9.07pm: End of day two
That dramatic confrontation was one of the last acts of note on day 2 here at UKIPT Bristol. Come the close of play, 45 players had negotiated their way through the day with Robert Bull heading the field courtesy of that monstrous last pot.
He has several players hot on his heels, the closest being Simon Randall with 438,000 and the winner of the UKIPT Bristol Online Wojtek Barzantny also putting in an impressive attempt to do a remarkable double here in Bristol.
The final chip counts and re-cap of the day will be posted shortly but for now, thanks for following the coverage. It has been a compulsive day with all the drama we have come to expect from the UKIPT.
We hope to see you back here at 12.00pm sharp for the playdown to the final. -- RS
9.03pm: Grafton gored by Bull
It's been an almost flawless rise to the top by Sam Grafton today, but right at the death he saw much of his stack disappear in the biggest pot of the day.
He hasn't shown a propensity to back down when he's been able to use his stack as leverage and once again, he wielded it like a club, engaging in a 5-bet preflop with [Ad][Qd] versus fellow bigstack Robert Bull (he held about 260,000).
This time however, the cards were not to fall his way. Bull held [As][Ah] and had the easy decision to call Grafton's shove.
There were no nasty surprises as the dealer laid out flop, turn and river and a small headshake was the only slight sign of negativity from an otherwise cheerful Grafton at having seen so much of his stack disappear.
That hand propels Robert Bull right to the head of the chipcounts with 538,000, where he remained till the final few hands played out. Sam Grafton however has just around 100,000 to his name... -- RS
8.55pm: Final 4 hands!
We have reached the cusp of the end of day 2. Just four hands remain until we know who will go into day 3 in pole position as the chip leader... -- RS
8.48pm: Greenwood dodges slick obstacle
Callum Smith on the button, James Greenwood in the big blind, the pair holding [As][Kd] and [Jd][Jh] respectively, there was always likely to be a brutal confrontation and so it proved.
Tha pair went to war preflop, Greenwood making a big raise over Smith's initial button raise and Smith took him on for his 120,000 stack..
"Come on!" bellowed Smith, desperate to win this crucial coinflip.
A board of [9s][2h][7c][5s][3c] however did nothing useful for his chances and with the river dealt, he joined the increasingly-thickening rail to bemoan his misfortune.
Meanwhile Greenwood chips up to 320,000... -- RS
8.38pm: Smith crushes Berry
We can't help but feel a bit sorry for Nicholas Berry, who has won plenty of chips today, but always seems to feature in losing pots in the updates.
Just bad luck on timing there Mr Berry!
The latest hand to see Berry fall on the wrong side of the pun headline saw him making a big bet - around 75,000 on the river of a [As][8s][7d][9c][Qd] board, only for Callum Smith to make the call with [A][Q] for top two, which was good.
That hand sees Berry down to around 100k whilst Smith is up to 230,000... -- RS
8.34pm: Bambos missing home comforts
Bambos Xanthos may find himself deep in this UKIPT but he can't help wondering if one of the plethora of screens on the back wall of the casino couldn't be put to better use.
"Why don't they show some tennis or something? We don't need 15 screens about blinds!" -- RS
8.30pm: Big stacks
With just 40 minutes left in the day, these guys are the big stacks:
Sam Grafton: 350,000
Matthew Moss: 360,000
Tom Hall: 320,000
Wojtek Barzantny: 280,000
8.15pm: Somewhere to be
We know the players party has started and there's a free bar, but the players continue to dropping faster than Felix Baumgartner. -- NW
8pm: Falling like flies
In the 30 minutes since the bubble burst, the floodgates have opened and the 72 player field has shrunk to just 58, in an pressure release of epic proportions.
I caught one of those exits first hand and Raj Verma was very unlucky to be heading to the payouts desk.
The pot was opened to 8,000 by Ed Ash, Verma made it 18,000 from the big blind, Ash jammed for an effective 90,000 and Verma snap called.
Verma: [Ah][Ac]
Ash: [3h][3c]
The [8d][7c][10d] flop was safe enough, but the [3s] turn gave Ash a set and the [Js] river sent Verma tumbling out of the tournament.
Other players to have cashed but crashed include: Sunny Chattha, Spencer Lawrence, Ben Martin and Marc McDonnell. -- NW
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 2,000-4,000 ante 400
7.54pm: Cowboys bring it home for Randall
Marc Macdonnell just lost a very large pot to Simon Randall in what we assume was a pre-flop coup.
Holding [As][Kc] he walked straight into the pocket kings of Simon Randall, failed to improve and left Randall sweeping up a huge pot that sees him move over 270,000. -- RS
7.45pm: Spencer feels the Burn
Spencer Lawrence was another to squeeze into the money, and buoyed by that achievement he looked to increase his stock yet further, moving all-in with [Kd][Qd], only to run into the [A][K] of David Burn.
