11.30pm: Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody wins UKIPT Series 1
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that with the stacks as they were and the blinds high that the next all-in would decide this tournament. And so it proved.
From the button Jake Cody raised to 240,000, Lydia Cugudda shoved for 2,700,000 and Cody snap called.
Cugudda: [Jd][10c]
Cody: [Ks][Kh]
The [10h][Qd][8c] flop was a good one for Cugudda's hand, she now had a few outs for the win, but Cody was still a 68% favourite to take the title. The [6d] turn increased that to 79%, everyone knows Cody doesn't lose 80-20s and the [2c] hit the river so Cody held on to win the first ever UKIPT Series title and £19,400. A big hand to Lydia Cugudda who at times today totally ran over the field and takes home £13,140 for her second place finish.
A full wrap of today's play is on the way.
11.20pm: Jake Cody reclaims chip lead (just)
Since Lydia Cugudda doubled through, only one pot has made it to the river, Jake Cody won it and as a result he's taken the chip lead, but given that there's just a couple of big blinds between them, then by the time I've finished writing this it could've changed hands again.
In the pot that did get to fifth street, Cugudda raised to 250,000 pre-flop and Cody smooth called. On the [Th][Kc][3d] flop Cody check-called a bet of 225,000. The [3c] turn checked through and Cody then led for 350,000 on the [Js] river, with one look at her cards Cugudda was done with the hand and tossed it into the muck.
11.15pm: Lydia Cugudda doubles through Jake Cody
From the button Jake Cody raised to 240,000, Lydia Cugudda raised all-in for 1,770,000 total and Cody called.
Cody: [Ac][9h]
Cugudda: [Ad][Jd]
The [Js][10d][Ks][8s][10c] board kept Cugudda in front and she's now got a slight chip lead, as it's roughly 3,580,000 plays 3,040,000.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 60,000-120,000 ante 20,000
11.05pm: Back and forth
There's been no big pots of note over the last half-dozen hands and as a result no real chip movement. It's as you were, but if Cugudda were to double through then the stacks would be almost even.
11pm: First blood to Cody
Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody has extended his chip lead. He raised to 200,000 pre-flop, call from Lydia Cugudda. The [3h][3d][10s] flop went check, check and the [Ah] landed on the turn. It checked to Cody, he bet 200,000 and Cugudda called. The [5h] filled out the board, check, bet of 475,000 from Cody, call from Cugudda. The triple-crown winner rolled over [Ac][9c] and Cugudda mucked.
It's now roughly 5,000,000 plays 1,600,000.
10.52pm: Heads-up chip counts
As the heads-up battle gets underway the chip counts are 4,340,000 for Jake Cody, plays 2,280,000 for Lydia Cugudda.
10.50pm: Terry Jordan eliminated in third place (£8,110)
Terry Jordan was chip leader 10 minutes ago, now he's out. That in a nutshell is the beauty and danger of no-limit Hold'em.
First he doubled up Lydia Cugudda, he raised to 250,000 with pocket sixes, she shoved for 1,155,000 with [Ah][6d] and he called it off. The [2d][Ad][8d][Jc][Qh] board giving her a crucial double up.
The next hand he moved all-in from the button for 1,225,000 with [Jd][9h], Jake Cody made the call from the big blind with [Ac][Kc], a [2d][Ad][8d] flop paired Cody, but gave Jordan a flush draw, he picked up more outs on the [Jc] turn, but missed them all on the [Qh] river.
We're now heads-up for the title here at the Hippodrome, it's Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody versus Lydia Cugudda.
10.45pm: Tim Wong eliminated in fourth place (£6,240)
Twice Tim Wong has got it in very good against Jake Cody, twice the Team PokerStars Pro has got there.
It folded to Cody in the small blind and he moved all-in for roughly 1,500,000 with [Kh][9h], Wong made the call with pocket jacks, he had Cody covered by a solitary 25k chip. The [Kd][Ks][5s] flop catapulted Cody into the lead and there was no miracle jack for Wong on the [4h] turn or [9s] river. Wong was all-in the next hand and eliminated by Cody.
10.40pm: Chip counts
As level 29 gets underway here are the official chip counts
Seat Two: Terry Jordan, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier, 2,470,000
Seat Four: Lydia Cugudda, United Kingdom, 995,000
Seat Six: Jake Cody, Team PokerStars Pro, United Kingdom, 1,470,000
Seat Eight: Tim Wong, United Kingdom, 1,685,000
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 50,000-100,000 ante 10,000
10.30pm: Ten minute breather
That's the end of level 28 and the players are on a short 10 minute break. I'll be getting official chip counts during that break.
10.25pm: Terry Jordan doubles through Jake Cody
Erm, this kind of thing doesn't happen to Jake Cody, but the Team PokerStars Pro sucked out earlier when his ace was dominated and he's just experienced the harsh end of the variance stick in a hand against Terry Jordan.
On the button Cody opened to 160,000, Jordan jammed for 1,145,000 from the small blind and Cody called.
Cody: [Ah][Jh]
Jordan: [Ad][5h]
The [2s][3c][2c][4h][Ac] saw Jordan shout, "Yes," when he turned the straight and he's now up to around 2,300,000 and in his own words, "back in the game." Meanwhile Cody has around 1,500,000 and Jordan is more than back in the game, he's the chip leader.
10.15pm: Terry Jordan doubles through Tim Wong
It folded to Tim Wong in the small blind, he took a quick glance at Terry Jordan's stack, then moved enough chips across the line to set Jordan all-in. Insta-call from Jordan, who was all-in for 675,000.
