The blitz of bustouts continued through the second hour of Day 2 of the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event. A third of the day's starters have already been knocked out in just two hours of play, as just 664 remain.

That means the money bubble is suddenly starting to edge onto the horizon, which makes it as good a time as any to take care of the business of reporting some prize pool information for this record-breaking ESPT event.

It's the biggest freezeout tournament in PokerStars history as far as the number of players participating is concerned. With 3,292 entering, the prize pool is a massive €3,193,240, to be divided among the top 487 finishers with an eye-popping €491,000 to be awarded to the winner -- that's just over 446 times the buy-in!

Those making the final table (to be played Monday) will be scheduled to earn the following:

1st: €491,000
2nd: €256,500
3rd: €168,000
4th: €139,500
5th: €116,540
6th: €93,600
7th: €71,400
8th: €52,100

While were sharing facts and figures, we have information about nationalities to share as well.

Players from 81 different countries came to the Casino Barcelona to play this event, an especially high number that exceeds that of many past EPT Main Events. Spain is the best represented with 590 out of the 3,292 (21%), with France next in line with 445 entrants (16%). Italy (251; 9%), Germany (233; 8%), Russia (151; 5%), and the U.K. (143; 5%) each sent considerable numbers, too.

Enjoy the following chart showing how big of a slice of the field each of the nationalities claimed. We had to special order a really, really big pie for this one:

In the time it took to share this with you, another 100 players have fallen. Back soon with news from the bubble.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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They say time is money. Waiting through a lengthy bubble period in a tournament -- especially a protracted one -- gives a person plenty of opportunity to think about both.

We report back from the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event shortly after having emerged from about an hour's worth of "bubble time." Bubble time isn't actual time, of course, what with stopped tournament clocks and the associated mental fog that can come over a person amid such stasis. Meanwhile, as time ticks by -- while weirdly seeming not to -- money becomes everyone's focus, in this case the €1,755 for min-cashing the event.

It took just under three one-hour levels for almost 500 players to bust the tournament this afternoon, at which point tourney directors brought things to a screeching stop in order to institute hand-for-hand play more than a half-dozen off the money. Perhaps they were recalling the conclusion of last year's EPT Barcelona Main Event when just one away from the cash no less than seven all-ins occurred on a single hand, with five players busting (and thus dividing the first four min-cashes).

Taking several minutes per hand, the number of players left crept slowly from 495 to 492 to 490. The target was 487, the number of players due to split the jumbo €3,193,240 prize pool.

Players filled the long pauses between hands socializing. After noting how start-of-day leader Pablo Gordillo had slipped back around 200,000, reporters spent the time scouting big stacks.

Jose Carlos Garcia, a.k.a. "TryToExploit" on PokerStars, we saw sitting comfortably behind a stack of about 500,000. With even more was Mikael Azoulay, who chatted with us about having just lost a pot leaving him with about 520,000.

Sitting quietly with even more was Team PokerStars Pro Online member Liliya Novikova, her 550,000 the most of anyone we'd seen.

Another hand was dealt. Time continued to stand still. Or go backwards. Or turn in on itself. It was hard to tell... things were getting even foggier in there.

Three tournament directors standing by three different tables provided a sign -- three all-ins.

The Dutchman David Hu was first up. And Hu was first down.

The came Julien Sichez's turn, and the Frenchman was likewise on the losing side.

We shuffled over to Luis Navas's table, where the Spaniard was at risk with ace-queen versus Peter Meuhlbeck's pocket sixes. A lot of deuces and nothing higher than a nine added up to an elimination for Navas.

Let's see... take three from 490, and what's left? 487. The goal had been reached.

There was no associated hubbub, however. That's because the special 487 were as yet unaware of what had developed. Just as the TDs had been manipulating time for the last stretch, so, too, were they manipulating the communication of the news that the money had been reached.

Finally it came over the public address, with the staff joining the players in a round of applause.

The clocks were restarted. Those manning the cashier's desk sat up in their chairs. We're there.

Money time.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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With the Estrellas Main Event finally reaching the money, the fast pace from earlier in the day has slowed somewhat as afternoon turns into evening, although the field is continuing to shrink at a heady clip. About 350 players remain with the dinner break about a level-and-a-half away.

Meanwhile other side action marks this Saturday in Spain, with a few different events playing out and a couple more silver spade trophies on the line. And the fields for those are big ones, too, topping previous bests for the events all around.

Tonight the last of sixth starting flights for the €300 Barcelona Cup will be playing out, which like the ESPT Main Event is breaking a record in terms of turnout.

Unlike the Estrellas which is a freezeout, players can reenter successive flights of the Barcelona Cup (as long as they've busted). Each flight has played down to 15% of the field and the money, and at last tomorrow all six flights' worth of survivors will get together for Day 2. Each flight has been bigger than the last, and with Flight 1F still to go they've already broken the Barcelona Cup record for total entries. To break it down:

Flight A - 141 (21 made Day 2)
Flight B - 229 (35)
Flight C - 290 (44)
Flight D - 431 (65)
Flight E - 754 (113)

Flight F goes off in about an hour, with 990 players already registered.

Earlier this afternoon the €1K Seniors Event also got going, and there, too, a record has been broken.

With registration closed, 164 took part, among them many familiar faces from EPTs past including EPT9 Player of the Year Jan Bendik, EPT5 Prague Main Event winner Salvatore Bonavena, Konstantin Puchkov (who cashed a record 11 times in the 2012 WSOP), and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Roger Hairabedian.

That's just part of an impressive field in this one also including last year's Estrellas Poker Tour Player of the Year Heinz Traut, George McKeever, Dara O'Kearney, Jacques Torbey, Georges Yazbeck, Mikhail Korotkikh, Hossein Ensan, Yury Gulyy, and Michel Abecassis. About 80 players remain in that event at the moment.

Also in the Seniors event field are France's 2014 Female Poker Player of the Year Florence Allera and WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown event winner Rachel Kranz, further strengthening the field over there. Those two had a choice this afternoon, opting for the Seniors instead of playing the €200 Women's Event that got started a little later in the afternoon.

There were 148 women who did decide to play the event -- yet another record -- with a couple of former EPT Women's Event champs among the field. Rosario Garzon, winner of the Women's Event at EPT11 Malta, is playing, as is last year's winner here, EPT11 Barcelona Women's Event champion Laura Gallardo. Two-time Women's Event winner Anais Lerouge is also part of the field, and has already started accumulating.

Kitty Kuo, Elisabeth Hille, and Lynn Gilmartin are playing.

And Olga Iermolcheva is playing as well, not too far removed from her second-place finish at LAPT8 Panama just a couple of months back.

So much happening, and we're still two days from the EPT Main Event. And such jaw-dropping fields! It makes us want to burst out in song, such as they do at the Palau de la Música Catalana.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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Dinner break has come and gone for players here on Day 2 of the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event. And many who came to play today's Day 2 have gone as well, as the 984 who started the day have now been whittled down to just 240.

We've got counts to share, revealing some serious surges and new names atop the leaderboard as the average stack is now approaching 350,000.

We noticed Jose Carlos Garcia, the young player from Poland who final tabled both the LAPT Bahamas event in January (finishing fourth) and the EPT Grand Final in May (finishing fifth) pushing up close to the leaders during the late afternoon.

Then just before the break the player known as "TryToExploit" enjoyed a huge push, moving up to 1.6 million and well clear of the chase pack at the moment. We talked with the 22-year-old in Monaco at a time when he was in "Pole position" there as well.

Germany's Kai Kresovic and Ivan Castro Ortega of Spain were both hovering around the 1 million-chip mark as Garcia's nearest challengers, with Eugen Fritzler of Germany sitting close to them with about 950,000.

Lucas Monnier of France is also right there with that group with about 930,000, followed by Carl William Watts of France with 840,000.

Meanwhile Shahaf Hadaya (805,000), Diogo Cardoso (785,000), Ezequiel Kleinman (780,000), and Edgar Almeida (775,000) are all likewise thriving.

Your top 10 in list form:

Jose Carlos Garcia (Poland) -- 1,600,000
Kai Kresovic (Germany) -- 1,000,000
Ivan Castro Ortega (Spain) -- 1,000,000
Eugen Fritzler (Germany) -- 950,000
Lucas Monnier (France) -- 930,000
Carl William Watts (France) -- 840,000
Shahaf Hadaya (Israel) -- 805,000
Diogo Cardoso (Portugal) -- 785,000
Ezequiel Kleinman (Argentina) -- 780,000
Edgar Almeida (Brazil) -- 775,000

Hovering just below them is start-of-day chip leader Pablo Gordillo who has chipped back up around 750,000.

Team PokerStars Pro Online member Liliya Novikova -- a leader earlier today -- is still around the 500,000-chip mark, with Team PokerStars Pros Andre Akkari about the same. Their fellow red-spade-sporter Matthias de Meulder is holding on as well with 190,000.

They've now gotten past the min-cashes and the not-quite-min-cashes and the small-but-not-min cashes and the good-but-still-small cashes. But the big, really-big, and super-duper-big scores await those making it much deeper. Stay tuned.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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It's quarter past 11 o'clock on a Saturday night in Barcelona. The sidewalks and streets are alive with life on all sides of the casino, and up above our location the floors are similarly full of light and sound and elation.

Down below where we are located the scene is similar, even for those playing out Day 2 of the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event. Those remaining have been going at it since noon, and while the table talk may not be as animated as it was earlier in the day, the atmosphere in the main poker room continues to be carnival-like, in part because of the excited (and huge) Barcelona Cup field filling most of the room.

Just now came the last break of the evening, and with two one-hour levels to go, there were 154 left in the ESPT Main. Two Team PokerStars Pros were among them -- Andre Akkari and Matthias De Meulder -- despite what might be called less ideal circumstances.

We'd been watching De Meulder nursing below average chips for some time. Having big stacks to his right and Sebastien Sabic at his table to contend with, the Belgian didn't have it so easy.

He nonetheless returned from the same stack of 170,000 or so with which he'd been battling for a while.

Akkari meanwhile was up around 500,000 a short time ago -- just a touch below the average -- but he, too, has been dealing with especially gritty foes. Pablo Gordillo sits across from him, still sporting big chips. And to Akkari's immediate right sits a familiar rival, Latin American Poker Tour Season 7 Chile Main Event champion Mario Lopez of Argentina, working with about three times the stack of his fellow LAPT star.

Among the cashers thus far, Rumen Nanev (482nd, €1,755), Martins Adeniya (430th, €1,820), Simeon Naydenov (376th, €1,915), Danyl Amri (360th, €1,915), Erik Van den Berg (354th, €1,915), Juan Manuel Pastor (343rd, €1,915), EPT7 London Main Event champion David Vamplew (268th, €2,075), and Carlos Mora Alvarez (267th, €2,075) were all sent railward before dinner.

Then since the evening meal Morten Mortensen (232nd, €2,270), EPT1 Barcelona Main Event champion Alex Stevic (217th, €2,585), Mikael Azoulay (207th, €2,585), Emil Ohlsson (197th, €2,585), Abdelkader Madjahed (187th, €2,585), and Claus Carlsen (168th, €2,940) were among the eliminated.

Players just now returned from the break, and alas for De Meulder he soon was felted, too, perhaps to walk out into that warm, vibrant evening, but not before a quick adios to Dermot Blain.

He leaves behind Blain, Akkari, and the rest, all still enlivened by the thought of the nearly half-million Euro prize awaiting the winner.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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A long Day 2 has come to a close in the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event, a day that saw the 984 returners play all of the way down to 98 players. Jose Carlos Garcia, who has been collecting deep finishes all over the tour this year, grabbed the chip lead during the late afternoon today, and by night's end still had the biggest stack in the room with 3,752,000.

After a head-spinning first three hours in which 500 players were eliminated, the day's fourth hour was especially slow as the bubble and hand-for-hand play inched along lengthily until at last the money was reached.

At that point Team PokerStars Pro Online Liliya Novikova had chipped up into the lead with 487 players left, though soon she and everyone else saw Jose Carlos Garcia -- one of several young poker phenoms from Poland -- surge ahead of all and into the chip lead as the field winnowed further. Novikova would slip during the night's latter levels but still make it through with 671,000, a bit better off than the lone surviving member of Team PokerStars Pro, Andre Akkari, who ended with 325,000.

Some late drama at Nikolay Fal's table during one of the day's final hands appeared as though it might result in Garcia losing his chip lead. Up against two opponents he had outchipped, Fal made it to the turn on an A-2-7-K board at which point the stacks went in. One showed a set of deuces, the other a set of sevens, and Fal two kings for a turned best set. His hand held, and after bagging time arrived it was found he had 3,302,000.

John Forst (3.08 million), Mario Lopez (2.455 million), and Daniel Selles (2.413 million) also sealed away massive stacks at the end of play.

Also still in contention are Jude Ainsworth (1.6 million), Hugo Pingray (1.092 million), Peter Trapley (849,000), Sebastien Sabic (801,000), Scott Montgomery (792,000), Dermot Blain (704,000), and Joao Barbosa (290,000) likewise finished still in contention. Click here for a full list of chip counts for the remaining 98 players.

To perform a quick sweep of the other late action before we sign off, the Barcelona Cup's Flight 1F -- the sixth and last starting flight for the event -- still occupied most of the middle portion of the poker room at our last check, with 460 players out of a starting field of 1,162 continuing their battle to join the other flights' survivors for tomorrow's Day 2.

Meanwhile on the room's other side three other events were in action as the Estrellas Main Event wound down for the day.

