3.55pm: Break Time!
Another two levels in the bag and the tension has deflated from the arena like a balloon releasing air as the players stream out for a well-earned 15 minute break.
We'll be back shortly with 44 players remaining, just 5 spots from the cash positions. See you then!
3.48pm: Trouble for Yu
As expected the approach of the bubble has slowed down the players - everyone looking to hammer down a cash return for their efforts.
One man who will miss out though is Fengzhu Yu - the shortstacked player getting it in with K-5 versus K-2 and looking good for a double till a spiked deuce dashed his hopes. 44 remain...
3.34pm: Bubble Trouble!
Yes with 46 players left and 39 paid, we have reached that frightening and fascinating part of the tournament where the potential to leave without remuneration can cause players to freeze up. The big stacks will be licking their lips, knowing their fold equity has just increased dramatically. A critical period - everyone is focusing hard at the tables right now, the atmosphere taut.
3.25pm: Standing Tall
Here are the latest chip counts for you to peruse - Dale Garrad maintaining his chip lead for now. Click here to view.
3:22pm: The Unforgotten
Their collective dreams may be over but they will be forever memorialised in this post. They would probably prefer a statue or bronze bust but for now this is the best we can do!
Alexios Zervos
Ali Chaaban
Rory MacDonald
Ranno Sootla
Dominic Wells
Jan Nader Zadeh
Noel Broadbent
Dahe Liu
Marius Zalpys
Vasile-Cosmin Stancu
Neil McCulloch
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 2,500-5,000-500
3:12pm: Hartigan picks up pace
James Hartigan is showing he has the potential to make it deep here - his stack really starting to grow.
Most recently, he picked up a nice pot raising to 8,500 preflop from UTG+1 - the big blind the sole caller.
Board: [Jh][Th][6c] Check - 9,000 from Hartigan, call.
Turn: [2c] Check - 17,500 from Hartigan, call.
River: [4c] Check, snap-check from Hartigan who tabled queens. The big blind could not match or best this and threw his hand away leaving a focused Hartigan to move to 155,000...
3:08pm: Trattou and Cody share light moment
Two of the bigger stacks right now are Mario Trattou and Jake Cody. Cody is growing stronger all the time - moments ago raising and c-betting to win another pot without showdown.
"It's easy when you have table presence isn't it," said Trattou.
Cody's serious face broke and he smiled. "I had a good hand!" he protested.
"Sure you did..." Trattou responded with a touch of incredulity.
"I always have a good hand," Cody added.
"That's why you are where you are," said Trattou with a touch of apparent admiration and a wink to the rail.
Cody now up to 200,000. Trattou remains well-stacked with 175,000.
3.02pm: Shuffled off the poker coil
No longer with us - casuaties of this whirlwind start to proceedings are the following. Good game all.
Mats Rosen
Christopher Yong
Adam Reynolds
Stuart Butts
Ravi Sharda
Thomas Young
Lev Belskiy
James Catany
Lee Scott Glover
ohammed Suhail A
ndreas Achillea
2.43pm: Super Mario's Land
Mario Trattou has impressive pedigree here at The Hippodrome Casino with a number of deep runs, the pick of which was his runner-up spot at UKIPT Series 6 last year.
He was one of three Trattou brothers bidding for glory in this Super Series event - both he and his brother Nicholas (not Luigi as you might think) making it through to Day 2.
"There are 9 of us [Trattou brothers] in total. I think my mum wanted a girl so she kept going!" he said with a smile.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 2,000-4,000-500
2:37pm: Back in the zone
The players have re-seated themselves ready for level 15. 39 spots are paid remember - we are just twenty places off that now so there might be some literally nail-biting moments ahead.
2.25pm: Break Down
Those opening levels just flew by. Two levels in and we are down to 61 players. The players can now take their regular 15 minute sabbatical to refresh and recharge. We'll be back shortly.
2:22pm: Quad Erat Demonstrandum
The cream will rise to the top. QED. Jake Cody is a beast when things aren't rolling his way.
When he gets quad sixes for a full double-up however(as achieved moments ago), he becomes a monster. Cody up to 160,000...
