9.05pm: Day 2 is in the books
Day 2 is over, in eight levels of play today 309 players have been reduced to just 54. The players have been through the bubble and out the other side. Best placed heading into Day 3 will be Daniel Stacey. He'll take 806,000 into tomorrow and will be looking to improve on his sixth place finish at UKIPT4 Isle of Man. Max Silver, who was the start of day chip leader, is in second place with 602,000.
There are a ton of other great players still in the mix too, with the likes of Thomas Finneran, Joeri Zandvliet, Tom Hall, Dean Hutchison, Daragh Davey and Jack Salter still in contention. We'll be back at noon for live coverage of Day 3 and a wrap of the day's play is on the way. -- NW
8:45pm: Final five
The clock has been paused and five more hands will be played before Day 2 is a wrap. -- NW
8:40pm: Late in the day double ups
Two players have, momentarily at least, dodged the hangman's noose as they were all-in but survived.
First to feel the sweet relief of having their hand hold up was Dirk Thijssen, the Rational Group Staff member had [Qs][Qd] and got it in on, I think, the turn against James Daly's pocket sevens. The reason for all the action was clear as the board was [Qh][6h][7c][Kc] at this point. So Daly had one out and he didn't hit it on the [Ac] river, he drops to 43,000 whilst Thijssen is up to 175,000.
Meanwhile Robert Vishnudatt had committed his final 91,500 on a [4d][2s][5c] flop with [Ah][4h]. Jack Salter had put him at risk, he had [Qc][3s] for an open-ended straight draw. The pair held though as the [Jc] and [2d] completed the board. -- NW
8:30pm: Chip counts
There's just over 30 minutes left to play and here are the chip counts of some of the 62 players that are still in: Dirk Thijssen (105,000), Deborah Worley-Roberts (78,000), Kevin Killeen (440,000), Nick Newport (80,000), Max Silver (555,000), Ludovic Geilich (165,000), Jack Salter (360,000), Dean Hutchison (330,000), Ian Gascoigne (100,000), Dara O'Kearney (88,000), Tom Hall (95,000) and Joeri Zandvliet (160,000). -- NW
8:20pm: Stacey staying on top
It's going to take something pretty special for Daniel Stacey to not convert his massive chip stack into the overnight chip lead. He's now up to around 800,000 after eliminating Michael Kettiros.
The Blog only caught the river action but with a complete board of [6d][5s][5c][2c][Ac] on the felt Kettiros bet 50,000, Stacey set him in for roughly 140,000 total and Kettiros called it off. First to show was Stacey, he opened [6s][6h] for a full-house, Kettiros couldn't better it but was obliged to show his hand which was [Ad][10d]. -- NW
8:16pm: Taste of Salter for Silver
Jack Salter moved up to 335,000 in chips after he made a straight in a hand versus former chip leader, Max Silver.
Silver raised off the button and Salter peeled from the big blind to see a [jd][9s][qs] flop appear. Silver continued for 10,100 and called when Salter check-raised to 30,000. Salter led out for 32,500 on the [th] turn and Silver called before both checked the [7h] river.
Salter opened [kd][tc] for a straight. Silver dropped to 430,000 and said it could've been a lot worse as he held top two pair. -- MC
8:12pm: High Roller update
Just seven players remain in the €2,000 UKIPT4 Dublin High Roller. That means it's bubble time! Amongst those still in contention are Team PokerStars Online's Mickey Petersen, Simon Hemsworth and Dean Lyall. The latter just doubled up to 110,000 when his pocket sixes held up against pocket threes. That takes Lyall above the average of 97,000.
They all trail Craig Timmis though as he's the chip leader. -- NW
8pm: One in, one out
Martin Gallagher survived an all-in against Daragh Davey but to be fair, he had the best of it. He was all-in for 78,000 with [Ac][As] and up against Davey's pocket eights. The bullets were not dodged as the board ran [4s][6c][Qg][9s][9h].
However, there was no reprieve for Robert McCormack, he shoved for 52,000 with [Ah][5d] but ran smack into Stephen Lovatt's [As][Qc]. The [9h][Ac][9d][4c][3c] board kept Lovatt in front. -- NW
Blinds up: 2,500/5,000, ante 500
7:55pm: Razavi the raconteur
UKIPT2 Cork champion Sam Razavi used to be an actor before turning to poker. So he's pretty comfortable in front of a camera. As you'll see if you watch this video with him in which he discusses living and playing poker in Asia.