Both the Women's Event and the Seniors Event were down to about two dozen players each. The Seniors drew 164 players to build a bigger prize pool of €159,080 with €39,990 due the champ. That one will finish out during a second day tomorrow.

The Women's drew 148 players, creating a prize pool of €28,712 with €6,890 up top. They'll be playing down to a winner later tonight.

And in the far corner, the €5K Hyperturbo satellite to the already begun Super High Roller -- that "reverse freeroll" (so to speak) -- was still in progress at last look. They drew 43 players with 12 re-entries, with the event thus awarding SHR seats to the final five finishers.

Come back mañana as Day 3 of the Estrellas Main picks back up at 12 noon CET, with Day 2 of the €50K Super High Roller starting a half-hour later and a host of other side action playing out as well including the €2K Estrellas High Roller.

Until then, buenos noches!

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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We call them EPT "stops," but in truth there is barely any stopping going on at all at these festivals. Case in point, Day 2 of the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event ended just a handful of hours ago, and now we're watching Day 3 get underway, with the 98 survivors from the €1K tournament's record-breaking 3,292-player field in their seats and prepared to battle for seats around the next EPT final table.

Jose Carlos Garcia returns to the biggest stack of all of 98, having grabbed the chip lead before the dinner break and held onto it to the end. Garcia bagged 3.752 million, clear of nearest challengers Nikolay Fal (3.302 million) and John Forst (3.08 million) to end the night.

We're getting used to the young player from Poland making himself conspicuous whenever these "stops" start. At the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January, Garcia made the final table of the series-starting Latin American Poker Tour Bahamas event, ultimately finishing fourth. Then in May he made it to the final table of the EPT Grand Final Main Event, making it all of the way to fifth in that one.

Add to that his exploits online at PokerStars, where he plays, aptly, as "TryToExploit," and collected a Sunday Million win last year. Hardly a surprise, then, to see Garcia a strong contender once more.

Mario Lopen, Jude Ainsworth, and Hugo Pingray are among the other big names with big stacks to start today, while Peter Traply, Sebastien Sabic, Scott Montgomery, Dermot Blain, Team PokerStars Pro Online member Liliya Novikova, and Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari are also still in contention. Click here for a list of all 98 returners along with their start-of-day-3 counts.

The plan today is to work all of the way down to an eight-handed final table, and there will be no stopping us, either, as we begin reporting from every level along the way. Stay tuned and we'll find out together who makes it through to tomorrow and a shot at the eye-popping €4.91 million sitting up top.

Ready? Go!

Click here for live updates from ESPT Barcelona Day 3.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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Click here to continue with Level 27 updates.

4:26 p.m.: Break time

Players have reached the second 20-minute break of the day. There are 37 left.

4:12 p.m.: Garcia, Lopez, Selles lead final 40

They are now down to 40 players in the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event, gathered around five tables in the far corner of the main poker room, a great contrast to the earlier days of the event when every one of the hundred-plus tables in the spacious playing area were filled.

Jose Carlos Garcia of Poland continues to lead everyone today, currently sitting with just about 8 million or close to three times the average at the moment.

Meanwhile Argentina's Mario Lopez has been steadily accumulating as well, and is now up to 7.25 million, with Daniel Selles of Spain in third position with about 5.9 million.

4:04 p.m.: Anapolska doubles up

Antonina Anapolska just earned a timely double-up through Benjamin Garcia to remain among the final 42 players.

All in for her last 560,000 with [Ah][Kd] versus Garcia's [7s][7d], the board ran out [Qd][Td][2s][Jd][9c], adding up to a straight for Anapolska who now has about 1.2 million.

3:51 p.m.: Sabic sunk

Online high-stakes pro Sebastien "Seb86" Sabic battled with a short stack for much of the first three-plus levels today, but has finally seen his ESPT Barcelona run end in 43rd after committing the last of his 400,000 or so against Dermot Blain.

Sabic had [Ad][Jd] and Blain [5d][5h]. The flop came [4d][6s][5s] to give Blain a set, then the [2d] turn kept Sabic's hopes alive for a pot-splitting straight. The river was the [8c], however, and Sabic is out. Blain meanwhile is now up to about 1.8 million.

3:25 p.m.: Level 26 begins

The blinds are now 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante. 45 players remain.

3:15 p.m.: Krumhard KO'd by Sanchez

Joe Konrad Krumhard open-raised all in for his last 210,000 from under the gun, and it folded to Albert Mykhaylyuta who called the push. Then Eduard Sanchez, sitting to Mykhaylyuta's left, reraised to 575,000.

It folded around and Mykhaylyuta engaged Sanchez in some conversation for a short while before giving up his hand.

Sanchez turned over [Ah][Ks] and Krumhard [9h][9s]. The flop came [2s][As][5c] to put Sanchez in front, then after the [3c] turn and [Kd] river he claimed the pot to send Krumhard to the rail.

3:08 p.m.: Puccini sent out by Sennhauser

Simon Peter Sennhauser opened from the button, and after Mario Puccini reraise-shoved his short stack from the small blind, Sennhauser called.

It was [Ah][Qh] for Puccini and [Ac][Jh] for Sennhauser. The [4d][8d][Jd] flop hit Sennhauser's hand, and after the [2h] turn and [5h] river, Puccini was eliminated.

There are 48 players remaining.

2:54 p.m.: Garcia's stack grows further

The Jose Carlos Garcia express keeps rolling, that small hit to his stack a little earlier versus Carmelo Romeo hardly slowing him down.

A hand just arose that saw Jonn Forst -- sporting a big stack himself -- open from the button, Garcia reraise from the small blind, then Joel Wikstrom shove all in a short stack from the big blind. Forst called the push, but when Garcia reraised all in, Forst stepped aside.

Garcia showed [Ac][Qh] and had the edge versus Wikstrom's [Ah][Jh]. The community cards came [Ad][3h][Tc][6c][3s], and Wikstrom was eliminated.

Garcia stacked up his chips, looking up to say "8.1" after he did -- i.e., 8.1 million, a few million clear of the chase pack now with 53 players remaining.

2:41 p.m.: Novikova no more

After surviving with her below average stack for the first part of Day 3, Liliya Novikova of Team PokerStars Pro Online finally lost the last of her chips as the field shrinks down toward the 50-player mark.

2:36 p.m.: Romeo doubles through leader Garcia

The table folded around to Carmelo Romeo in the small blind who open-pushed his stack of about 435,000. Chip leader Jose Carlos Garcia snap-called from the big blind, and when he tabled his [Qh][Qd], Romeo said "unbelievable" as he turned over [Ts][Td].

Romeo leaned forward to watch the flop, and when a ten appeared in the window -- the cards coming [Th][6d][9h] -- he crouched a little, his posture non-verbally communicating one word -- "hold." Hold his set did, as the turn was the [5d] and river the [3s], and Romeo keeps his seat although is still below the average.

Garcia, meanwhile, remains in front with 64 players left, with a stack of 5.6 million.

2:25 p.m.: Level 25 begins

The blinds are now 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante.

2:04 p.m.: Break time

They've reached the first break of the day, with 67 players left. Start-of-day leader Jose Carlos Garcia continues to be the frontrunner, having now built his stack up around 5.8 million.

1:43 p.m.: Marti Roca de Torres taken out

Fernando Heredia of Spain ended Day 1A of this event as the chip leader, and he's still alive and continuing to thrive here on Day 3.

Just now Heredia was in a preflop all-in situation versus his fellow countryman, Marti Roca de Torres, with the latter all in for his last 276,000 with [Ad][Ks] versus Heredia's [8h][8d]. The board came [Th][6s][7h], then [3h], then [Ah], that river card pairing de Torres but making a flush for Heredia.

Heredia came around the table to give de Torres a hug, and de Torres departed. The field has now already shrunk below 70 players.

1:19 p.m.: Akkari cut down

The last Team PokerStars Pro has been eliminated, as Andre Akkari was just cut down in a three-way hand.

After pushing his short stack of 275,000 all in from middle position with [7h][5d], Akkari watched two players push all in behind him -- one holding [Ah][Kd] and another [Ad][Qc]. The board ran out [3c][4c][2c][Jd][Tc] to give the latter a flush, good enough for two eliminations including Akkari.

1:11 p.m.: Montgomery moves on, Selles soaring

2008 November Niner Scott Montgomery is out, his [6s][4s] failing him versus Daniel Selles's [9s][7s] on a board of [7d][Jd][As][8s][Ts]. As the Canadian moves over to the cashier's desk, the Spaniard Selles is now up over 3 million.

1:05 p.m.: Level 24 begins

The blinds go up to 15,000/30,000 and the ante is now 4,000. Fourteen players fell during the day's first level, meaning 84 remain.

12:51 p.m.: River saves Novikova

We watched Liliya Novikova of Team PokerStars Pro Online turn down an invitation to commit most of her stack versus a shorter stack's all in after much consideration. Just now she decided it was time to commit after putting herself at risk with [Tc][Ts] versus Farid Chati's [Ah][Qs].

The [Jh][Qh][As] flop was bad news for Novikova, giving Chati two pair and the lead, and after the [6h] turn she was one card away from elimination. Then came the river... the [Kd]! Novikova had made Broadway, and she survives with a stack of about 725,000. Chati now has about the same stack as well.

12:42 p.m.: Koorits survives

After a Jude Ainsworth opening raise, Kaido Koorits of Estonia reraised all in behind for about 350,000, then Mark Kelsall came over the top of that with a shove, forcing folds back around. Ainsworth stepped aside as well.

Koorits tabled [3s][3d] while Kelsall had [Qc][Qs]. Koorits needed help, and the community cards brought it by coming [2h][5h][4c][Ah][9h] to give Koorits a wheel and survival.

12:35 p.m.: Novara among early eliminations

The field has shrunk below 90 players now as there have been several eliminations during the day's first orbits. Delfino Novara was the latest to lose his short stack after his [9d][5s] failed to catch up to Patrice Brandt's [Ah][6c] on a [Qs][8c][Ac][4h][8h] board.

12:29 p.m.: Knockouts left and right

Following Mondolini to the rail were Igor Kunitskiy, Kenneth Hicks, and Jan Dentler as the eliminations are coming rapidly to start the day.

12:19 p.m.: Mondoloni meets end

PokerStars qualifier Florent Mondoloni started today as one of the short stacks with just 260,000, and soon after play began he had all of those chips in the middle versus Ivan Arbatskii.

Alas for Mondoloni, his [As][Jh] needed improvement against Arbatskii's [Ac][Qc]. The flop and turn came [4s][Tc][Th][4c], setting up a possible chop, but the [Qs] fell on fifth street to give Arbatskii the better hand and end Mondoloni's tournament run.

12:05 p.m.: Shuffle up and deal

The 98 remaining players have taken their seats over on the side of the main poker room, and play is underway. Jose Carlos Garcia begins with the chip lead (3.752 million), with Nikolay Fal (3.302 million), Jonn Forst (3.08 million), and Mario Lopez (2.455 million) his nearest challengers to start the day.

Key ESPT Barcelona Main Event Facts:
- The tournament is scheduled to play down to an eight-handed final table today
- 3,292 players entered the event (a record), with the total prize pool €3,193,240
- Click here for a full list of chip counts among the 98 players starting Day 3
- Click here for ESPT Barcelona prize pool and payouts

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

Haven't gotten a PokerStars account yet? Join the world's biggest site now.

Click here for Level 31 updates.

9:29 p.m.: Dinner break

The remaining 11 players are now taking a 75-minute dinner break, with Jose Carlos Garcia having built back up to 16 million to move back in front.

Here are the updated chip counts for the remaining players:

Jose Carlos Garcia - 16,005,000
Mario Lopez - 13,045,000
Knut Nystedt - 10,965,000
Eduard Sanchez - 9,005,000
Simon Peter Sennhauser - 7,885,000
Jonn Forst - 7,265,000
Kondah Abdelhadi - 5,501,000
Daniel Selles - 5,530,000
Slav Sariyski - 2,920,000
Esa Karttunen - 2,530,000
David Stocker - 1,225,000

9:24 p.m.: Ruban's aces cracked, finishes 12th

In the next-to-last hand before the dinner break, Ivan Ruban was all in with [Ac][Ah] versus Knut Nystedt's [Ad][Ks] and in seemingly good shape to earn a double-up.

He was still ahead after the [Jc][Ts][8c] flop and [6d] turn, then the [Qd] landed on the river. "Boom!" said Ruban with a wry grin, taking his bad fortune in good stride as he congratulated Nystedt before walking over to the cashier's desk nearby to collect 12th-place winnings.

9:09 p.m.: Padraig O'Neill done in 13th

Jonn Forst opened with a raise then watched Padraig O'Neill reraise all in for about 2 million from the button. The blinds folded, and Forst instantly called, turning over [Ah][Ks]. O'Neill tabled [As][Th].

The board came [6s][Jh][3s], then [8s], then [8c], and O'Neill has been sent out in 13th.

8:54 p.m.: Christopher Frank out in 14th

The German Christopher Frank has been eliminated in 14th place after committing the last of his chips in a hand versus Mario Lopez.

Frank had [Jh][9h] and Lopez [Ad][Kc], and while the [Qs][Th][9s] flop paired Frank's hand plus gave him a straight draw, the [6h][Ac] runout gave Lopez a better pair of aces.

8:48 p.m.: Garcia knocks out two more - Senft (16th) and Olive (15th)

Jose Carlos Garcia has collected still more chips and a couple more knockouts as the field winnows to just 14 players.

First came a hand that saw Maximillian Senft all in with [Kd][Ks] against Garcia's [As][Jc]. The flop fell [2c][4d][Ah], and suddenly Senft went from well ahead to way behind. The turn was the [8d] and river the [Js], and Senft is out in 16th.

