9.10pm: Play is over for the day
Players have bagged and tagged their chips and have made the arduous* journey to Tiger Tiger for the players party. The chip leader overnight is David Reed who has 363,500, he more than doubled up on the very last hand. Details on that and the rest of today's play coming right up. During the last 14 minutes 10 players busted in frenzied end to the day, you can see the payouts here.
* the party is being held next door so this may not be true. -- NW
8.50pm: Last four hands
The clock has been stopped and each table will play four more hands before bagging up and heading to the party. -- MC
8.40pm: Paul McTaggart bubbles UKIPT Newcastle
The unlucky bubble boy here in Newcastle is Paul McTaggart, he was eliminated by Sam Holden. From the cut-off Holden made it 8,000 to go, McTaggart moved all-in for 45,500 from the big blind and Holden made the call.
There was then a wait whilst the rest of the tables finished their hands, Holden looked very relaxed, lent back in his chair, legs resting on the empty seat next to him. His sanguine demeanor, became apparent when the cards were turned over, Holden had [Ad][Ah], whilst McTaggart held [6d][6s]. The [4c][5c][Kh] flop gave McTaggart a back door draw or two, the [8s] turn gave him a guthshot to go with his pair outs, but the [9c] completed the board.
Everyone left in is now guaranteed £1,100, there's 14 minutes left in this level, when it finishes play will be done for the day. -- NW
8.25pm: The bubbles goes on and on
Apologies for the radio silence, we've been down on the tournament floor watching hand-for-hand play and we dare not miss the bubble hand.
There have been a few all in showdowns but none have been resulted in an elimination. The most notable name at risk was Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth; his pocket queens held against the pocket sevens of an opponent.
More details to follow. -- MC
8pm: Eliminations, huge pots and the bubble
Mohammed Latif was very unlucky to be eliminated in 76th place by Christopher McNicholls. A cooler of a hand saw the former's kings get cracked by the latter's ace-king.
As that was happening Andrew Booth was eliminated in 75th place.
Cathal Shine took down what was probably the biggest pot of the tournament so far when his pocket aces helped him to double his 150,400 stack up through his neighbour Christopher McNicholls, who held pocket kings. The latter had just finished stacking the chips he won off Latif. Easy come, easy go.
Ben Price was the soft bubble boy after he called all-in for his last 25,000 with [as][6h] from the big blind after Ugnius Simelionis had set him from the small blind. The latter held pocket three that safely navigated the [qh][9h][qs][2h][7s] board. -- MC
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 2,000-4,000, 400
7.45pm: 74 left...
With 72 get paid, with one more elimination we'll be on the bubble. Squeaky bum time. -- NW
7.40pm: McTaggart doubles up
A timely double up for Paul McTaggart, he shoved all-in from the small blind for 42,100 over the top of a 8,000 button raise from Willian Cheung, after getting a count of the all-in Cheung called the extra to put McTaggart at risk.
McTaggart: [As][Kc]
Cheung: [9h][9c]
The [2s][Ks][6c] flop gave McTaggart the lead and he stayed in front on the [10d] turn and [Qh] river, Cheung slips to 150,000.
Meanwhile, Severin Schleser and Sean Robertson got short stack three-bet shoves through and are on 95,000 and 48,000 respectively. -- NW
7.30pm: Stalling for the money?
We just witnessed Kevin Monroe take 15 minutes to make a decision pre-flop. Just a few places off the money, are we going to see stalling tactics come into play?
There was an early position raise to 8,000 before Monroe three-bet to 19,500 from the small blind. His opponent then moved all in for 121,000.
The decision was back on the Irishman and he was in no hurry. He stood, he talked, he talked and he thought. There were no really big stacks at the table so no one was going to call the clock on him. After more than 15 minutes he finally released his hand.
As this hand was going on Mitchell Johnson was very unlucky to bust from the adjacent table. His jacks were cracked by Barry McMahon's pocket sixes that made a straight to the six. The latter is up to 320,000 now.
Just 76 players remain, meaning four more players will leave empty-handed. -- MC
7.20pm: Chips
With less than 10 players needed to be eliminated to burst the bubble, Tom Ward (56,000), Paul McTaggart (49,000) and Steven Warburton (42,000) look like they're going to be hugging the bubble. Whilst Kevin Monroe (130,000) and Gary Oakes (120,000) have a bit more breathing space. -- NW
7.10pm: Set over set sickener for Reed
There was already around 50,000 in the pot by the time I got to the table. The hand was at the turn, with a [7s][9d][4h][Kc] board on the felt. A flurry of bets and raises from Alan Reed and Mark Buckley saw Buckley all-in for 85,400.
Reed: [4s][4c]
Buckley: [9c][9h]
The [5h] river was not the one out that Reed needed and he was left with just 13,000, whilst Buckley climbs to around 225,000. -- NW
7pm: Close but no cigar for....
David Cooke, Noel Jayapaul, Jun Lau, Kristian Svendsen, Gundars Mangulis, Anastasios Mastroudis, Jonny Swan, Ricky Vedhara, Ralph Thompson, Stephen Liu, Darren Fuller, Benjamin Senior, Adrian Ko, Devron Hasselnook, Yigit Isilsoy and Tim Davie. -- MC
6.50pm: Chip leaders
Tournament staff did chip counts of the big stacks during the break, here's the chip leaders as we get towards the bubble:
Saulius Tumosa - 300,000
Alexander Jobling - 275,000
Kevin Killeen - 270,000
Barry McMahon - 270,000
Brett Angell - 250,000
Timothy Chung - 250,000
Also Sam Holden - who had less than 20,000 two levels ago - now has 201,500. That's some spin up. -- NW
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 1,500-3,000 ante 300
6.35pm: Break time
That's six of the eight allotted levels done and dusted. The 84 remaining players are now on their third 15 minute break of the day. -- NW
6.30pm: Killeen-ing up
Kevin Killeen is up to around 280,000 after seemingly out-playing Francis Lacken whilst out of position.