He picked up outs along the way, in particular a flush draw and a gutshot, but ultimately these came to naught as the dominating hand held sway leaving Lawrence to quietly pack up and vacate the playing arena. -- RS
7.35pm: Prested can't fade sick freeroll
The poker gods are a fickle bunch, we know that much. One minute they are cosying up to you, dealing you aces and giving you action as Jonathon Prested found, moving all-in under the gun for around 14 big blinds with the bullets and picking up action from (we think) Liam O'Donoghue. Happy days!
What they giveth they taketh away however, as Prested's opponent also flipped the bullets - two black to Prested's two red - and the pair were about to chop up the blinds.
Was this the end? Oh no. An all club flop of [Kc][Tc][Qc] gave O'Donoghue a big freeroll and it duly dropped in on the [3c] leaving Prested, the Day 1A chipleader high and dry and the crowd oohing at that painful spectacle.
The silver lining is he squeezed into the money just prior to that hand occurring... -- RS
7.30pm: Christopher Nicholas bubbles UKIPT Bristol
After double ups for Owen Lock and Emanuele Pani on the bubble, three truly was the magic number for the other 72 players still in UKIPT Bristol as the third time there was an all-in and call the bubble burst.
Ed Ash min-raised to 6,000, Christopher Nicholas moved all-in for 18,400 and Ash made a swift call, there was then a wait whilst all the other hands played out - including Pani's all in double up where he rivered a straight to stay alive - until they eventually could turn their cards over.
Nicholas: [Kh][Kd]
Ash: [As][Jc]
The [9c][Ah][3s] was a cruel flop for Nicholas to see and he had all but left the card room by the time the [8c] and [10c] completed the board.
Everyone else is now guaranteed at least £1,000. -- NW
7.25pm: The bubble has burst
Everyone is in the money here in Bristol, details on the bubble hand coming right up. -- NW
7.09pm: Official bubble
That elimination means we are now on the official bubble, playing hand for hand. The atmosphere is thick and tense out there, with more than a few sweaty palms on show...
7.06pm: Rudling suffers cruel exit in 74th
Holding a big stack means you can apply pressure without ever feeling it yourself and Sam Grafton illustrated that moments ago, raising it up to 6,300, only to watch David Rudling make it 18,000 to go.
He knew he could use his stack to try and lever Rudling off the pot, so four-bet all-in with [9][7], though Rudling was not to be pushed off, making the call with pocket jacks for his 90,000 stack and looking well placed to double up.
Not so quick - a board of [Q][9][5][7][A] turned things round in Grafton's favour, his two pair scuppering Rudling's jacks and leaving the player heading disconsolately to the rail without any recompense for his efforts over the last two days.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 1,500-3,000 ante 300
7.06pm:End of break time
The players are back in action for level 15... -- RS
6.46pm: Break time
Players are now on a 15 minute break. -- NW
6.45pm: Tompkins gives Vinson a tumble
When you have three aggressive competent and fearless players in a row, all with chips near the bubble, it's bound to get a little aggro.
And that's just what happened in a pot involving Jason Tompkins, Ben Vinson and Wojtek Barzantny. It folded to Tompkins on the button, he made it 4,800 to go, Vinson three-bet to 12,100, Barzantny four-bet to 28,500 and it was back on Tompkins. After a minute or so Tompkins moved all-in for 102,700, Vinson quickly announced that he too was all-in (for around 170,000) and the action was no on Barzantny who had both covered. After at least three or four minutes in the tank Barzantny folded his hand.
Tompkins: [7d][7h]
Vinson: [As][Kc]
The [7c][9c][Ks] flop hit both, but hit Tompkins harder and he stayed in front on the [3d] turn and [4h] river. -- NW
6.40pm: Shelley loses flip to bust
We're down to 74 players as Scott Shelley has just been sent packing in 75th spot. In a blind on blind battle with Ben Young, the former was all-in with [As][Kh] against Young's pocket queens. "Can we just chop it now?" asked Shelley but as this was a tournament the dealer was obliged to deal the five community cards. Unfortunately for Shelley no aces or kings were forthcoming and he wished everyone good luck as he left the table. -- NW
6.32pm: Dusted off
These players have all been denied the chance to cash, having busted just prior to the money.
Nicholas Lynn
Chris Dowling
Jason Kemp
Benjamin Jenkins
Kieran Plater
David Lenz
Christopher Mcnicholls
Daniel Thomas -- RS
6.27pm: Show me the money!
With 75 left in, three more players need to go and then everyone still remaining will be getting paid. -- RS
6.18pm: They think it's all Dover!
Swede Michael Doverklint is entertaining his table right now with some comical banter.
Heads up with Welshman Michael Jones , the pair saw a board of [Kd][9h][3d] and Doverklint had bet 20k into the pot with 7k back.
"I'm ahead," he told Jones, who nonetheless moved all-in, receiving a quick call from Doverklint.
The Swede showed the veracity of his statement, flipping up [As][Kc] to Jones' dominated [Kh][Qs].
"Where are you from?" Doverklint asked Jones.
"Wales," came the reply.