Then another hand soon developed that saw Garcia and Olive battling back and forth on each street to the river as the board came [6c][5d][Ks][7d][7h]. That's when Garcia shoved, and after some thought Olive called with the last of his stack.

Alas for the Frenchman, when he saw Garcia table [Kh][Js] he pushed his cards face down toward the dealer. They were eventually shown -- [Jh][Jc] -- and Olive is done in 15th.

Those pots look to have propelled Garcia back up close to the lead that Mario Lopez had been holding for the last stretch.

8:28 p.m.: David Longmate out in 17th

David Longmate was just all in and at risk with his below average stack with [Ah][8h] versus Daniel Selles's [Kc][Td].

The flop fell [6s][Ks][9d], and Longmate instantly rose from his chair while rapping the felt with his knuckles. The turn was the [2d] and river the [3d], and Selles's pair of kings won the pot, sending Longmate out in 17th.

With 16 left they're going to redraw for two tables, so there will be a brief pause. There's about 45 minutes to go in the level, after which players will take a 75-minute dinner break.

8:20 p.m.: Jude Ainsworth out in 18th

The knockouts are coming swiflty again, with Jude Ainsworth the one going down this time. The Irishman was all in with [Qh][Qd] against LAPT7 Chile Main Event champion Mario Lopez's [Ah][Qc], but an ace on the flop doomed Ainsworth and he's out in 18th.

8:16 p.m.: Level 30 begins

The blinds are now 60,000/120,000 with a 20,000 ante.

8:12 p.m.: Eugen Fritzler felted in 19th

Another short stack has fallen, as Eugen Fritzler just took [As][Kd] up against Eduard Sanchez, and five cards later -- [Td][2s][4s][Tc][9s] -- Fritzler was heading to the cashier's desk to collect 19th-place prize money.

7:54 p.m.: Oleksii Kravchuk cut down in 20th

Oleskii Kravchuk was all in and at risk with [9c][9h], but alas he'd run into Jose Carlos Garcia's [Qs][Qh]. The board rolled out [4d][8h][2h][Js][Ts], and the Ukrainian hit the rail.

7:52 p.m.: Karttunen collects a double

Esa Karttunen was just all in and at risk with [Th][Ts] versus Eduard's Sanchez's [As][Kd]. The board came nine-high -- [7c][9s][4c][5h][9d] -- and Karttunen doubles up though is still on the short side.

7:46 p.m.: Traply trapped, Blain busted; 20 remain

Online star Peter Traply of Hungary has fallen in 22nd, followed shortly thereafter by the Irishman Dermot Blain in 21st.

7:24 p.m.: Ainsworth doubles through Sennhauser

Jude Ainsworth just pushed all in from middle position for about 1.1 million and was called by Simon Peter Sennhauser in the blinds with [Kd][Qs]. The [Ah][4s][2s] flop was a nice one for Ainsworth, and the [4h] turn and [Kc] were just fine as well as he doubles back to about 2.4 million. Sennhauser still has a healthy 5.2 million.

7:15 p.m.: Updated chip counts (22 remain)

Argentina's Mario Lopez is the new leader with 22 players left.

Mario Lopez - 11,140,000
Daniel Selles - 7,450,000
Jose Carlos Garcia - 6,500,000
Kondah Abdelhadi - 5,950,000
Simon Peter Sennhauser - 5,600,000

Ivan Ruban - 5,350,000
Knut Nystedt - 4,400,000
Dermot Blain - 4,350,000
Eduard Sanchez - 4,000,000
Jonn Forst - 3,750,000

Padraig O'Neill - 2,900,000
Christopher Frank - 2,800,000
Esa Karttunen - 2,300,000
Laurent Olive - 2,200,000
Olekskii Kravchuk - 2,150,000

Slav Sariyski - 1,950,000
Maximillian Senft - 1,950,000
David Longmate - 1,700,000
Peter Traply - 1,300,000
Lars Kjestrup - 1,300,000

Jude Ainsworth - 1,040,000
Eugen Fritzler - 1,050,000

7:14 p.m.: Level 29 begins

The blinds are now 50,000/100,000 with a 10,000 ante.

6:56 p.m.: Break time

The 22 remaining players are now on a 20-minute break. They return to play two more one-hour levels, then have a 75-minute dinner break. The plan continues to be to play down to an eight-handed final table tonight.

6:54 p.m.: Solovev, Kelsall fall, 22 remain

As the next break approaches, both Kirill Solovev (24th) and Mark Kelsall (23rd) have been eliminated.

6:51 p.m.: Redraw

With 24 players left, there was a redraw to three tables. Here's how they are seated:

TABLE 1
1 - Jonn Forst
2 - Simon Peter Sennhauser
3 - Kondah Abdelhadi
4 - Dermot Blain
5 - Jude Ainsworth
6 - Mario Lopez
7 - Mark Kelsall
8 - Knut Kystedt

TABLE 2
1 - Eduard Sanchez
2 - Laurent Olive
3 - Christopher Frank
4 - Padraig O'Neill
5 - Esa Karttunen
6 - Peter Traply
7 - Eugen Fritzler
8 - Lars Kjestrup

TABLE 3
1 - Ivan Ruban
2 - Slav Sariyski
3 - Jose Carlos Garcia
4 - Maximillian Senft
5 - Kirill Solovev
6 - Olekskii Kravchuk
7 - Daniel Selles
8 - David Longmate

6:41 p.m.: Luis Cortes done in 25th

A third quick bustout to report, this time concerning Luis Cortes.

Cortes pushed with [Kd][Ts] from the small blind and was quickly called by Eduard Sanchez with [Td][Th] one seat over. An [8c][6s][4d][4h][9c] runout was unhelpful for Cortes, who finishes in 25th.

6:29 p.m.: Virgil-Cristian Nicelescu falls in 26th

Virgil-Cristian Nicelescu was just all in and at risk with [Ac][Kc] versus Simon Peter Sennhauser's [3h][3c]. The community cards came [4d][Js][Ah][3d][9s], giving Sennhauser a set of treys and knocking Nicelescu out in 26th.

6:26 p.m.: Benjamin Garcia out in 27th

After losing most of his stack in a hand versus Slav Sariyski, Benjamin Garcia lost the last of his stack shortly thereafter to Jonn Forst after committing from the small blind with [Qs][4c], getting called by Forst in the big blind with [7s][7c], then watching a seven flop and nothing helpful come for him. Garcia finishes 27th.

6:17 p.m.: Two pair not enough for Brando, out in 28th

With the board showing [Kd][Ts][3c][Js] and a pot having already developed between Antonio Brando and Eduard Sanchez, Brando announced he was pushing all in and Sanchez was quick to call, the pair's stacks nearly even.

Brando showed [Ks][Th] for two pair, but Sanchez had turned a straight with [Qh][9h]. The chips were counted down and it was determined Sanchez had Brando covered by just a little, meaning Brando is out in 28th. Meanwhile Sanchez is back up to about 4.3 million.

6:02 p.m.: Savinelli sunk

Shortly after Mykhaylyuta's exit, Carlo Savinelli lost his short stack as well to be sent to the cashier's desk. There are now 28 players remaining.

5:55 p.m.: Mykhaylyuta falls to Sennhauser

Simon Peter Sennhauser opened with a raise of 180,000 from under the gun, and the table folded around to Albert Mykhaylyuta in the big blind. Mykhaylyuta considered for a few beats, then called the bet, leaving himself about 375,000 behind.

The flop came [6h][Tc][9h], and without too much hesitation Mykhaylyuta put the last of his chips in the middle. Sennhauser called immediately.

Mykhaylyuta showed [Kc][Th] for top pair of tens, but Sennhauser had that beat with [Js][Jc]. The turn was the [8c] and river the [Jh], and Mykhaylyuta is out in 30th.

5:48 p.m.: Jean busts to Blain

Mikael Jean has fallen in 31st place after committing the last of his short stack with [Ad][Qh] versus the [Ks][Qs] of Dermot Blain.

The board ran out [8h][Kc][3s][6h][Td], that king pairing Blain and ending Jean's run. Blain now has about 2.9 million.

5:42 p.m: Level 28 begins

With 31 players remaining, Level 28 starts with blinds at 40,000/80,000 and the ante still 10,000.

5:32 p.m.: Down to 31

Add Antonina Anapolska (34th), Daniele Primerano (33rd), and Guillermo Torrens Ballabriga (32nd) to the list of the eliminated.

5:17 p.m.: Three more fall; 34 left

The blinds are getting bigger, and the short stacks are falling as a result. Mathieu Rabalison (37th), Konstantinos Stratopoulos (36th), and Sam Chartier (35th) are the most recent to hit the rail.

4:57 p.m: Updated chip counts (37 remain)

Jose Carlos Garcia (Poland) -- 7,840,000
Jonn Forst (Germany) -- 6,570,000
Mario Lopez (Argentina) -- 6,465,000
Kondah Abdelhadi (Morocco) -- 5,470,000
Maximillian Senft (Austria) -- 5,000,000
Daniel Selles (Spain) -- 4,975,000
Eduard Sanchez (Spain) -- 3,800,000
Ivan Ruban (Russia) -- 3,500,000
Antonio Brando (Italy) -- 2,905,000
Christopher Frank (Germany) -- 2,700,000

Dermot Blain (Ireland) -- 2,525,000
Antonina Anapolska (Ukraine) -- 2,340,000
Jude Ainsworth (Ireland) -- 2,300,000
Knut Nystedt (Norway) -- 2,200,000
Eugen Fritzler (Germany) -- 2,000,000
Simon Peter Sennhauser (Switzerland) -- 2,000,000
Mikael Jean (Lebanon) -- 1,825,000
Joao Barbosoa (Portugal) -- 1,570,000
Oleksii Kravchuk (Ukraine) -- 1,465,000
Guillermo Torrens Ballabriga (Spain) -- 1,425,000
Fernando Heredia (Spain) -- 1,405,000

Peter Trapley (Hungary) -- 1,345,000
David Longmate (United Kingdom) -- 1,315,000
Lars Kjestrup (Sweden) -- 1,200,000
Mark Kelsall (United Kingdom) -- 1,125,000
Laurent Olive (France) -- 1,100,000
Slav Sariyski (Bulgaria) -- 1,080,000
Kirill Solovev (Russia) -- 1,060,000
Benjamin Garcia (Spain) -- 1,025,000
Virgil-Cristian Nicelescu (Romania) -- 980,000

Carlo Savinelli (Italy) -- 900,000
Sam Chartier (Canada) -- 750,000
Lucas Monnier (France) -- 655,000
Albert Mykhaylyuta (Ukraine) -- 575,000
Esa Karttunen (Finland) -- 475,000
Daniele Primerano (Italy) -- 375,000
Konstantinos Stratopoulos (Greece) -- 250,000

4:42 p.m.: Level 27 begins

There are 37 players left as Level 27 starts, with the blinds now 30,000/60,000 with a 10,000 ante. Jose Carlos Garcia (7.84 million), Jonn Forst (6.575 million), and Mario Lopez (6.465 million) are the current leaders.

Click here for Level 23-26 updates.

Key ESPT Barcelona Main Event Facts:
- The tournament is scheduled to play down to an eight-handed final table today
- 3,292 players entered the event (a record), with the total prize pool €3,193,240
- Click here for a full list of chip counts among the 98 players starting Day 3
- Click here for ESPT Barcelona prize pool and payouts

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

Haven't gotten a PokerStars account yet? Join the world's biggest site now.

1:13 a.m.: Slav Sariyski eliminated in ninth

Shortly after Level 33 began, Slav Sariyski open-raised all in for 1,680,000 from middle position, and it folded to Jose Carlos Garcia on the button who asked for a count, then after a short bit of thought called the raise. The blinds folded, and the players tabled their hands:

Sariyski: [4s][4c]
Garcia: [6h][6s]

It was a bad spot for Sariyski, and five cards later -- [Tc][As][Td][2s][Jd] -- he was out in ninth.

Players are bagging their chips now. We'll be back in a short while with a recap of this exciting Day 3 that played all of the way down from 98 players to the final eight.

1:07 a.m.: Level 33 begins

The blinds are now 120,000/240,000 with a 30,000 ante.

12:57 p.m.: Last break of the night

Level 32 has come to an end with all nine players still battling. They'll take that 10-minute break now and come back for one final level tonight.

12:49 a.m.: Planning the Day 3 endgame

The tournament director just announced that should they reach the end of Level 32 with nine players still with chips, they'll take a short 10-minute break and come back for one more one-hour level with the plan to stop either with the next elimination or the end of Level 33, whatever comes first.

12:37 a.m.: Garcia getting active again

Players are operating cautiously during this Level 32, not wanting to risk missing the final table and a chance for the €491,000 first prize tomorrow's winner will claim. After a long spell of mostly folding while nursing what has now become a short stack, Jose Carlos Garcia has been getting active again, as evidenced by a couple of hands with Mario Lopez.

In the first Lopez raised to 400,000 from middle position, Garcia raised to 800,000 from a couple of seats over, and Lopez called. Both checked the [7s][7h][Ts] flop, then when Lopez led for 350,000 at the [Jh] turn, Garcia waited a couple of minutes then pushed all in. Lopez thought about a minute himself before folding.

The next hand saw Lopez raise again to 400,000 and Garcia just call this time. The flop came [3c][4c][Ts], and Lopez check-called Garcia' bet of 725,000. The turn brought the [6s] and another check from Lopez, and when Garcia bet again, Lopez folded.

Lopez still has about 11.5 million while Garcia has chipped up to about 5 million.