7:50pm: Wealthall whamboozled
Sound the sad face klaxon, UKIPT Host Nick Wealthall has been eliminated from the tournament. He told me: "I three-bet jammed with jacks for 14 big blinds, my opponent called with pocket sevens and a seven came on the river." -- NW
7:45pm: Payouts so far
The payout page will be updated as and when the information is received. Check out the finishers so far:
88th. Gerard Morgan, United Kingdom - €1,340
89th. Antonis Poulengeris, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier - €1,340
90th. Colin Lovelock, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier - €1,340
91st. Brian Warren, Ireland - €1,340
92nd. Kathleen Padovani , United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier - €1,340
93rd. Edward Gascoigne, United Kingdom - €1,340
94th. Philipp Teipel, Germany, PokerStars qualifier - €1,340
95th. Ilmari Sukanen, Finland, PokerStars qualifier - €1,340
96th. Rory Brennan, Ireland, PokerStars player - €1,250
97th. David Crilly, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier - €1,250
98th. Giacomini Carlo, Italy - €1,250
99th. Darren Burns, United Kingdom - €1,250
110th. John Hanaphy, Ireland - €1,250
101st. Andrew Brennan, Ireland, PokerStars player - €1,250
102nd. Marcin Kreft, Poland, PokerStars qualifier - €1,250
103rd. Adrian Old, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier - €1,250
7:35pm: A pow-wow with Petersen
Earlier today UKIPT Host Nick Wealthall caught up with Mickey Petersen. The Dane busted out of the Main Event but is playing the High Roller.
7:30pm: Double up for Craigie
With a [3h][2h][Kd] flop on the felt Kerry Jane Craigie re-raised all-in for 72,500 total and Harry Johan Rutten made the call.
Craigie: [Ks][Js]
Rutten: [Ah][Jh]
"Hold," said Craigie as the dealer burned and turned and hold she did as the [7d] and [2d] completed the board. -- NW
7:15pm: Top stacks from the break
Daniel Stacey - 685,000
Max Silver - 437,000
Jonathan McCann - 375,000
Declan Barker - 330,000
Stefan Ebinger - 328,000
Esben Guenther - 300,000
Svein Eidseter - 280,000
Kevin Killeen - 270,000
--MC
7:10pm: One double up, one time to go home
Plenty of all-in and calls from the floor to tell you about.
Robert Schulz moved all-in for 33,000 with [Kd][Jh], Gregory Hayles flat called, only for another player to move all-in for 220,000 total with pocket aces. Back on Hayles he tanked for an eternity, he then moved his cards towards the betting line, drew back his index finger to fold and...dragged his cards back to take one more look. He then folded.
The [9h][2d][10s][Jc][Kc] board meant Schulz hit runner-runner to stay alive.
However, Gerard Morgan was not so lucky, he shoved for 20,000 with [Ks][9d] from the button but couldn't stay ahead of Adrian O'Donoghue's [Jd][5s] on a [8d][6h][2c][10s][JS] board.
90 players remain. -- NW
7:05pm: The grinder tales with Rory Rees
The scenario: You come into Day 2 of a tournament with fewer than nine big blinds and know that around 200 players have to bust before the money is made. Someone offers you the chance to min cash. Would you take that offer?
Of course you would as more than 95% of the time you'll bust without making the money.
Rory Rees was that man (there was no offer though) and he managed to turn that 5% chance into a min cash. The blog caught up with the happy/relieved Rees just after he busted.
"I came in third last in the whole field and wasn't expecting much, I was more looking forward to going out tonight. I tripled up a couple of times and doubled up a couple of times to hang around, but the whole time I never had more than 20 big blinds.
"I managed to squeeze in (the money) with 10k and busted a couple of hands after that. It was a grind of a day!
"I'm going to the PokerStars party tonight and hopefully I'll still be out tomorrow!" -- MC
6:40pm: End of level 14
Six levels down, two more to go. The players are now on a 20 minute break. -- NW
6:35pm: In the money tweets
You can feel the release of tension in the room now that the bubble has burst. Many players have put that expunging of nervous energy to good use by summing up their excitement about being in the money here in Dublin. And they've done it in 140 characters or less the clever things.
