On a day when no one seemed to break away from the pack it's perhaps appropriate that the identity of the overnight chip leader wasn't decided until the clock had been paused and the final four hands announced.
When the leader did emerge though it was a familiar face, Brett Angell, runner-up at UKIPT2 Nottingham in February 2011, he bagged up 103,900 to lead a chasing pack that includes: Jussi Haakanen (91,400) Kevin Monroe (84,200) and Andreas Hansson (80,000).
That Angell, Monroe and Hansson are in their respective positions owes a lot to two big hands that happened right at the death. Angell got his boost when he flopped a full house with pocket nines on a [9d][2c][2s] board, his opponent held jacks and stacked off.
Meanwhile, Monroe, who had held the lead, was losing a third of his stack to Hansson. The latter flopped a set of eights on the [6h][Jd][8c] board, Monroe went to war with [J][2] a veritable knife at a gun fight.
Team PokerStars Pro were out in force today but it was a mixed day for those proudly patched up. Jude Ainsworth made it through the day with 47,100, he was never in trouble and appeared to coast through proceedings. "Yeah it was a pretty smooth day," he told me. "I was never below starting stack and was between 20 and 40 thousand all day. Luckily I hit my chip peak at the end." He'll be back for day two, but unfortunately the same can't be said of Liv Boeree and Vicky Coren.
For Boeree, the first of the fair maidens to bust, it was a slow dwindle until she was put out of her misery during level four: "I missed a gazillion draws," she said. "Then ran A-Q into aces for my last four thousand." Her frustrating day at the felt was echoed by Vicky Coren. Holding [Kc][8c] she flopped top pair and a flush draw on a [Kh][9c][3c] flop her opponent had top and bottom pair and Coren missed all her outs.
It was also a mixed day for the former UKIPT Champions in the field. Whilst Richard Evans (29,200) and Emmett Mullin (43,100) made it through to fight another day, Nick Abou Risk, Max Silver, Jamie Burland, Fintan Gavin and Sam Razavi all busted, with Razavi busting on the penultimate hand of the day.
The variance stick was kind to some: Lee Atherton (70,500), Rupinder Bedi (40,400) both built stacks, whilst others like Jesse May (13,500) live on but have work to do. At least they'll be back unlike such luminaries as Jake Cody, James Keys and Matt Perrins. All three busted, but their time on the UKIPT will surely come.
When play resumes tomorrow 273 players will be be back at the felt as the players from Day 1A and Day 1B combine. We expect to get somewhere close to the money and will bring you the payout structure when we have it. But for now we must bid you adieu. Play resumes at noon, we'll see you then.
Click the links below to catch up on the the day's poker:
Level 1 - 4 updates
Level 5 - 8 updates
All photos are copyright of Mickey May. She's learned a new word today and is positively "orgasmic" about it. Best steer clear.