12:13 a.m.: Sariyski shoves get through

Slav Sariyski just open-shoved twice -- once from the button, then from the cutoff -- getting no callers either time. He's up around 4 million now, still among the short stacks with Kondah Abdelhadi and Jose Carlos Garcia. Meanwhile Jonn Forst still leads.

11:57 p.m.: Level 32 begins

The final nine players have all made through the end of the level without too much drama, only Kondah Abdelhadi open-shoving his stack once and getting no action.

The blinds are now 100,000/200,000 with a 30,000 ante.

11:42 p.m.: Updated chip counts; 9 remain

Players are back in their seats and Level 31 continues with about 17 minutes left to go. Here is where the nine are seated along with their stacks to start this not-quite-final final table:

Seat 1: Mario Lopez - 13,710,000
Seat 2: Daniel Selles - 5,925,000
Seat 3: Jose Carlos Garcia - 5,525,000
Seat 4: Eduard Sanchez - 8,905,000
Seat 5: Knut Nystedt - 10,215,000
Seat 6: Simon Peter Sennhauser - 12,630,000
Seat 7: Kondah Abdelhadi - 4,890,000
Seat 8: Jonn Forst - 17,475,000
Seat 9: Slav Sariyski - 2,710,000

11:27 p.m.: Esa Karttunen out in 10th

Esa Karttunen just lost his short stack to go out in 10th after his [Kh][Js] couldn't catch up to Jonn Forst's [Ad][5d] on a [3c][7c][6c][8d][Ts] board.

Down to nine now, there will be a brief pause to redraw to a single table, and then they'll play down to the offical final table of eight.

11:14 p.m.: Forst earns huge double through Garcia, claims lead

A huge hand just happened between the German Jonn Forst and the Polish player Jose Carlos Garcia.

The pair battled to the river with the board coming [Ac][Jc][5c][8s][2h]. Forst had begun the hand raising the button and Garcia was playing from the big blind, but Garcia took the lead postflop, then by the river was shoving all in. Forst thought just a couple of beats and then called, tabling [As][8d] for two pair. Garcia didn't want to show his hand but was made to -- [Ts][3c].

Suddenly Forst is up around 17 million and the new chip leader while Garcia plunges to about 4 million.

11:04 p.m.: David Stocker eliminated in 11th

Jose Carlos Garcia raised to 350,000 from the button and David Stocker called from the big blind. The flop came [8c][4h][6h]. Stocker checked, Garcia bet 400,000, Stocker pushed all in for around 2.5 million, and Garcia called.

Stocker had [7s][6s] for middle pair and a straight draw while Garcia had [9s][8h] for a better pair of eights. The turn was the [Kh], then when the river brought the [5h] Stocker pounded the table, appearing for a moment he thought he'd won with his straight. Then he saw Garcia's flush and realized he was out in 11th.

Garcia is back to about 14 million after that one.

10:56 p.m.: Sennhauser's big call earns double through Garcia

Jose Carlos Garcia opened with a raise to 340,000 from middle position and Simon Peter Sennhauser defended his small blind with a call. The flop came [9d][Ts][3d]. Sennhauswer bet 580,000, Garcia raised to 1.16 million, and Sennhauser called. The turn brought the [Tc] and a check-call from Sennhauser of Garcia's bet of 850,000.

The river was the [Ah], and when Sennhauser checked, Garcia declared he was all in and after some thought Sennhauser called.

Sennhauser had [Qh][Td] for trip tens, while Garcia's tabled hand was whisked away too quickly to see. That brings Sennhauser up to 12 million or so, Garcia down to 10.5 million, and puts Mario Lopez back in the lead for the moment.

10:46 p.m.: Stocker's dramatic double

David Stocker was 11th of 11 to begin play after dinner, and soon was open-pushing his short stack of 1.2 million all in and getting called by Simon Peter Sennhauser sitting to his left.

"I think you have me beat," said Stocker before turning over [8s][8c], but he was racing with Sennhauser's [Kh][Jh].

The flop came [9s][Th][8d], giving Stocker a set but Sennhauser a straight draw, and after the [Qd] fell on the turn Sennhauser leaned forward in his seat. He fell back, though, after the [Qh] river that gave Stocker a winning full house, then rapped the table while congratulating his opponent.

Stocker is up to about 2.5 million now while Sennhauser has about 6.6 million.

10:34 p.m.: Level 31 begins; 11 remain

Players are back in their seats after the dinner break as Level 31 begins. The blinds are now 80,000/160,000 with a 20,000 ante.

The young Polish player Jose Carlos Garcia owns the chip lead at present with the Argentinian Mario Lopez in second position. Here are how the stacks look as play resumes:

Jose Carlos Garcia - 16,005,000
Mario Lopez - 13,045,000
Knut Nystedt - 10,975,000
Eduard Sanchez - 9,005,000
Jonn Forst - 7,265,000
Simon Peter Sennhauser - 6,885,000
Kondah Abdelhadi - 5,610,000
Daniel Selles - 5,530,000
Slav Sariyski - 2,920,000
Esa Karttunen - 2,530,000
David Stocker - 1,225,000

The plan is to play until there are three more eliminations and the final eight-handed table is set.

Click here for Level 23-26 updates
Click here for Level 27-30 updates

Key ESPT Barcelona Main Event Facts:
- The tournament is scheduled to play down to an eight-handed final table today
- 3,292 players entered the event (a record), with the total prize pool €3,193,240
- Click here for a full list of chip counts among the 98 players starting Day 3
- Click here for ESPT Barcelona prize pool and payouts

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

Haven't gotten a PokerStars account yet? Join the world's biggest site now.

By now you know the drill, there's lots of tournaments taking place here in Barcelona and in most of them the numbers are off the charts and subsequently the prize pools are too. So we're going to skip all the bumpf and get straight down to brass tacks. The ESPT6 Barcelona €2,000 High Roller is massive. 1,055 players entered and 151 get paid. Tomorrow - or more likely at some point this week - the winner will be given a trophy and €372,500 whilst anyone who squeaks into the money will earn €3,600.

A short time ago Day 1 drew to a close after 15 forty-minute levels were completed. When the clock was paused and the last few hands declared 198 players were still in, allowing for a few last hand hail mary's going awry we can expect 190 or so players to come back tomorrow at 12.30 local time.

Leading the pack when time ticked down was Francisco Oliveira who'd amassed a gargantuan 504,000. That meant that barring any last minute doubles ups he finished well clear of Joao Baumgarten who had 395,000. The Brazilian led a chasing pack of big stacks that included: Fergal Cawley (360,000), Henning Wendlandt (355,000), Romain Paon (300,000) and Ondrej Goetz (270,000).

Team PokerStars Pro and Online was well represented today and it looks as if at least three of their number have advanced to Day 2.Chief amongst them is Johnny Lodden, the Norwegian has a penchant for running up big stacks and got his hands on another today as he was sitting behind a stack of around 265,000 when play wound down. He'll be joined tomorrow by Liv Boeree (128,000) and ElkY (120,000).

In a field as big as this there were, naturally, many notables and a number of them will return tomorrow to try and add another cash to their ledger. They include: Ryan Reiss (90,000), Benny Spindler (50,000), Craig McCorkell (230,000), Andrey Shatilov (110,000), Tom Hall (150,000), Adam Owen (215,000) and Shyam Srinivasan (90,000).

However, the likes of Robin Ylitalo, Dany Parlafes, Rasmus Agerskov, Luciana Manolea, Jean Montury, Sam Grafton and Martin Jacobson must turn their attention to other events tomorrow.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

Haven't got a PokerStars account yet? Join the world's biggest site now.

"I haven't even looked at the payouts, to be honest."

So said Austria's Jonn Forst to us following the conclusion of today's lengthy, hard fought Day 3 of the Estrellas Barcelona Poker Tour Main Event. Forst did well for himself on this day, playing some gutsy poker in order to move into the chip lead late, then increase it considerably during the night's final hands.

"I'll take a look in the morning," he continued, saying for now he's going to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Bagging a huge stack of 24.090 million -- nearly twice that of his nearest challenger with just eight players left -- should help him achieve that last goal for the night.

There were 98 players -- survivors from the record-breaking 3,292-player field -- returning for today. The young Polish player Jose Carlos Garcia was the center of attention early on as the start-of-day chip leader, and he continued to stay in the spotlight as he remained in first position as the field swiftly whittled down.

Scott Montgomery (81st, €4,950), Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari (80th, €4,950), Farid Chati (71st, €6,000), Liliya Novikova of Team PokerStars Pro Online (60th, €6,000), Hugo Pingray (57th, €6,000), Joao Barbosa

(56th, €6,000), Sebastien Sabic (42nd, €7,560) were among those going out relatively early today. Then as they settled into the evening Sam Chartier (35th, €9,550), Peter Traply (22nd, €16,500), Dermot Blain (21st, €16,500), and Jude Ainsworth (18th, €19,700) also were sent to the rail.

By the time they reached the final two tables, Mario Lopez of Argentina had spent a short period in the top spot, but Garcia would retake the lead as Maximillian Senft (16th, €22,900), Laurent Olive (15th, €26,100), Christopher Frank (14th, €26,100), and Padraig O'Neill (13th, €29,300) were knocked out. Just before the late dinner break, Ivan Ruban had his aces cracked to go out in 12th (€29,300), and with 11 players left Garcia was still in front.

Post-dinner things go interesting, however, with Garcia unsuccessfully trying to push first Simon Sennhauser, then Jonn Forst off hands with big all-in shoves. Both players looked up Garcia and showed winners, knocking Garcia back down to the bottom of the counts while moving upwards themselves.

Forst would be in first position through David Stocker's demise in 11th (€33,000) and Esa Karttunen's being cut down in 10th (€33,000), and he'd remain on top until Garcia finally knocked out Slav Sariyski in ninth (€39,600) to set up tomorrow's finale.

Here's how the counts will look when the first hand of tomorrow's final table will be dealt, with nearly a full level of 120,000/240,000/30,000 awaiting the players:

Seat 1: Mario Lopez (Argentina) - 14,410,000
Seat 2: Daniel Selles (Spain) - 3,120,000
Seat 3: Jose Carlos Garcia (Poland) - 8,855,000
Seat 4: Eduard Sanchez (Spain) - 7,420,000
Seat 5: Knut Nystedt (Norway) - 7,705,000
Seat 6: Simon Sennhauser (Switzerland) - 13,490,000
Seat 7: Kondah Abdelhadi (Morocco) - 2,895,000
Seat 8: Jonn Forst (Austria) - 24,090,000

Play resumes at 12:30 p.m. CET tomorrow, at which point we'll be back once more with start-to-finish coverage of the tournament's final day. We'll have profiles of the final eight for you in the morning, too, to prepare your following of the day's coverage.

For now, though, we'll follow Forst's lead and try to relax a bit. Back mañana to concern ourselves with all those riches awaiting tomorrow's deepest finishers, including the massive €491,000 up top.

Until then, buenos noches!

Level 23-26 updates
Level 27-30 updates
Level 31-33 updates
Prize pool and payouts

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

Haven't gotten a PokerStars account yet? Join the world's biggest site now.

From a huge, record-smashing turnout of 3,292 players, just eight players remain in the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event, with the final table set to play out this afternoon and evening. The huge field for this €1,000 + €100 tournament added up to a €3,193,240 prize pool, and almost €1.39 million of that is still up for grabs to be divided among the final eight.

With play set to start in about an hour, let's get to know a little more about each of today's final tablists:

Seat 1: Mario Lopez (Argentina) -- 14,410,000

A 38-year-old doctor and businessman, Lopez began playing poker over a decade ago and has met with a great deal of success, accumulating numerous tournament cashes including many on the Latin American Poker Tour where he's been a regular player since nearly the beginning of the LAPT's eight seasons. Indeed, with today's cash the Argentinian crosses the $1 million mark in career tourney earnings.

In March 2014, Lopez became an LAPT Main Event champion, winning LAPT7 Chile for nearly $118K after a final table deal. Then this past summer he picked up his biggest cash ever in the $1,111 Little One for One Drop event at the World Series of Poker, finishing runner-up out of 4,555 entries for just under $400K.

Seat 2: Daniel Selles (Spain) -- 3,120,000

One of two Spaniards at today's final table, 32-year-old Daniel Selles has just a few small cashes on his poker tournament résumé to this point, with a win in a $1K event at the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas in 2013 earning him his biggest cash by far of $31,494.

Seat 3: Jose Carlos Garcia (Poland) -- 8,855,000

Despite being only 22, Jose Carlos Garcia has already gathered plenty of experience playing at final tables in which big cash prizes are on the line.

As "TryToExploit" on PokerStars, Garcia has accumulated significant earnings in tournaments including a Sunday Million win in March 2014 worth more than $230K. We've seen the young player from Stalowa Wola at big final tables on the EPT this year as well, as he finished fourth in the LAPT Bahamas Main Event at the PCA in January (winning nearly $120K) and fifth in the EPT Grand Final Main Event at Monaco in May (winning just under $300K).

Seat 4: Eduard Sanchez (Spain) -- 7,420,000

From Mataró just outside Barcelona, Eduard Sanchez learned to play poker while a student and has recently made the move to become a professional. Like both Lopez and Forst, the 25-year-old "Edu" Sanchez earned his way into this event by qualifying online (which he prefers over live). He has just one small tournament cash previously for a third-place showing in a €150 event here at Casino Barcelona a year-and-a-half ago, so today will mark his biggest score by far, regardless of his finish.