480k in the money of #UKIPTDublin. Average is 130k
— Max Silver (@max_silver) March 1, 2014Weeee. ITM in UKIPT Main for 6th time of last 8. Now time to spin 17 bbs. 5 out of 6 Firmys cashing pretty sweet too #UKIPTDublin
— Dara O'Kearney (@daraokearney) March 1, 2014ITM in UKIPT Dublin. Time to spin 20BB. GL all still in. #UKIPTDublin #grinding
— pokerpiper (@pokerpiper) March 1, 20146:30pm: Finneran survives the bubble
UKIPT Cork Champion Thomas Finneran was debating whether or not to call all in on the bubble from the big blind after Andrew Brennan had moved all in, with 1,100 more chips, from mid position.
He knew there was another all in, and luckily for him, it was at the table behind his seat enabling him to see that two players had called Tim Chung's shove. He liked those odds and made the call for 41,400.
By the time the cards were turned up, Finneran new he was safely into the money.
Finneran: [ac][kc]
Brennan: [ks][qc]
The board ran [7c][jc][jd][8h][th].
That left Brennan with fumes and he busted the next hand. -- MC
6:22pm: Tim Chung bubbles UKIPT4 Dublin
There was no way back for Tim Chung after his kings into aces accident (see below). He moved all-in from the button for 17,000 and picked up calls from Charlotte Gouldsborough (small blind - stack of 77,000 total) and Padraig Burns (big blind - stack of 63,000 total).
There was a pause whilst the other tables finished their hands, Chung was the coolest customer in the building and he was getting a massage to boot. The [3c][6d][Qc] flop was checked through and the [Jc] fell on the turn, when checked to, Burns bet 10,000.
"Really? Really?" said Gouldsborough, incredulous that Burns had bet into a dry side pot. Regardless, she made the call and the [4s] hit the river. Both players checked it down, Burns showed first - [Jh][Js] - for the turned set. "I didn't want you to hit a club," he said as Gouldsborough showed [Ac][10d], Chung meanwhile had [As][4c] and couldn't improve on Burns' holding.
As a result everyone left in is in the money or were they? There was another all-in at another table...details on that coming right up. -- NW
6:15pm: Cooler on the bubble helps Ebinger
Rational Group employee Stefan Ebinger won't have to face the office on Monday morning as the bubble boy after he survived an all in scare.
It was an inevitable cooler as he had aces in the small blind and Tim Chung had kings in the big blind. Chung three-bet called off the large (148k) shove.
The board ran [ac][5s][8c][9h][ts] to make Ebinger top set. -- MC
6pm: Bubble time!
UKIPT Dublin is on the bubble after the elimination of Cathal Shine.
Hand-for-hand play will progress until one more player busts. -- MC
5:50pm: Melin one of those to soft bubble
Full Tilt Poker Ambassador Sin Melin was one of those to bust agonisingly close to the money.
Just busted 8 off the money gutted :( #UKIPTDublin
— Sin menis Melin (@SinTheMenis) March 1, 2014Others to suffer the same fate include: Fergal Cawley, Noel Murphy, Bryan Napier and Jason Foran. -- NW
5:40pm: 106 remain, 103 get paid
The dealers are being asked to announce all-in and calls now as the bubble is so close. There haven't been many yet and the ones that have occurred have gone the way of the short stacks.
Michael Kettiros has over 200,000 after coolering Ilmari Sukanen, the former led for 25,000 on the river of a [jh][10d][8s][8d][Ks] board, Sukanen set him in for 85,200 total and Kettiros called. He showed pocket eights for 'just quads' whilst Sukanen had [Ac][Qc] for the rivered straight. The Finn is down to 85,000 as a result.
And Philipp Teipel doubled up his micro stack to a short stack when he shoved for 11,300 with pocket jacks and got called by an opponent with [Ac][8h]. A [10c][8s][4s][4h][7c] board made him sweat but he held on to double. -- NW
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 1,500-3,000, 400
5:35pm: Cruel end for Razavi
Daniel Stacey started today with 53,600 chips but has more than half a million after he eliminated an unlucky Sam Razavi.
Razavi opened from the button and Stacey called from the small blind to see a [qd][7c][ac] flop fall. Razavi bet 5,000 there and 18,400 on the 2h turn, with Stacey calling both times.