Jordan: [Th][Ts]
Wong: [Ks][5c]
The [8c][5s][Jh][4s][3c] board gave Jordan a bit of a fright but he survived and that means that Lydia Cugudda is now the shortest stack.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 40,000-80,000 ante 10,000
10pm: Enzo Gomez eliminated in fifth place (£4,880)
Something had to give and finally it did...
From under-the-gun Lydia Cugudda moved all-in for around 650,000, it passed all the way to Enzo Gomez in the big blind and he called all-in for around half of Cugudda's stack.
Cugudda: [Ks][Qd]
Gomez: [As][7d]
"Hold," said Gomez in the general direction of his rail. But it didn't as the board ran [Qh][Qc][Js][Jh][2h] and Cugudda made a full house to eliminate him in fifth.
9.50pm: 110 big blinds
There's only 110 big blinds in play between the five players and it's Enzo Gomes who's most at risk. He's down to just 360,000 - six big blinds. Meanwhile Terry Jordan has also slipped below the 10 big blind mark.
9.45pm: Cody wins...
Online...Jake Cody has just taken down his one VIP single table tournament and he can now focus on trying to win the first ever UKIPT Series event and get his hands on the UKIPT lovely trophy.
9.35pm: Chip counts
These are rough eyes on chip counts but here's how it stands right now here at The Hippodrome.
Seat Two: Terry Jordan, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier, 730,000
Seat Three: Enzo Gomez, United Kingdom, 550,000
Seat Four: Lydia Cugudda, United Kingdom, 875,000
Seat Six: Jake Cody, Team PokerStars Pro, United Kingdom, 1,700,000
Seat Eight: Tim Wong, United Kingdom, 2,750,000
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 30,000-60,000 ante 10,000
9.25pm: Jake Cody doubles through Tim Wong
It folded to Jake Cody in the small blind and he moved all-in for 635,000, Tim Wong asked for a count, cut out the necessary chips and called. I could see on the iPad the Cody had, that his was simultaneously all-in in the VIP match he's currently playing online.
The cards were turned over, Cody had [Ah][4h], Wong a dominating [Ad][9d], the [Kh][Jc][5d] flop perhaps bought some possibility of a chop into play but was safe enough for Wong, however the [4s] gave Cody the lead and Wong didn't re-suck on the [3d] river.
Cody now up to around 1,300,000, whilst Wong slips to 2,400,000. Cody also won his all-in online, getting it in behind there too but spiking on the river.
9.10pm: Uzzol Miah eliminated in sixth place (£3,430)
From mid-position Uzzol Miah moved all-in for 630,000, it passed to Tim Wong in the small blind, he got a count, tanked and then passed. "Why couldn't you have made the other decision?" asked Terry Jordan. Clearly he was faced with a spot where he didn't want to call, but felt he must and that's what he did.
Jordan: [7s][7d]
Miah: [6s][6d]
Jordan had made a good call, even having Miah's suits covered, the [8c][4d][Kd][4c][Td] board kept Jordan in front and just five players remain here at The Hippodrome.
9.05pm: Terry Jordan doubles through Uzzol Miah
From under-the-gun Uzzol Miah raised to 105,000, Terry Jordan pushed all-in from the button for 320,000 and Miah made the call.
Miah: [3h][3c]
Jordan: [Kd][Jc]
The [7d][8d][6d] flop didn't put Jordan in the lead but he was now a favourite and he got there on the [9d] turn and faded the straight flush chop on the [Qs] river.
He's up to around 700,000 whilst Miah is down to 630,000.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 25,000-50,000 ante 5,000
9pm: Lose some, win some for Miah
A couple of mid-size pots to tell you about, both involving Uzzol Miah...
He raised it up to 85,000 from under-the-gun and then called when Lydia Cugudda three-bet to 225,000 from the big blind. On the [7d][5d][Qh] flop Cugudda simply plonked a stack of 25k chips totalling around 300,000 over the betting line, this was enough to force Miah to fold.
A couple of hands later he completed from the small blind (he'd done this once before at the final table), Jake Cody raised it up to 120,000 but then folded when Miah limp re-raised to 340,000.
8.50pm: Action but no action
Both Terry Jordan and Enzo Gomes have been all-in in the past 10 minutes, but neither picked up a caller. Apart from that it's been small pot poker, with Jake Cody winning more than his fair share of pots. Be that through pre-flop raise and takes or raises and c-bets.
You sense a big pot is brewing.
8.40pm: All-in and chop
Terry Jordan moved all-in over the top of a Tim Wong open, the chip leader called, but they both had ace-king and by the turn neither could make a flush so they chopped the blinds and antes.
8.35pm: Cody lurking but Wong still leads
The players are back in their seats for level 25, Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody has had a great start to the final table and is closing in on the chip lead. He's also playing online in a special one table sit and go, in which he has a bounty on his head.
Seat Two: Terry Jordan, United Kingdom, PokerStars qualifier, 460,000
Seat Three: Enzo Gomez, United Kingdom, 615,000
Seat Four: Lydia Cugudda, United Kingdom, 935,000
Seat Five: Uzzol Miah, United Kingdom, 1,155,000
Seat Six: Jake Cody, Team PokerStars Pro, United Kingdom, 1,645,000
Seat Eight: Tim Wong, United Kingdom, 1,855,000
PokerStars Blog reporting team in London: Nick Wright. Photos by Neil Stoddart.