Seat 5: Knut Nystedt (Norway) -- 7,705,000

Norwegian Knut Nystedt has a few previous cashes to his credit from the Norwegian Championships, a tournament series many are surprised to find has been held in England, Latvia, and Ireland. It was in Dublin that the 43-year-old earned his biggest career cash of €6,425, which means he's joining other players at this final table enjoying a career-high score today. He learned the game from his grandfather who long ago taught him five-card draw.

Seat 6: Simon Sennhauser (Switzerland) -- 13,490,000

A 26-year-old builder, Simon Sennhauser has earned three dozen cashes in Las Vegas tournaments over the last three years, the largest coming for a second-place finish in a $1,600 Deepstack Extravaganza event at the Venetian, good for a $74,431 score.

Seat 7: Kondah Abdelhadi (Morocco) -- 2,895,000

Longtime player and businessman Kondah Abdelhadi has nearly 100 tournament cashes to his credit, the majority of which he's earned in Marrakech in his native Morocco, with total lifetime earnings exceeding $440,000 -- good enough for second all-time on the Morocco money list.

Seat 8: Jonn Forst (Austria) - 24,090,000

The 31-year-old chip leader Jonn Forst of Vienna grabbed the lead away from Garcia late yesterday with 10 players left, calling a huge bluff and then adding still further to his stack to start today's final table with nearly a third of the chips in play.

Forst final tabled the Eureka 5 Main Event in Hamburg back in May, finishing fifth for a career-best €22,940 that he'll be exceeding today no matter where he finishes.

When the final eight return today, here is what they'll be playing for:

1st: €491,000
2nd: €256,500
3rd: €168,000
4th: €139,500
5th: €116,540
6th: €93,600
7th: €71,400
8th: €52,100

Play begins at 12:30 p.m. Central European Time -- that's six hours ahead of Eastern time, and two hours in front of GMT. We'll have live updates throughout the final table, so stick close to see who among this group sticks around for those huge payouts up top, and which one emerges with the coveted ESPT Barcelona Main Event trophy and €491,000 first prize.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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7:07 p.m.: Mario Lopez wins ESPT Barcelona (€408,000); Jonn Forst runner-up (€338,000)

Mario Lopez opened from the button with a min-raise to 1,600,000, and Jonn Forst didn't hesitate long before announcing he was all in. Lopez didn't even wait for a count of Forst's stack -- about 16 million -- before declaring his call.

Lopez: [As][Qc]
Forst: [Ad][6h]

Both players stood and the crowd on the rail noisily noted each postflop street, with the [8d][4d][Th] flop and [7h] turn providing some intrigue in the form of an open-ended straight draw for Forst.

Then came the river -- the [Ts]! Lopez stood on his chair in triumph as his rail cheered. To his LAPT7 Chile win Lopez now adds an Estrellas Barcelona Main Event title!

Thanks to the heads-up deal, Lopez earns €408,000 for the win and Forst a handsome €338,000 for taking second. Stay tuned for a full recap of this exciting final day of poker.

6:59 p.m.: Lopez chips up further

A series of small pots has seen Lopez increase his lead further over Jonn Forst. He has about 66 million right now while Forst is down around 16 million.

6:48 p.m.: All in and call

In a limped pot, the flop came all aces -- [Ac][Ah][As] -- and Jonn Forst check-called a bet of 800,000 from Mario Lopez. Forst check-called again after the [2s] turn, the bet being 3.6 million this time.

The river was the [2d], putting a full house on the board. Forst checked, and Lopez hesitated a short while before announcing he was all in. Forst called immediately, then both showed they were playing the board, Lopez with [Jd][3s] and Forst with [9c][7d].

6:41 p.m.: Lopez opens lead

Jonn Forst opened for 1.8 million from the button, Mario Lopez reraised to 5.8 million, and Forst called. The flop came [Qd][7c][2d], and Lopez led for 4.3 million. Forst called. The turn was the [6h], and Lopez fired again for 6.8 million. Forst called once more.

Both then checked the [6c] river. Lopez turned over [Jh][2h] for sixes and deuces, and Forst shook his head as he mucked before saying "good hand."

Lopez pushes up around 59 million with that one, while Forst slips back to about 24 million.

6:29 p.m.: Small one for Lopez

Jonn Forst raised to 1.8 million from the button, Mario Lopez called and then checked after the [Jh][4h][3d] flop. Forst continued for 1.5 million and Lopez called again. Both then checked down the [7s] turn and [7d] river. Lopez showed [Qs][4d] and Forst mucked.

6:25 p.m.: First ones to Forst

A couple of raises and one three-bet gave Jonn Forst the first three small pots of heads-up play without any flops.

6:18 p.m.: Heads-up begins

Jonn Forst and Mario Lopez are back in their seats and the first hand of heads-up is being dealt.

6:05 p.m.: Deal time

Indeed, with that knockout of Knut Nystedt, Jonn Forst has exactly 41.1 million chips and Mario Lopez 40.9 million -- as close as they could be without being even, since the black 100,000 chip is the lowest in play.

Deal discussion ensued with some initial back-and-forthing before both agreed to an even chop. Each player is now guaranteed €338,000, and they will play for the other €70,000 and the ESPT Barcelona Main Event trophy.

They're taking an additional break now before starting back. Stick close to see who wins!

5:49 p.m.: Knut Nystedt eliminated in 3rd place (€168,000)

On the very first hand of the level, Knut Nystedt opened with a raise to 1.6 million from the button, then Jonn Forst made it 4 million to go from the small blind. Mario Lopez quickly pitched his cards away, and Nystedt didn't waste much time before announcing he was all in. Forst swiftly called.

Both stood to table their cards -- [Ad][Tc] for Nystedt and [As][7c] for Forst -- and each watched intently as the [9h][Qd][2d] flop and [2s] turn kept Nystedt in front.

Then came the river... the [7h]! Forst let out a short yell as Nystedt shook his head disappointedly, then Forst offered condolences to Nystedt before the Norwegian departed.

It looks like with that pot Forst just barely passes Lopez to take the chip lead into heads-up play.

There will be a pause before play commences. Back in a few.

5:46 p.m.: Level 37 begins

They're back at it, with the blinds now up to 400,000/800,000 with a 100,000 ante.

Recall how the starting stack was just 25,000 in this one? The green 25,000 chips have now been removed as no longer necessary.

5:38 p.m.: Updated chip counts; 3 remain

Mario Lopez - 41,800,000
Jonn Forst - 26,000,000
Knut Nystedt - 14,200,000

5:32 p.m.: Break time

Play having reached the end of Level 36, the three players are taking another 15-minute break.

5:31 p.m.: Lopez says no to Nystedt shove

Mario Lopez raised to 1.2 million from the button and both of his opponents called from the blinds. All three checked the [Qh][Th][8s] flop. The turn was the [9h] and Knut Nystedt led for 1.8 million from the small blind. Jonn Forst folded, and Lopez called.

The river was the [Kd], and Nystedt pushed all in for about 7.5 million. Lopez thought for a while, then finally shaking his head back and forth he relinquished his cards.

5:19 p.m.: Forst takes a few

Mario Lopez limped in from the button, then Knut Nystedt raised to 2.2 million from the small blind. Jonn Forst called the raise from the big blind, then Lopez repopped it to 4.8 million, prompting a quick fold from Nystedt.

Forst paused, then announced he was all in. Lopez waited for a full count of the amount of Forst's raise to be completed -- 19.5 million -- then folded.

Mario Lopez - 48.5 million
Jonn Forst - 25 million
Knut Nystedt - 8 million

5:04 p.m.: River raise works for Lopez

After Jonn Forst limped in from the small blind, Mario Lopez raised to 1.2 million from the big blind and Forst called. Both checked the [Qs][Qh][9s] flop, and Forst again checked the [Ad] turn. Lopez bet 1 million, and Forst called.

The river was the [Ah], putting a second pair on board. Forst led with a bet of 3 million, then Lopez set out two stacks of chips representing a raise to 12 million. After about a half-minute, Forst folded.

4:46 p.m.: Forst gaining

The action has slowed down, with more limped pots and cautious play.

Just now a hand arose with Jonn Forst limped in from the small blind, Mario Lopez raised to 1.8 million from the big blind, and Forst called. The flop came [Qd][6c][4h]. Forst checked, Lopez bet 1.5 million, and Forst called. Both then checked the [Kc] turn.

The river was the [3c], and this time Forst led with a bet of 3 million which Lopez called fairly quickly. "King," said Forst, turning over [Kd][9h] for top pair, and after a recheck of his cards Lopez sent his hand into the muck.

Lopez is at just under 40 million now, Forst up to about 29.5 million, and Nystedt has about 11.5 million.

4:31 p.m.: Level 36 begins

Blinds are now 300,000/600,000 with an 75,000 ante.

4:23 p.m: Forst takes from Nystedt

In a three-way limped pot, the flop came [3d][9s][Ad]. Jonn Forst led for 500,000 and only Knut Nystedt stuck around. The turn ws the [Th]. This time Forst bet 1 million, and Nystedt called once more.

The river was the [Jc]. Forst fired a third bet of 4 million, and after thinking a bit Nystedt called one more time. Forst showed [8s][7c] for a straight, and Nystedt mucked.

Forst is up over 20 million now while Nystedt is down around 5 million.

4:11 p.m.: Forst forces issue, Lopez lets it go

Soon after play resumed, a hand arose that saw Jonn Forst open for 900,000 from the small blind, then Mario Lopez make it 2.6 million to go from the big blind. After pausing a few beats, Forst announced he was four-betting all in for roughly 19 million, and without dwelling on it too long, Lopez let his hand go.

4:08 p.m.: Second deal attempt scuttled

They played a single hand, stopped to discuss a deal once more, and once again decided just to play on.

3:57 p.m.: No deal as yet

The final three players just finished discussing the possibility of a deal to narrow those huge pay jumps scheduled at the end. Without a deal, the third-place finisher would earn €168,000, second would get €256,500, and first a huge €491,000.

Here are the counts at present:

Mario Lopez - 51,000,000
Jonn Forst - 19,375,000
Knut Nystedt - 11,825,000

After a few minutes of talk and running some numbers, the trio decided to continue forward, so there's no deal for now. Play has resumed.

3:40 p.m.: Jose Carlos Garcia eliminated in 4th (€139,500)

Jose Carlos Garcia open-raised all in for his last 2.15 million from the button and both Knut Nystedt (small blind) and Jonn Forst (big blind) called. Those two then checked down the board as it came [Tc][9s][7s], then [9d], then [8h].

Nystedt showed a pair of fives, but Forst's [Ah][Td] gave him a better pair. Garcia had [Qc][2c], and he finishes in fourth -- another strong showing for him at an EPT event.

It looks like there will be a short pause as the final three players count chips and initiate some deal talk. More in a moment.

3:27 p.m.: Lopez trips up Nystedt

After a spate of slow action at the start of Level 35, a hand arose that saw Mario Lopez raise from the button, Knut Nystedt three-bet to 2.7 million from the big blind, and Lopez call.

The flop came [6d][5h][Tc], and Nystedt led out for 2.8 million, earning a call from Lopez. Nystedt then checked the board-pairing [Ts] turn, and with some deliberation Lopez pushed out 4.3 million. Nystedt called.

The river was the [3c]. Nystedt checked again, and again Lopez bet -- 6.9 million this time. Nystedt thought a few beats, then finally set out the calling chips.

Lopez tabled his [Td][9d] for trips, and Nystedt tossed his hand into the muck.

Every pot is big now, both in terms of the chips in play and the money on the line. Lopez leads now with about 45 million while Nystedt drops back to around 15 million.

3:06 p.m.: Level 35 begins

A new level has begun, with the blinds now 200,000/400,000 with a 50,000 ante.

3:03 p.m.: Updated chip counts; 4 remain

The dark orange 500,000 chips have been put in play. Here are the updated counts at the break:

Knut Nystedt - 32,475,000
Mario Lopez - 29,000,000
Jonn Forst - 16,050,000
Jose Carlos Garcia - 4,450,000

2:48 p.m.: Break time

The final four players are now taking a 15-minute break.

2:47 p.m.: Big call from Lopez picks off Garcia bluff

Mario Lopez opened the small blind with a raise to 750,000, and Jose Carlos Garcia called from the big blind. The flop came [9d][5h][Jc]. Lopez checked, Garcia bet 600,000, and after some thought Lopez called. The turn was the [5d]. Lopez checked again, Garcia fired 1,400,000 this time, and again after a pause Lopez called.

The river was the [3c]. Lopez checked a third time, and without much delay Garcia announced he was all in -- a huge overbet, as Lopez had about 11.7 million behind.

Lopez tanked for the final five minutes of the level and then some before finally emerging with a call. Garcia showed him [7s][4c] -- as we'd seen him do yesterday, Garcia had made a big river bluff -- and Lopez showed [Qd][9s] for nines and fives, and that he'd made a brave call.

Garcia is now down under 5 million while Lopez grabs the lead with close to 30 million.

2:29 p.m.: Eduard Sanchez eliminated in 5th place (€116,540)

Daniel Sanchez open-raised all in from under the gun with his last 2.725 million, and Knut Nystedt called from the next seat. The table folded, and Sanchez showed [Ad][8h], having the preflop edge over Nystedt's [Ah][7d].

Alas for the Spaniard, the flop came [9s][Th][7c] to pair Nystedt, although Sanchez still had outs to pair his eight or hit a straight. The turn was the [Qh] and river the [As], however, and Sanchez is out.

Nystedt adds to his leading stack, and appears to have about 30 million at present with 15 minutes to go in the level.

2:17 p.m.: Kondah Abdelhadi eliminated in 6th place (€93,600)

Knut Nystedt opened for 600,000 from middle position, and Kondah Abdelhadi reraise-pushed from a seat over for about 2.7 million. It folded back to Nystedt who called.