The board completed with the [3c] and Stacey set Razavi all in for his last 50-60k. Razavi called, stood up, flashed [ad][ah] for top set, said nice hand and threw his cards at the muck all within three seconds before making his exit.
He new he was beat but had to call. Stacey opened [kc][jc] for the nut flush and scooped. -- MC
5:20pm: Josem ready to party after busting
When you see a player sat alone at an empty table when he's supposed to be in the tournament, you now the news in not good.
PokerStars Head of PR Michael Josem was that man. He told the Blog he busted after he opened off 25 big blinds with ace-ten from mid position. The most active player at the table three-bet off the button and Josem put his foot down and shoved. That time the player in question had ace-king and the board ran blank.
Josem will make the most of the evening and attend the players party happening later on this.-- MC
5:15pm: Exits
The bubble is oh so close as 112 players remain and 103 will get paid. Recent exits include: Aleksandras Voisnis, Con Collins, Sean Flood, Roy Burns, Allister Neill, Mathias Puzich, Cat Taylor, Craig Grant, Paul Delaney and Niall Larkin. -- NW
5:10pm: Will the Flood gates open for Worley-Roberts?
Deborah Worley-Roberts and Sean Flood have been having a right old ding-dong of a battle today. The former got the last word though work after a cooler of a hand.
"Aces versus ace-king suited," was how Worley-Roberts described it. "All pretty standard."
That left Flood with 1,000 chips and he was out soon after. Worley-Roberts moved back up to 106,000. -- MC
4:55pm: Some chip counts
A few chip counts as the bubble approaches: Thomas Finneran (78,000), Tom Hall (160,000), Joeri Zandvliet (145,000), Ludovic Geilich (138,000), Sam Razavi (78,000), Dean Hutchison (95,000), Nick Wealthall (90,000), Sin Melin (46,000), Dara O'Kearney (40,000). -- NW
4:47pm: The Blog talks to the Ludovic Geilich; man who loves a four-bet
Since Ludovic Geilich won UKIPT Marbella last year he's broken through to the next level, playing most EPTs where he's been a revelation.
The blog caught up with him in the break where he talks about adjusting between different buy in levels and different opponents.
"I think in this circumstance you can't bluff an awful lot as players know your face and they're not going to believe you, they'll just call you down. You have to select your opponents very well but the standard is still very high on the UKIPT, that's for sure.
"It's not an easy field, even compared to EPTs. For instance, today I've got a really tough table and yesterday I had one too. Today I've not had a good seat draw as I have Dara Davey to my left who's quiet good. I'm not opening as light, and when I am opening, I'm opening from very early position to stop him, as it forces him to three-bet through the whole table. I'm folding a lot more from middle position because he's going to take advantage from that. It's a good dynamic." -- MC
4:40pm: Chip leaders
Here are the top 10 stacks as level 13 gets underway. Max Silver still leads, but he's getting reeled in.
Max Silver - 388,000
Daniel Stacey - 371,000
Jonathan McCann - 370,000
Dirk Thijssen - 325,000
Michael Naughton - 290,000
Jack Salter - 260,000
Kieran Birt - 221,000
Mick McCloskey - 220,000
Dara Fitzgerald - 217,000
Declan Barker - 210,000
4:30pm: Blain among those to fall as bubble looms large
Just 131 players remain in the UKIPT4 Dublin Main Event. 103 of those players will win a minimum of €1,250. However for many, including Full Tilt Poker Ambassador Dermot Blain, that dream is no longer a reality.
Busto floped nut straight couldn't hold v nut flush draw 😂...stars party later have feeling it's going to be loose one 🍻 #UKIPTDublin
— Dermot Blain (@dermotblain) March 1, 2014He wasn't the only player to exit during level 12, other players to fall by the wayside included: Adam Jaguscik, Stefano Bellisario, Stephen Hamilton, James Thomson, Susanne Philiips, Martin Stuart, Daniel Shapiro, Ben Senior, James Young, Tomasz Raniszewski, Paul Man, Tim Klarpas, Paul Feldstein, Jan Nakladal, James Metcalf, Marc Kennedy, Roger Lu, Lewis Barber and Jim McLean. -- NW
PokerStars Blog reporting team at PokerStars UKIPT Dublin: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. Photos by Danny Maxwell.