He opened to 4,800 from under the gun and was only called by Lacken two seats along. The flop fanned [qc][9d][qd] and Killeen continued for 5,400. Call.
The turn brought a dangerous looking [kd] and Killeen checked to face a relatively large 18,000 bet from Lacken. Killeen looked at his opponent's remaining stack (44,000) and moved all in. Lacken didn't have the goods and folded. -- MC
6.20pm: Eight is great
All tables are now playing, at most, eight handed. Should speed the action up a touch. Although things are moving reasonably swiftly as it is, just 94 remain (72 get paid) and the average stack is 99,400. -- NW
6.10pm: Power shortage
The latest player to fall is Conor Power, he moved all-in for around 25,000 with [Ac][10d], Dan Hemingway - who had raised to 6,000 - called off the extra with pocket fives.
The [9c][2s][Ks][6d][8h] board gave the pot to Hemmingway, he's at the same table as chip leader Saulius Tumosa (297,000) and Kevin Killeen (230,000). -- NW
6.05pm: Double elimination
Nicholas Weaver and Jonny Swan both fell in the same hand to Chris Ferguson (not that one!), who's moved up to around 120,000 chips.
Weaver was under the gun and very short-stacked so moved all in. The action folded around to Ferguson who called off the button, and he called once more when the, also, short-stacked Swan moved in from the small blind.
Weaver: [kd][5c]
Ferguson: [9s][9c]
Swan: [3c][3h]
The board ran [9h][jd][6c][ac][kh] to settle it. -- MC
5.50pm: All the single ladies
There's just one lady remaining in the tournament out of the final 100 or so players. Emma Jones is that lady, she's got around 50,000 so could do with a double up. -- NW
5.40pm: Old school grinder
Keith 'The Camel' Hawkins is perhaps the most notable name left in the field. He's been playing poker since before many in the field were born, the man has Hendon Mob database results from the 20th century for god sakes.
He's also doing a passable impression of another old school grinder - Mickey Wernick - in this tournament. I don't think I've seen Hawkins above average the entire tournament, in fact he came back today with 13,300, less than he started Day 1B with. He's currently on 80,000, which is just below the average of 86,500. -- NW
5.35pm: No longer with us
Level 14 may have started, but it has started without these poor souls: George B Dickson, Saulius Slavinskas, Rajesh Verma, Thore Nordbo, Ross Jarvis, Mateusz Matla, Mateusz Matla, Darren Ward, Aryan Virabi, Guido Braye, Gary Copeland, Gunnar Forus, Ben Grafton, Kane Thomason, Adam Churcher, Paul Skipper, Steven Henderson, Graeme Morl, Alan Vinnicombe, Patrick Thompson, Richard Evans, Khadir Khoshawy, James Cummings, Tim Hickling, David Trigg, Nils Petter Kalberg, Jamie Ellwood, Adam Matues, Peter Murphy and Paul Adams. -- MC
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 1,200-2,400, 300
5.25pm: Quads elementary, dear Watson
It's always nice to flop quads so one can relax through the turn and river. Kevin Monroe opened to 5,700 and slammed in a stack of blues (like he had aces) after Nathan Watson moved all in for 32,200 from the big blind.
Watson opened [qs][qh] and Monroe commented, "Oh, you're ahead!" As he flipped up [6c][6s].
The flop came [qd][7h][qc] and Monroe added, "I think you're in front!" The board ran out [5d][3h] and Monroe is down to 105,000 chips. -- MC
5.15pm: State of play
There are currently 118 players left and the average stack is 79,200. Tournament director Toby Stone told me that players will play a minimum of eight levels today (this is the fifth) and if, at the end of eight levels, the bubble is close to bursting then play will continue until it has. -- NW
5.10pm: Last champion down
There will be a new name added to the list of UKIPT champions as Richard Evans, the last remaining champion in the field has been eliminated. "I cocked up he told me," drink in hand on the rail. "It's folded to me in the small blind and I've got [Ah][2h] I've said call, but I haven't seen there's been a raise in front of me, so instead of just calling the big blind I've got to put another 3,000 in.
'Had I seen the raise I'd have just mucked, but the flop comes down with two hearts on it. I check shoved, my opponent (Anthony Shields) had queens and they held." -- NW
5pm: Top Ten Counts
Brett Angell, 230,000
Tom Ward, 210,000
Timothy Chung, 200,000
Kevin Monroe, 190,000
Barry McMahon, 180,000
Gary Oakes, 150,000
Ashfaaq Taus, 145,000
Willian Cheung, 143,000
Andrew Robson, 140,000
Michael Huber , 130,000
--MC
4.45pm: Angell still flying high
The chip leader is still Brett Angell, the 'Boro boy has a stack of 230,000. He's at the same table as Jude Ainsworth and Graeme Morl (60,000). -- NW
4.35pm: Hey Jude
Shortly before the break the table that Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth was sat at was broke, as he racked up his stack of 130,000 I took the opportunity to quiz him on how he got from 100,000 to 130,000 (see post at 1.45pm for how he got to 100,000)"No major pots, the biggest one I won was when I opened with [K][J] a fella shoved for eight big blinds with [A][2] and I called and hit a jack."
Ainsworth is yet to cash in a main event on the UKIPT tour but he's looking good to break that duck. -- NW
PokerStars Blog reporting team in Newcastle and their enthusiasm for tonight's player party Marc Convey (tigerish) and Nick Wright (minimal). Photos by Mickey May (once out drank an entire Kibbutz but is apparently only going to take photos)