Nystedt: [2s][2h]
Abdelhadi: [Td][Tc]

Abdelhadi was well in front, and the [3h][Ac][Th] gave him a set to make his lead even greater. But the [4s] fell on the turn, then the [5c] landed on fifth street to make a wheel for Nystedt and end Abdelhadi's run in sixth place.

2:08 p.m.: Lopez cracks Garcia's aces, earns huge double

Mario Lopez opened with a raise, and Jose Carlos Garcia three-bet behind him. It folded back to Lopez who reraised all in for 8.13 million total, and Garcia called right away.

Lopez turned over [8h][8c], but he'd run into Garcia's [As][Ah], and after the [7c][6h][Qs] flop things looked dire for the Argentinian. But the [8d] fell on fourth street to put Lopez in front, and after the [Kc] river he'd survived.

Lopez is up around 16.5 million now, while Garcia still has a healthy 20 million or so.

2:01 p.m.: Simon Sennhauser Eliminated in 7th place

Mario Lopez opened with a raise to 600,000 from the hijack seat, then Jose Carlos Garcia three-bet to 1.525 million from the cutoff. It folded to Simon Sennhauser in the big blind who announced he was all in, and after a count of his chips it was shown his shove was for 4.025 million.

Lopez folded, then after just a few seconds Garcia called, tabling [As][Jd]. Sennhauser showed [Ks][Kh], and stood to watch the dealer spread the flop.

Sennhauser winced a little at the sight of the first three cards -- [Ad][7c][5d] -- which put Garcia in front. The turn was the [8s] and river the [6s], and just as happened to start the day, kings had failed Sennhauser again.

Others consoled-slash-congratulated him, and he moved to the cashier's desk to collect seventh-place winnings. Garcia now has about 27 million.

1:50 p.m.: Abdelhadi doubles through Forst

It folded around to Kondah Abdelhadi in the small blind who open-raised all in for his last 1.915 million, and after thinking a short while Jonn Forst called from a seat over.

Abdelhadi had [Ah][Ts] and Forst [Kh][8d], and Abdelhadi's supporters began calling from an ace from the rail. They got their request with the [Js][As][4s] flop, and after the [5h] turn and [5s] river Abdelhadi had improved further to a flush to win the pot and keep his seat.

Abdelhadi has about 4.2 million now while Forst sits with 13.8 million.

1:43 p.m.: Level 34 begins

The blinds are now 150,000/300,000 with a 40,000 ante.

1:40 p.m.: Garcia takes from Lopez

With the board showing [7c][Qd][2d][2h][4h] and about 3.2 million in the middle, Mario Lopez bets 1.625 million, then Jose Carlos Garcia raises to 6 million, sending Lopez into several minutes' worth of deep thought. Finally Jonn Forst asked for the clock, and after nearly a minute more Lopez let his hand go.

Garcia is up to about 21 million and is now challenging Knut Nystedt for the lead, while Lopez sits with about 11 million.

1:24 p.m.: Nystedt leads

Jonn Forst raised to 480,000 from early position, Eduard Sanchez called from the cutoff, then Knut Nystedt raised to 1.3 million from the button. Forst called and Sanchez folded, and the two remaining players watched the flop come [6s][6h][2s].

Forst checked, then called after Nystedt bet 1.4 million. The turn brought the [5h] and another check from Forst, Nystedt bet 1.9 million this time, and Forst called again.

The river was the [Td]. Forst checked once more, and when Nystedt fired again -- for 2.9 million this time -- Forst folded.

Forst has about 18.5 million now, while Nystedt is the chip leader with around 22 million.

1:11 p.m.: Garcia on the rise

Jose Carlos Garcia just picked up another nice-sized pot that began as a three-way affair between himself, Mario Lopez, and Knut Nystedt. Fourth street gave Garcia what turned out to be the nut flush, and on the river he was able to get some value from Nystedt.

Garcia is now up close to 16 million.

12:49 p.m.: Daniel Selles Eliminated in 8th place (€52,100)

Huge action on just the second hand of play here at the ESPT Barcelona Main Event. After Jonn Forst opened with a minimum raise to 480,000 from middle position, it folded to Daniel Selles in the cutoff who reraised all in for about 3 million. Then Knut Kystedt reraise-shoved his stack of about 8 million from the button.

The action moved to Simon Sennhauser in the small blind, and he reraised all in over the top of everyone, and the big blind and Forst both stepped aside.

Selles: [Ah][Kd]
Kystedt: [Ac][Ad]
Sennhauser: [Kd][Kh]

Big, big hand all around, and after the board came an uneventful [2c][Jd][4d][9c][2h], Selles was eliminated in eighth, Sennhauser knocked back to about 5 million, and Nystedt now up around 18 million in second position behind Forst.

12:47 p.m.: Shuffle up and deal

The announcements have completed and the first hand of the ESPT Barcelona Main Event is being dealt. Blinds are 120,000/240,000 with a 30,000 to start, with nearly the entire one-hour level still left to play.

12:26 p.m.: Almost there

The players are still arriving and preparations are being made to take some photos before the ESPT Barcelona Main Event final table gets started. Jonn Forst will start with a big chip lead to begin, with nearly twice the stack of closest challengers Mario Lopez and Simon Sennhauser.

Seat 1: Mario Lopez (Argentina) - 14,410,000
Seat 2: Daniel Selles (Spain) - 3,120,000
Seat 3: Jose Carlos Garcia (Poland) - 8,855,000
Seat 4: Eduard Sanchez (Spain) - 7,420,000
Seat 5: Knut Nystedt (Norway) - 7,705,000
Seat 6: Simon Sennhauser (Switzerland) - 13,490,000
Seat 7: Kondah Abdelhadi (Morocco) - 2,895,000
Seat 8: Jonn Forst (Austria) - 24,090,000

And here's a reminder of what they are playing for...

1st: €491,000
2nd: €256,500
3rd: €168,000
4th: €139,500
5th: €116,540
6th: €93,600
7th: €71,400
8th: €52,100

Key ESPT Barcelona Main Event Facts:
- 3,292 players entered the event (a record), with the total prize pool €3,193,240
- Click here for profiles of the final eight players
- Click here for ESPT Barcelona prize pool and payouts

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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Before this week, Mario Lopez had well proven himself at the poker table already over recent years. The Argentinian traveled to the Spanish coastal city having previously amassed nearly $1 million in tournament earnings with an LAPT Main Event title in Chile last year and a runner-up in a WSOP event this summer highlighting an illustrious catalogue of cashes.

He's been here a week and will be sticking around for another as the festival continues. But when he does leave, he'll be doing so with his standing in the poker world having been further heightened thanks to an impressive victory in the record-breaking 3,292-player Estrellas Barcelona Main Event.

Today Lopez is standing tall.

From that big field a final table of eight convened early this afternoon to determine how the last €1.39 million or so of the tournament's huge €3,193,240 prize pool would be divided. Jonn Forst began the day with the chip lead, having wrestled it away from Jose Carlos Garcia late on Day 3.

Like Lopez, Garcia -- one of a few young Polish phenoms taking poker by storm of late -- arrived at this event with a heady reputation of his own after having final tabled two other big EPT events this year, taking fourth at LAPT Bahamas in January and fifth at the EPT Grand Final in Monaco in May.

In fact, it was a crucial hand in which Lopez managed to find a big call -- for his tournament life -- against a river bluff by the aggressive Garcia that proved the turning point for both players today, helping propel Lopez to victory.

It was an eclectic group who assembled for today's final table, representing seven different countries and a variety of backgrounds and ages.

The excitement began from the day's second hand when the short-stacked Spaniard Daniel Selles picked up ace-king and ran not just into pocket kings but Knut Nystedt's pocket aces, too, to end his day early in eighth.

The player with kings in that hand -- Simon Sennhauser of Switzerland -- was hit hard as well, then not too long after would be disappointed by cowboys a second time to be knocked out in seventh. Garcia's ace-jack outdrew his K-K that time to carve the field to six.

Those two eliminations allowed Morocco's Konah Abdelhadi to ladder up a couple of spots before running into some bad fortune with pocket tens versus Nystedt's pair of deuces. Abdelhadi flopped a set, then watched Nystedt draw out a runner-runner wheel to cause him to finish in sixth.

One more small stack -- that belonging to Eduard Sanchez of Spain -- was claimed shortly thereafter in a similarly hard-luck way, his ace-eight falling to Nystedt's ace-seven when a seven came among the community cards.

It was at four-handed that Garcia put Lopez to the test, shoving the river with a massive overbet in what had been an innocuous-seeming hand to that point. On a [9d][5h][Jc][5d][3c] board, Lopez found a way to call with [Qd][9s], then saw Garcia had but [7s][4c].

Suddenly Lopez was leader, Garcia was the short stack, and later in a three-way pot would lose the last of his chips to take fourth.

Nystedt, for whom things had gone so well early today, then saw his fortunes slip thereafter to end with a third-place finish after the final trio couldn't agree to a deal. The Norwegian's knockout uncannily echoed how he had taken out Sanchez earlier, as his ace-ten fell to Jonn Forst's ace-seven when a seven rudely fell on the river.

That pot gave Forst the chip lead to start heads-up play, but only barely with 41.1 million to Lopez's 40.9 million, the difference coming down to a single chip as the lowest in play then was worth 100K.

Speaking of differences, the pair then decided to lessen the one scheduled between first- and second-place payouts (a whopping €240K), with each taking €338K and playing for just €70K thereafter.

Lopez immediately seized the advantage and began chipping up against Forst, then at last used ace-queen to best Forst's ace-six to stop the Austrian's run one spot shy of the title.

Lopez is a medical doctor, and he certainly diagnosed his opponents today well -- especially Garcia in that memorable bluff-call -- on his way to victory. Congratulations to him and all eight of those who made it through the record ESPT Barcelona field.

Event #5: Estrellas Main Event Day 1A €1,000 + €100

Entrants: 3,292

Prize pool: €3,193,240
Places paid: 487

1. Mario Lopez (Argentina) €408,000*
2. Jonn Forst (Austria) €338,000*
3. Knut Nystedt (Norway) €168,000
4. Jose Carlos Garcia (Poland) €139,500
5. Eduard Sanchez (Spain) €116,540
6. Kondah Abdelhadi (Morocco) €93,600
7. Simon Sennhauser (Switzerland) €71,400
8. Daniel Selles (Spain) €52,100
*= denotes a two-way deal

Click here for detailed live updates of the entire final table. And for a complete list of payouts for the 487 who cashed in ESPT Barcelona, click here.

Thanks for following our coverage of the Estrellas Main Event, and stick close here at PokerStars Blog for much more excitement as more players find ways to stand tall in Barcelona.

To get all the latest news, chip counts and payouts from EPT12 Barcelona, don't forget to download the EPT App on both Android or IOS.

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* CLICK TO REFRESH FOR LATEST UPDATES
* Day 1A is over
* Click for end of day chip counts

10:20pm: Done for the day
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

That's your lot! A wrap of the day's play can be read here. --NW

9:55pm: Last six hands
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Each table will play six more hands before bagging up for the day. --MC

9:50pm: Late bustouts
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Around 81 players remain here on Day 1A. The following didn't quite make it to Day 2: Per Wikstrom, Ivan Macias Espada, Michele Amato, Karolis Ananevas, Adrian Benitez Narvaez, Gabin Louis Andre Feriolo, Gintaras Simaitis, Samuel Meeuse, Jose Antonio Gonzalez Zaragoza, Hani Antonio Ouatfeh Ramirez, Koray Suler, Lukasz Winski, Jorge Antonio Juste Menchaca, Jaroslaw Jerzy Balcerek, Juan Oliver Paredes Sanchez, Tommaso Briotti, Diego Soto Benitez, Kamil Jacek Wiercinski, Jan Combes
Enrique Santiago Cambarao Calvo and Nikolay Baryshnikov. --MC

9:45pm: Could Voytko have won more?
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Alexander Voytko is up to 270,000 after winning a big pot against Jose Salazar but it's possible he could've won more. Pre-flop Voytko opened to 4,500, Salazar three-bet to 14,000, Voytko made it 28,000 straight and Salazar smooth called.

The [Ts][Ad][7c] flop checked through and the [Kd] fell on the turn, Voytko checked, Salazar bet 24,000 and Voytko smooth called. The [Jc] completed the board and both players checked it down. Salazar opened pocket kings for a turned set, but Voytko had flopped a set and a better one at that as he had pocket aces! 

Salazar couldn't believe he didn't have the best hand but he was second best on this occasion and drops to 65,000. --NW

9:35pm: Pole position for Grzegorz
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Grzegorz Idziak is up to 275,000 that looks like it's good for the chip lead as we go into the final 20 minutes of play. --NW

9:25pm: Taylor doubles
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Guy Taylor, who won two flipout tournaments at this year's PCA, has bought that sort of form with him to Marbella as he just scored a fortunate double up to stay in the main event.

He three-bet to 12,500 with [Ad][Kh] and called all-in for 49,000 after his opponent, who had pocket kings, had four-bet jammed. An ace on the flop meant Taylor doubled to over 100,000. --NW

9:15pm: Gonna have to get there on the second attempt...
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Stick a flake in Enrique Santiago Cambarao, Samuel Fraile, Jospeh Chattaway, Guillaume Lichiere, Khalil Youssafi, Kjell Hoiseth, Juan Evangelista Arana, Mikel Angulo, Jaroslaw Lipien, Nikola Ristivojevic, Paul Fontan, Michael Nicholls, Oscar Ingelmo, Andre Morath, John Bagnall, Patrice Brandt, Kamel Bekhaled (the first ever player from New Caledonia to play a UKIPT!), Manuel Cortada, Jose Antonio Rouco, Richard Cashman, Georgios Papadopoulos, Antonio Jesus Diaz, Tuomas Jalonen and Tomasz Cichocki as they're all out.

