To read updates from level 25 onward, click here.
7.24: Szeto bounced in 6th spot - £3,430
Phillip Szeto has tried his best to get back into the game, making the odd re-steal and shove to steal the blinds - finally though he has come unstuck.
He had a real hand in [Kh][Qd] but ran into Sam Darkin's [As][Jh] - just a smidgen ahead.
That smidgen was enough as a board of [Td][6h][2c][Ac][2s] left Darkin's boisterous rail cheering their man and Szeto eliminated in 5th.
That hand happened right at the end of level 24.
The players are now on a 15 minute break, we'll be back shortly. See you then!
7.10pm: Chip counts
With the players consolidated down to just six potential champions now, let's have a quick look at the standings, Sam Darkin leading the way at present.
Sam Darkin - 1,800,000
Alejandro Perez Torres - 1,225,000
Thomas Postelthwaite - 1,200,000
Tobias Kirby-Hogarty - 815,000
Phillip Szeto - 600,000
Allan Pike - 500,000
6.55pm: Javier Perez Estevez eliminated in 7th spot - £2,520
While one spaniard is on the rise, one has fallen critically. Estevez was looking to emulate his compatriot's rise up the rankings - going for a double through with pocket sixes.
Sam Darkin took him on with [Ad][Qs] and duly won the flip over the [Ah][5h][5s][7d][5d] board to send Estevez to the rail in 7th.
Good game!
6.45pm: Paul eliminated in 8th spot - £1,850
Richard Paul hasn't managed to get going on this final table. It's been one long downswing and it's culminated in his elimination moments ago against the increasingly dangerous-looking stack of Alejandro Perez Torres.
He'd just witnessed Torres double up Allan Pike the hand previous with jack-eight, so felt he was in a good spot when he re-shoved with ace-eight following another Torres open.
This time however Torres had it, holding [As][Qd]. Paul was dominated and the board of [Kd][7c][3h][5c][6s] did nothing to change the status quo. Paul is eliminated in 8th spot - Torres up to 1.4 million.
6.38pm: Torres becomes double trouble
Having already reached the cusp of an EPT final Alejandro Perez Torres clearly has some skills and having just acheived a double-through from Samuel Darkin he is now an ever-menacing force at the felt.
The hand in question saw the pair war preflop, understandably as they both held premiums - [Qd][Qh] for Torres, [Ad][Kh] for Darkin.
A board of [Qs][8s][2h][2d][Tc] left Torres the decisive champion and he is now up to 850,000 - Darkin down to just over a million chips...
6.33pm: Carroll finishes 9th - £1,520
Adam Carroll has just finished on the wrong side of the rail and his exit was somewhat unfortunate.
Holding [Ad][8h] he moved all-in for around 8 big blinds - called by Thomas Postelthwaite in middle position.
everyone else passed and Postelthwaite showed down a dominated [Ac][2d] - Carroll looking like he was about to double.
Once more fate weaved an insidious path however - the board falling [Kd][Js][Ts][Ts][2c] - Postelthwaite eliminating Carroll with that final river card.
"Good game guys, good luck," Carroll said sportingly.
"I guess we're all playin' for second!" Tobias Kirby-Hogarty said with a smile...
They continue 8-handed...
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 12,000-24,000-3,000
6.05pm: Final Table Counts
After a short break to speak to the combatants, the final table is underway. Here is how these players line up chipwise in table order:
Sam Darkin - 1,543,000
Tobias Kirby-Hogarty - 822,000
Adam Carroll - 204,000
Alejandro Perez Torres - 487,000
Thomas Postlethwaite - 1,028,000
Alan Pike - 556,000
Javier Perez Estevez - 424,000
Richard Paul - 542,000
Philip Szeto - 356,000
5.40pm:Two quick eliminations and we have our final table!
It didn't take too long to reach this point. First Louis Hennessey ran his [Ad][9c] shove into Allan Pike's [Ah][Kh].
No help on the {As][Qs][7s][3c][5c] board and he departs in 11th place for £1,275.
Next up David Alderton made a move with [Kc][5d] but was picked off by Javier Perez Estevez holding pocket jacks. Again the best hand held over the [Th][4s][3c][5h][6d] board and Alderton was eliminated in 10th spot for £1,275.
We have our final table! More information incoming...
5.30pm: Postlethwaite loses chunk
He was a llong way in front of his closest challenger before this hand, but that has all changed - Thomas Postlethwaite running a big bluff on a [3d][Jh][8c] board with [Kd][Qs] versus Samuel Darkin.
Darkin, holding kings, was going nowhere and with his stack at 600,000 before the huge confrontation, Darkin now vaults Postlethwaite as his hand held over turn and river.
Darkin up to 1,2 million, Postlethwaite down to 800,000...
5.27pm: Matt finish
The dream is all over for Matt Bryan. You need to win some key flips if you are to run deep, and when Bryan got it in with [Ad][Ts] versus the pocket nines of Adam Carroll, he needed to do just that.
Unfortunately, the board of {Qs][2d][2h][2c][4d] was not kind for him, Carroll holds to rise to half a million in chips and Bryan crashes out in 12th, collecting £1,125...
5.21pm: Darkin rides fortune to huge double
Samuel Darkin just made a huge misstep, though it worked out fine for him in the end. Holding [Ks][Ts] he opened - only for Philip Szeto to three-bet. Darkin felt in the mood to apply some pressure and four-bet all-in for a massive 375,000.
Szeto had an easy decision - holding pocket aces he made the call and looked set to eliminate Darkin, only for the poker gods to intervene as they are wont to do.
[Tc][2c][5d][8d][Td] came the cruel flop - the spiked trips on the river saving Darkin and boosting his stack to a third-in-chips position of 770,000.
Szeto meanwhile was left licking his wounds - short and needing help if his tournament is to progress much further...
5.10pm: Chip Counts
Here are the standings with the final table edging closer:
David Alderton - 135,000
Javier Perez Estevez - 480,000
Alejandro Perez Torres - 450,000
Adam Carroll - 180,000
Matt Bryan - 175,000
Richard Paul - 300,000
Louis Hennessey - 180,000
Thomas Postlethwaite - 1,555,000
Allan Pike - 400,000
Samuel Darkin - 425,000
TK Hogarty - 870,000
Philip Szeto - 690,000
5.00pm: Back to play to the Champion!
91 started the day, just 13 remain now. We're playing to a champion with Thomas Postlethwaite the current chip leader with 1.5 million in chips. The players are keen, focused and ready to write their names into the annals of UKIPT history.
Good luck all!
To read updates from levels 17-20, click here.