2:10pm: Hartigan travelling
James Hartigan has had a welcome opening to the day with that early double. He's being put through his paces by the tournament direction too, having moved tables twice in the early levels. "It's nice to get a tour of the room!" he boomed in typically audible fashion.
1.58pm: Garrad crushing
Dale Garrad came into the day as chipleader and the early going has only served to reinforce his dominance. He has just eliminated Tyrone Campisi-Green, who possesses the most impressive afro being sported in The Hippodrome Casino but sadly no longer possesses any chips. Garrad's [As][Jc] bested Campisi-Green's [Kc][Th] on a [Jc][Tc][8d][6h][3h] board - a gracious Campisi-Green offering a sincere wish of "good luck" as he bowled out of the arena. It's looking more and more like Garrad's day right now.
1.45pm: Bombastic Start
Wow! We can barely keep up with the cries of "ALL-IN!" and "CALL!" resounding throughout the poker room. We are already down to 68 players. Yes that's right in the space of a single level we have lost 24 players. Here are the most recent eliminations on the rail: Tyrone Campisi-Green United Kingdom George Alexander United Kingdom Martins Adeniya United Kingdom Joseph Craig United Kingdom Otto Castle United Kingdom Alistair Woods United Kingdom Davide Magnan Italy Allan Pike United Kingdom
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 1,5000-3,000-400
1.33pm: Hartigan rocks and rolls
James Hartigan has shown that a bit of patience and application can really work wonders in a poker tournament. He bounded over from his seat to tell us he has doubled up from his dangerously smallish 50k stack courtesy of a kings versus 9-T suited coup.
The EPT commentator is full of beans - and could now pose a real threat to the chip leaders.
1.22pm: Seat of death
The seat vacated by Otto Castle was duly filled by Sebastian-Jacob Heijnen and the shortstacked Dutchman's journey lasted little longer - losing out to Chaz Chattha when his [Jd][Qs] came second to Chattha's [Ac][8d] over a [Jh][7s][2h][As][Ks] board.
"That's the bustout seat," Chattha observed with a grin. "We'll take that right!" he said to neighbour Kalamess - the other recipient of chips donated by victims of the seat.
1.10pm: Castle toppled
Tough start for Otto Castle, who has become a victim of Estonian Ergo Kalamees.
We didn't see his exit in entirety but it looked as though he held [Ad][3d] on the river of a [8d][2h][7d][Jc][Ts] board - his flush draw whiffing versus Kalamees' [9c][6s] straight draw which got there. Already well-stacked prior to the hand Kalamees is now closing in on the top few chip leaders with around 170,000.
1.00pm: Cards in the air
The players are seated, the dealers primed and the stage set. Let's get underway!
UKIPT Super Series Day 2
We're back at The Hippodrome Casino to continue on our journey to crown the UKIPT Super Series Champion. Yesterday was an incredible day of poker - two meaty poker days crammed into one standard day - twists and turns abounding over the 24 total levels played out. Day 1C created the overall chip leader - friend of PokerStars LIVE! at The Hippodrome Casino Dale Garrad blitzing his way through the last few levels to snatch the chip lead with an even 214,000 in chips. When they resume today, Day 1B's foremost chip gatherer Andrey Dimitrov will be the man best placed to topple Garrad's supremacy - his 189,400 giving him every chance of a destructive tun through the field. Neither should ignore the threat of the talented field lurking behind them however. The 92-strong field has top-notch players such as Hitsquad member Chaz Chattha and Triple Crown winner PokerStars Team Pro Jake Cody secreted away in its number. There's also the well-stacked Mario Trattou, one of two Trattou's in the field, who has shown he has what it takes to run deep at The Hippodrome having finished runner-up at UKIPT6 last year. Click here to view full chip counts at the start of the day. It should be a fascinating day's poker and we are really looking forward to seeing how it pans out. 
Being day 2, the levels have been extended to 40 minutes, giving the players extra room to make some creative plays and the intention is to play to a final table - depending on how quickly things play out. We're starting at 1.00pm and the poker room is already beginning to fill up with enthusiastic staff and players. Good luck one and all!
PokerStars Blog reporting team at PokerStars UKIPT5 Series 2: Rod Stirzaker. Photos courtesy of Mickey May.