99 players remain as the final level gets underway. --NW

9:05pm: Lots of chips on table five
Level 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)

Table five is absolutely stacked as it's very possible the three biggest stacks in the room are all sitting around the same oval. What's more they're all in a row too!

Bob Janssens occupies the three seat, he's got roughly 230,000. To his direct left is Milos Skrbic, the Serbian player has around 170,000 which is also how much Neil Raine has. The UK player is sat to the left of Skrbic and at least has position on the two other big stacks at the table. --NW

8:55pm: Chip leaders
Level 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)

At the start of the level Bob Janssens was the clear chip leader. The Dutchman was sitting with a stack of 245,000 which put him well clear of Alexander Voytko (168,300) and Mihaita Constantin Croitoru (161,600). --NW

8:45pm: Lucky double up for Baryshnikov
Level 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)

Nikolay Baryshnikov open shoved from under-the-gun for 27,300 and Dmitrii Pcheliakov called to put him at risk. It was a Russia vs Russia battle and Pcheliakov had the best of it with [Ah][Qs] to Baryshnikov's [Ac][Jh]. 

But the [Kc][Js][6s][8d][4c] board favoured the underdog and he doubled to around 60,000 whilst Pcheliakov slips to 43,000. --NW

8:15pm: End of the level
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

Level 10 has come and gone and the players are now filing out of the card room into the Spanish sun for their final 15 minute break of the day. When they return they'll play two more 45-minute levels before play ends for the day. --NW

8:13pm: Non starter for 10
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

Just 124 players remain in with a chance of making Day 2 of this tournament. Sadly for Nikita Dubrovskii, Rafael Dominguez, Marcin Dziubdziela, Anna Docheva, Jose Antonio Albarran, Daniel Doroteo, Javier Fernandez, Simone Agnoletto, Paulius Katinas, Alfredo Aramendia, Daniel Gomez, Rolf Jauring, Thomas Rolf, Martin Bartos, Daniel Nietrzebka, Philip Butt and Tomasz Wrobel they're not among them as they've all been eliminated during level 10. --NW

8:10pm: Big slick good for a full double up
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

Antonio Entrena had big slick on the button, flopped top pair with it but had to wait until the river before he secured a full double.

His opponent in the hand was Vincent Gabel from Belgium. He was in the big blind and the two had amassed a 19,000 pot by the time the board rested as [kd][4c][tc][8d][6h]. Entrena had 16,900 left and into the middle they went.

"Sixteen-nine?" asked Gabel. "Can I think a bit first?"

After thinking he made the call ad then mucked saying nice hand once Entrena opened [ah][ks]. Gabel dropped to around 60,000. --MC

7:53pm: Cry me a river, not
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

You know those times you're barrelling with air, trying everything to get an opponent off a hand but you just can't shake them? They call you preflop, on the flop and on the turn. You think to yourself; will I have to give up on the river? Do I have what it takes to empty the clip on this station? And then - bink, you hit the river!

This just happened (maybe not the thoughts) to Mihaita Constantin Croitoru. The PokerStars qualifier raised from the hijack, bet the flop, bet 8,000 on the turn and 13,000 on the river. The board rested as [6s][4d][jc][9h][kd] and Guy Taylor was his opponent in the big blind who called the whole way. When Croitoru opened [kc][3c], Taylor just smiled, flashed the [jd] and mucked. He dropped to 11,000 whereas Croitoru jumped up to 60,000. --MC

7:45pm: Even more for Skrbic
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

When you're hot your hot and Milos Skrbic is on fire right now. He just took out Cristiano Jorge Ferreira in one of those hands that simply played itself.

On a [Kc][Qc][Ad] flop Ferreira was only to happy to commit his final 15,000 with [Kd][Qh] and Skrbic snapped him off with [Ac][Qs]. The [Jc] turn and [Ah] river meant Skrbic improved to a full-house that he didn't need.

He's up to 175,000 now and has Neil Raine to his direct left. Raine is possibly second in chips as he's got 160,000. --NW

7:25pm: Half and half
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

Exactly 50% of the Day 1A field has been eliminated now as 142 of 284 players remain. Among the latest batch of players to lose their chips are: Geoffrey Swan, Jacob Fuller, Manuel Bardon, Miguel Riera, Khazret Nebezhev, Leonid Sidelkovski, Marco Antonio Rivas, Terry Cartier, David Johnson, Andrei Vlassenko, Alvaro Romero, Antonio Entrena, Gregory Campbell, Oscar Villahoz, Keith Littlewood, Jose Enrique Cortina, Joakim Rahmouni, Johan Arne Creutz, Carlos Cabezas, Alvaro Fernando Puchol, Antonio Manuel Galiana, Jose Maria Sanchez, Felix Schlott, Grzegorz Grochulski, Michal Janczarski and Niels Van Der Heyden. --NW

7:27pm: Koleno doesn't mind being dominated
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

Being dominated aint no problem for Stanislav Koleno, especially when you flop your kicker.

Georgios Papadopoulos raised to 2,300 from under the gun and called after Koleno three-bet him to 5,400 from two seats along. The flop fell [4d][4s][tc] and both players checked to the [jc] turn. Koleno delayed 5,000 c-bet was check-called by Papadopoulos before both players checked the [jd] river.

Papadopoulos dropped to 27,000 in chips when he saw his [ac][9c] was no good against Koleno's [th][9h]. The latter's stack rose to 105,000. -- MC

7:10pm: Soto going great guns
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

Diego Soto is up to 90,000 after winning a pot against Juan Evangelista Arana. The latter opened to 2,300 from the button and Soto defended his big blind. Neither player bet the [4c][Jc][Js] flop but on the [Qc] turn Arana fired out a bet of 2,800. 

A few seconds later Soto made his move, check-raising to 8,500 total. Arana had a think - either to save face or because he had a genuine decision - and after about 45 seconds in the tank he released his hand. 

Pot to Soto. --NW

7pm: Butt gets Even
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

Down to just 3,000 in chips, Philip Butt moved all-in, he was called in one spot only for Even Mikkelsen to raise to 8,500 which was enough to get the pot heads-up.

Mikkelsen showed [Qh][Qd] and Butt said: "I've only looked at one," and flipped the [Ah]. His other card was the [4h] meaning he needed some help from the community cards to survive. He got it, as he hit the turn of a [Ts][8h][7s][Ad][3h] board to all but quadruple up. --NW

6:50pm: Top 5 counts
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

Level 9 (of 12) is underway, Milos Skrbic seems to be the chip leader with 157,000 and is closely followed by Alexander Voytko on 150,500. --MC

6:25pm: Break time
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

That's the end of level eight and the players are now on a 20-minute break. --NW

6:20pm: More bustouts
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

The fallers are coming thick and fast now as the blinds and antes really start to bite. Jesus Moreno, Jose Luis Puente, Jose Ignacio Aguilera, Jamie O'Connor, Carmine Cantone, Steven Cuevas, Leith Rashid, Brendan Keenan, Eduard Munoz, Carlos Sarria, Armin Voss, Patrick Rasmussen, Stefano Terziani, Guillermo Sanchez, Carsten Joh, Erik Sturkenboom, Thomas Pedersen, Gary McGinty, Colm Tuite, Moises Parilla and Dominique Terzian are all out. --NW

6:16pm: Carter races away
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

Golf, footgolf, beach, bars, Euro 2016? All this options are available for Dan Carter today, the Main Event isn't anymore though. He busted after losing a race to Dominik Hinzmann. The chips went in preflop with Cater down to his last 10,000 or so chips.

Carter: [3d][3c]
Hinzmann: [as][qh]

The board ran [td][ah][6s][qs][6d] to make the German two pair. Carter wished the table good luck and walked off into the sun. --MC

6:12pm: Finn it to win it
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

Tapio Vihakas isn't a regular on the UKIPT, but he's an accomplished tournament player who's had plenty of deep runs in events like this. His deepest run on a PokerStars tour was at EPT10 Prague, where he finished 16th in December 2013. 

He's made the trip to Marbella and has managed to increase his stack slightly, he's playing 27,500 at the moment. --NW

6pm: Eights great for Sidelkovski
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

Down to just 12,000 Leonid Sidelkovski got his chips in the middle with [8s][8c] and Marco Antonio Rivas put him at risk with [As][Kc]. A jack high board meant the Russian's hand held up and he doubled to around 25,000. Rivas meanwhile is down to 28,500. --NW

5:50pm: Voytko the man to catch
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

Alexander Voytko appears to be the current chip leader. The Israeli player is up to 104,000 and is having a great day at the felt. --NW

5:47pm: Registration closed, 284 players make up Day 1A
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

Registration closed at the end of level six and when all the slips were counted, 284 players were confirmed to be in. That's down from last year's 349 but a much bigger day is expected tomorrow and with re-entries available for Day 1C, we're hoping for similar overall numbers as last year (841). --MC

5:40pm: Gone
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

There's no easy way to say this, but if you're a fan of: Maher Yakob Mahmoud, Dawid Kuliberda, Jose Ruben Zurilla, Rudolf De Boer, Aurelien Didier Arcin, Jose Miguel Martinez, Ignacio Lopez de Maturana Urbina, Damian Neska, Billy Chattaway, John Garrat, Lukasz Lazor, Heinz Traut, Raul Patron Majuelo, Jose Luis Lopez, Thomas Bingham, John Patten, Alex Difelice, Veli-Pekka Penttinen, Matous Houzvicek, Istvan Pilhofer and Carl Lundh then it's bad news as they're all out. --NW

5:34pm: Full houses no good around these parts, amigo
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

Walking past table 18 and all we could hear was sympathy for Thomas Blomberg. He was told there was little he could do. One player looked up at us and said, "River got him, lured him in!"

Blomber's ace-x hand was already in the muck and the dealer was taking chips from his stack and giving them to Ignacio Barcenas. The board read [2h][qh][ah][qd][ac] and Barcenas' pocket queens for quads were still proudly on display. --MC

5:26pm: May the fours be with you
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

Rafael Dominguez found a spot to squeeze all-in and ended up doubling up after winning a race.

Victor Manuel Mateu had opened the pot with a raise to 1,400 from middle position and was called in one spot before Dominguez made his move, for 10,325, from the big blind. Mateu was the only caller.

Dominguez: [4c][4s]
Mateu: [kd][qd]

The board ran [as][ah][2d][jh][9d] to see the fours hold. Mateu dropped to around 12,000. -- MC

5:15pm: Sarria's shove gets through
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

From the small blind Kamil Wiercinski opened to 1,300 only for Carlos Sarria to shove for 10,725 from the big blind. The Pole got a count of the shove and tanked for some time before folding. --NW

5:11pm: Kerrane canned
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

James Kerrane had been in shoving mode for a while. Something had to give, and it was to bust rather than to double up.

The Irishman was down to 4,800 when he made his move from the cutoff. He was called by Angel Martinez in the next seat and a player in the small blind. The board ran [8c][4h][ac][7s][qd] with no chips being committed to make a side pot. The small blind's [6s][6h] was enough to beat Kerrane's [ks][jd] but Martinez scooped after opening a winning [kd][qc]. -- MC

4:57pm: Be quick
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

Late registration for this starting flights slams shut at the end of the level. Players have about eight minutes if they want to play today. The tournament clock is showing that 275 players has entered today so far. --NW

4:50pm: Go enjoy the sun
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

There are worse place in the world to bust a poker tournament than Marbella. The following should go enjoy the sun and the football: Juan Carlos Vecino Duenas, David Borkowski, Remy Bruno Cogno, Carl Olof Stefan Olsson, Allan Greer, Diego Rodriguez Hernandez, Dmitrii Pcheliakov, Patricio Cimiano Perez, Juan Oliver Paredes Sanchez, Andrew Cruickshank, Andrew Ross Laurie, Immo Eeli Juhani Parviainen, Daniel Lopez Lozano, Juan Ramon Casado Fernandez, Carles Ferrer Arnal, Kevin Albright, Lucas Blanco Oliver, Martin Bartos, Oscar Lima Bayo, Alejandro Cuadrado Hernandez and Ashley Locker. --MC

4:34pm: Rico busts with a set
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

Noelia Ivars Rico got off to a great start here on Day 1A, passing 40,000 on a table that contributed three of the first five players to bust. She told the Blog that it was a great table to be at, but unfortunately for her, she's no longer a part of it after a bad beat sent her to the rail.

Holding pocket sixes, she got her stack in with a set on a 9-6-3 flop. Her opponent called with pocket tens and running clubs made him a flush, and that was that. -- MC

4:25pm: Delgado departs, Wrobel chip leader
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

A short time ago Vicente Delgado had 80,000, now he's out. I spied him leaving the tournament room and a walk over to where he'd been sat confirmed he was indeed out. At that same table Tomasz Wrobel is up to 95,000, it's almost certain that these two factors are linked.

With that stack Wrobel is the current chip leader. --NW

4:05pm: Break time
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

The players are now on their second 15 minute break of the day. --NW

4pm: Blomberg flushes Lopez
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

Daniel Lopez opened to 1,200 from under-the-gun+2 and picked up four callers, including Thomas Blomberg, who was in the cut-off. 

On the [Kh][7h][4s] flop Lopez bet 3,500, Blomberg moved all-in and when it folded back to Lopez he called all-in for around 15,000 total.