"Yes I love Wales," joked Doverklint.
"You think all us Swedes are crazy but I'm the tightest player in Sweden."
After the exchange, Doverklint was up to 65k and Jones down to 45k. -- RS
6.15pm: Chips
As we approach the bubble here are the chip counts of some of those left in: Raj Verma (210,000), Dan Carter (54,000), Paul McTaggart (45,000), Andrew Couldridge (180,000) and Jason Tompkins (55,000). -- NW
6.10pm: Grafton gobbles up more chips
Sam Grafton is up to 230,000, his latest boost coming courtesy of eliminating Oliver Prior. The latter was all-in for 20,000 with [Js][8s] and in bad shape against Grafton's pocket queens.
The [5h][10d][8h] flop helped Prior a touch, the [7s] turn added another possible method of outdraw, but the [Ac] river sent him to the rail and his stack to Grafton.
81 remain. -- NW
6pm: Fun time Franky
Matt Frankland is having a good time at UKIPT Bristol if his latest tweet is anything to go by: "Over 100k :) tables incred winning most hands uncontested and with the bubble 17 away can't see them growing a backbone any time soon." -- NW
5.55pm: Bubble gets ever closer
With just 89 players left the bubble is looming into view here at UKIPT Bristol. In all 72 players will make the money, however: Chung Hoang, Andrew Garland, Craig Burke, Emmett Mullin, Darren Fuller, Ronald Lawton, Kristian Linnell and Karen Arthur will not be amongst them as they're all out. -- NW
5.45pm: Martin piles it on
Benjamin Martin was contesting a flop of [Td][7h][2d] with a tablemate, leading out for 7,000 (called) and the pair went heads up to the [9s] turn.
He now reached into his stack and pulled out a hefty 22.200, which he bet, leaving his opponent to mull it over for some time, before again making the call, with just 47,000 back.
The river fell a seemingly inconsequential [3d] and Martin now quietly announced all-in, effectively around a 3/4 pot bet.
Much sighing and tanking ensued, but ultimately this third bullet did the trick, his opponent folding, leaving Martin to sweep up a very juicy pot, boosting him up to 150,000 whilst his opponent was left licking his wounds with 47,000.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 1,200-2,400 ante 300
5.40pm: Xanthos applies the afterburners
Bambos Xanthos is a seasoned campaigner on the poker circuit, with several decades of poker results to back up his credentials and he is using all of that experience wisely at the moment, his stack an impressive 180,000.
5.30pm: David doubles through Dale
David Gassian just got a much needed double up and has switched chip positions with Matt Dale, the man who doubled him up.
It was Dale who got the action started, he made it 4,400 from under-the-gun, it folded all the way round to Gassian in the big blind and after asking Dale for a count (despite Dale covering him) he made the call.
The [Qd][3c][4d] flop was checked to Dale, he c-bet 5,400, Gassian moved all-in for 11,400 more and Dale shrugged and said: "Ah I suppose I have to call then," and put in the extra.
Dale: [10c][10d]
Gassian: [Qh][10s]
Dale had been outflopped and it would stay that way as the [9s] and [8d] completed the board, Gassian doubled up to around 43,000 whilst Dale slipped to 19,000. -- NW
5.15pm: Chips
We've been busy slacking flowing the chip counts into the chip count page. It now contains the count of everyone who was in at the last break.
There are currently 99 players remaining, 72 of whom will make the money. -- NW
5.05pm: More on the Mina exit
We reported earlier that start of day chip leader Marinos Mina busted during the last level, Joe Roberts who was sat at the same table as him gave me some information on just how he dusted off his chips. "He went to war on a [A][10][9] flop with [10][9]," Roberts told me. "There was a four-bet and a five-bet on the flop, about 100 big blinds went in and it was a spot where his hand was never going to be good. Sure enough his opponent (Benjamin Bogren) had flopped bottom set." -- NW
4.55pm: Randall doubles up
With pocket jacks and 22k in his stack, Simon Randall had an easy decision facing an opening raise.
He re-shipped it into the middle, and was looked up by pocket fives, leaving him in great shape to double through.
His hand held and that propels him back into the middle of the chipcounts with 48k to his name. -- RS
4.45pm: Chip leader!
Thanks to the lovely tournament staff doing a full chip count on the break, we can tell you that Thomas Hall with 275,000 is currently the man to catch. -- NW
4.32pm: Break over - level 13 in effect
We're halfway through the day and already the leaderboard is taking on an interesting shape. Marinos Mina the overnight chipleader has slid all the way off the leaderboard - a late exit from level 12 whilst rising stars include Ben Vinson - 117,000, Adrian Coombes - 149,000 and Sam Grafton 155,000.
Level 13 has just started, let's see how if the final four levels of the day can match the drama of the first four.
PokerStars Blog reporting team in Bristol (and their Medieval name) : Rod Stirzaker (Nina, the servant) and Nick Wright (Baron James the Blue). Photos by Mickey May (King Leopold the Insane).