 1. Jason Beazley, United Kingdom - 2,300,000
Seat 2. Jacobus Visser , Netherlands, PokerStars Qualifier - 265,000
Seat 3. Ciaran Heaney, Ireland, PokerStars Qualifier - 363,000
Seat 4. Tomasz Raniszewski , Poland, PokerStars Qualifier - 490,000
Seat 5. Dean Hutchison, United Kingdom, PokerStars Player - 1,290,000
Seat 6. Liv Boeree, United Kingdom, Team PokerStars Pro - 2,229,000
Seat 7. Michael Kane, United Kingdom - 505,000
Seat 8. Eldon Orr, Northern Ireland - 1,136,000
Play, as ever, is due to start at midday, so join us back here for all the action and talking points from what promises to be an exciting day.