Blomberg: [Jh][9h]
Lopez: [As][Kd]

The [Qh] turn compelted Blomberg's flush and meant Lopez was drawing dead. The meaningless [7d] completed the board. --NW

3:55pm: Carter caught bluffing?
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

Dan Carter's stack has dipped back below 30,000 (29k) after he mucked after being raised on the river.

The Brit was heads up, and in position, against Dominik Hinzmann of Germany. Cater bet 1,800 on a [ts][4h][td] flop when his opponent checked to him. Hinzmann called and both players checked the [as] turn before Carter fired another 3,000 on the [8d] river. Hinzmann check-raised to 12,000 and Carter snap folded. -- MC

3:40pm: More exits
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

With the blinds and antes kicking up a notch, so are the pace of exits. Already on the rail are: Philip Langley, Santiago Ramirez, Jose Luis Calvo, Julio Sala Ruiz, Alberto Martinez, Martin Aasen Lunde, Marcus Van Opzeeland, Richard King, Gabriel Barba Godino, Tommaso Briotti, Philip Gregg, Keith Christie, Paul Lozano, Tom Holke, Ammar Naamani and Robin Nielsen.

If they want to make Day 2 they're going to have to get it done in the turbo Day 1C tomorrow night. --NW

3:32pm: Sidelkovski aggression doesn't pay
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

Leonid Sidelkovski threw his hands up in the air when his bluff attempt failed to get through on the river. To be fair, his opponent - Michael Ozimek - held two pair and was never going to fold.

Sidelkovski raised from the hijack and picked up three callers en route to a [3c][9d][ks] flop. Sidelkovski continued for 1,500 and two opponents stuck around to see the [jh] turn where Sidelkovski fired another 3,300. Only Ozimek called to the river where he faced a 6,000 bet. He called with [kd][js], way good enough to beat his Russian opponent's [ad][6d] and saw his stack rise to 43,000. --MC

3:20pm: It's a sick game
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

Oh boy, this one's going to sting for a while.

By the time I arrived at the table Davy de Cooman (small blind) and Mihaita Constantin Croitoru (button) had got all their chips in the middle with Croitoru at risk for 19,700 total.

Croitoru: [Ad][9d]
De Cooman: [Th][Td]

The [3d][Jh][Js][Kd][Ks] board meant the Belgian's pair was counterfeited on the river. He dropped to around 7,000 and was eliminated a short time later. -- NW

3:10pm: Chip counts
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

Here's how some of the names and notables are doing on Day 1A:

Vicente Delgado, 65,000
William Davies, 46,000
Dan Carter, 39,500
Ross Mannion, 35,500
Neil Raine, 35,000
Nicki Vestergaard, 28,400
Tom Holke, 22,000
Jan Combes, 21,000
Seun Oluwole, 20,325
Heinz Traut, 18,500

3:05pm: Sabina gets it in with the nuts, busts
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

Sabina Hiatullah stopped and talked to Blog about her exit from the Main Event. It was pretty brutal but the Italian/German is planning on playing Day 1C and is going to try tonight's satellite to get in cheap.

She got her stack in with top set of aces of the turn. It was the nuts on the turn but her opponent called (to make the pot worth 260 big blinds) with flush and straight draws, the latter draw coming in on the river. -- MC

2:50pm: Vives survives scary board with kings
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

Theodore Vives' stack has grown to around 44,000 after his pocket kings survived a very wet board.

He was up against Diego Rodriguez Hernandez and the pot swelled to over 25,000. The turn had already been dealt so the board read [tc][7c][jd][ts] when Vives checked from the small blind to face a 7,025 bet. He took his time before he called to the [9h] river where both players checked. Vives opened [kc][kh] and took the pot after Hernandez tapped the table and mucked to drop to 29,000. -- MC

2:20pm: Break time
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Three levels down and the players are on their first break of the day. The clock says 260 players have entered so far with 15 of them failing to make the break. Some recent exits include: Gary Bluston, David Teso do Nascimento, Javier Perez Minaya, Dmitrii Nazarov and Dario Nittolo.

That may not be the last we see of these players though as there's a Day 1C flight taking place tomorrow night at 10pm. It's a turbo flight where the levels have been reduced to 20 minutes, and it's only open for those who have already been eliminated on Day 1A or 1B. -- MC

2:15pm: Delgado dented
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Vicente Delgado is off to a flying start here in Marbella as despite just losing a pot against Nikita Dubrovskii he's still got 48,000. 

In the hand in question Delgado opened to 525 from the hijack and called after Dubrovskii had three-bet to 1,350 from the cut-off.

Dubrowskii fired twice at the pot, betting 1,050 on the [2c][3s][Ks] flop and 2,500 on the [6d] turn. Delgado check-called both bets and both players then checked the [Ts] river. Delgado opened [9h][9s] but Dubrovskii had outflopped him with [Kd][Jc]. ---NW

2:05pm: Power poker gone wrong
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Andrey Krupnov made a big play on the flop in a three-way hand. It turned out to be the wrong move though, and he ended up on the rail.

The flop read [td][4c][3d] and Krupnov was first to act and moved all-in for what looked 12,000, around four times the amount of chips in the middle. Noelia Ivars Rico, first cousin of Pokstarsblog.nu blogger Lina Olofsson, was in the next seat and made a reluctant looking fold. Jorge Carvalho wasn't reluctant at all, and snap called with [kd][kc], ahead of Krupnov's [9h][9s].

The board ran out [tc][2h] and it made Rico laugh as she said she folded a ten. The Swedish player has already amassed over 40,000 though, so Day 1A life is still good for her. -- MC

1:35pm: Misclick?
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Fun and games over on table 23 where Angel Martinez open raised to 2,300. That's not a typo. The 11.5 big blind open raised some eyebrows and at least two players at the table had to get confirmation of the raise size before acting. They both folded, as did everyone else. --NW

1:25pm: Good game
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
The tournament board is showing that 226 of 230 entrants remain. The four fallers are: Jose Manuel Nunez Fernandez, Samvel Oganesyan, Igor Pihela and Joey Lovelady. --NW

1:14pm: Garcia squeezes value
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150

Antonio Entrena Garcia almost got three streets of value with pocket kings but a scary river card shut down the action.

Gary Bluston had opened to 375 from second position, and was called by Remy Bruno Cogno in the next seat, before Garcia squeezed to 1,225 from the cutoff. Both opponents called to see a [9d][3s][8d] flop where they checked it over to Cogno. He wasted little time in continuing for 1,550, a bet that was only called by Bluston. He check-called another 2,300 on the [4h] turn before both players checked the [td] river. Bluston opened [ac][9c] and lost out to Garcia's [ks][kh]. --MC

1pm: Holke limps, wins
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150

From early position Tom Holke limped, it folded to Oscar Ingelmo Hernandez, who was on the button, and he bumped it to 375 total. The small blind made the call and so did Holke. 

So three to a flop then and it came [8d][Ac][2d]. Holke led for 675 and Hernandez was the only caller. The [Ad] turn and [5d] river were both checked through and Holke turned over [Qs][Td]. Hernandez smiled and flashed the [9d] as he mucked. --NW

12:50pm: Early happenings, in brief
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150

- Tom Holke's stack has dropped to 21,000 after he seemed to value bet himself on the river. He bet 3,500 with [4d][4h] with a board showing [7s][6d][3d][3s][2s] and was called by a neighbour holding [7d][9h].
- Neil Raine's playing position well early on. Thomas Bingham raised to 325 from the hijack and Raine was the only caller on the button. The flop fanned [9s][6h][7s] and Raine bet 400 when Bingham checked to him. Fold.
- Jan Combes, mother of British pro Charlie Combes and a former ladies champion on the EPT, ran into aces and lost almost a fifth of her stack. "It happens!" she said. --MC

12:35pm: More names
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

The number of runners is going up by the minute and one of Spain's finest players has just taken his seat. Vicente 'vicenfish' Delgado has racked up over $2,300,000 in online cashes and is a constant presence in the online satellites to UKIPT events.

Heinz Traut is also in the field, he was the ESPT Player of the Year in Season 5, in part due to a third place finish in ESPT5 Madrid. So no title for Traut, but one man who does have a ESPT main event title to his name is Nicki Vestergaard. The Dane won in Madrid in Season 6 and is playing today. 

He's one of 180 players who've opted to play Day 1A. -- NW

12:30pm: Who's about?
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

The clock says that 150 are registered for Day 1A so far. With the England vs Wales game scheduled for tomorrow we're expecting a lot of British players here to enter today. Neil Raine, Joey Lovelady, Dan Carter and Seun Oluwole have all taken their seats.

Germany also have their second game tomorrow and Tom Holke - the Eureka5 Hamburg champion - has all the German regalia on his person already. To say he's a proud German is an understatement. -- MC

12:15pm: Dinner cancelled!
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

That headline is a bit misleading to be honest. A 60-minute dinner break was in the schedule for the end of Level 8 but that's been taken out and we'll push n through and finish up around 9:30pm CET. The reason? Euro 2016 of course!

The France vs Albania game kicks off at 9pm and the powers that be want to get those interested in the game out so they can watch the second half. There's four 15-minute breaks in the schedule still and players can order food to the table as well. -- MC

12:05pm: The clock is running
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

Play has started. --NW

11:55am: It's the UKIPT's annual summer holiday
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

Ludovic Geilich, Rodrigo Espinosa, Isidoro Barrena, ?.

Once again the UKIPT and Estrellas poker tours have combined as one to bring you the Marbella Poker Festival. Over the next five days we'll add another name to the list of UKIPT Marbella champions. It's 2-1 to Spain at the moment, can the UK and Ireland find the equaliser?

Follow updates every step of the way right here, via the @UKIPT and @PokerStarsBlog twitter accounts. If Spanish is your bag then you need to head to the Spanish language PokerStars Blog.

Play is due to start at midday. 

Key UKIPT6 Marbella Facts:
- 25,000 starting stack
- Blinds starting at 50/100 for 250 big blinds
- Levels are 45 minutes on Day 1 and they'll be 12 of them. From Day 2 onwards levels increase to 60 minutes. 
- Day 1A is today, Day 1B takes place tomorrow and there's also a turbo Day 1C at 10pm tomorrow. That opening flight is only open to players who've busted on Day 1A or Day 1B.
- The field will then combine for the first time on Friday. We'll reach the money during the eight levels of play on Day 2 and then play down to a final table on Saturday. Sunday is all about the final. Cue mad celebrations and swigging of sangria from the trophy (possibly). 
- Full UKIPT5 Marbella schedule here.

PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at UKIPT6 Marbella: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. Photos by Mickey May and Rene Velli. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog

Everyone likes a good old-fashioned summer holiday, right? Spain has long been a place where the British and Irish descend for their annual time in the sun. Marbella had always been a popular spot and had evolved over the years. Bars showing Only Fools and Horses repeats while serving up a full English/Irish breakfast are slowly being replaced by poolside day clubs serving sushi over ice. One consistent trend over the past few years has been the UKIPT coming out mid June to meet up with its Estrellas cousin, and together they host the PokerStars Marbella festival.

The Main Event kicked off today with Day 1A and attracted 284 players. It played out over twelve 45-minute levels and after all the bagging up took place, Tinlay Tsontu amassed the most chips with 281,800. He's closely followed by Grzegorz Idziak (260,700), Bob Janssens (254,700) and Alexander Voytko (229,100).

The last of these players could actually have ended the day as chip leader but for a controversial last hand of the night. Voytko was forced to pay an opponent almost 60,000 after the dealer accidentally mucked his hand. He had raised and picked up two callers before a player in the blinds squeezed all-in for just under 60,000. Voytko called and that prompted the two callers to fold their hands but the dealer thought all three players had folded and dragged all cards into the muck. It was an extremely unfortunate situation for Voytko but the rules state it's his responsibility to protect his hand even though the dealer made a mistake. It may well have cost him the chips lead but at least he'll be back on Day 2 to fight another day.

Other players though to Day 2 are: Milos Skrbic (218,100), Jon Gonzalez (209,200), Seun Oluwole (201,800), Neil Raine (114,600), Guy Taylor (100,900) and Will Davies (96,200). A total of 70 players made it through to Day, and the full counts can be read here.

Vicente Delgado may now live in the UK but he's still one of Spain's hottest young poker talents and crushed the online satellites leading up to this event. He came 20th in this event two years ago and was looking on course to go deep in this event. He shot to an early chip lead with 80,000 but not long after he was out with Tomasz Wrobel looking like his executioner.

Tom Holke's first ever tournament cash was a win. The colourful player from Hamburg, who's a walking, talking German flag took down the inaugural Eureka in his hometown just over a year ago but he couldn't repeat the same success here. Noelia Ivars Rico and Sabina Hiatullah were two of several females in the field today but suffered bad beats to bust though. Each of them got their stack in good with sets but neither could hold to the river and will be trying their luck in Day 1C tomorrow.

Day 1C tomorrow I hear you ask? Isn't it supposed to be Day 1B tomorrow? Day 1B will play out tomorrow just as Day 1A played out today, but then at 10pm, they'll be a third, turbo flight. It's something that's been tried out on the Eureka Poker tour and proven very popular. It's only open to those who have already busted from either Day 1A or Day 1B, no players will be able to enter it as their first entry. The levels will be 20 minutes long and it should last a little over four hours.

Day 1B will start at midday CET and Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira De Melo will be in the house! She's here with good friend and Spanish star Leo Margets. They'll be joined by the likes of Asif "Poker Tourist" Warris, Dave "I literally won all the buttons last night" Clarkson, Diego "I am a gentleman" Gomez, Chris Dowling, Tudor Purice, Rasmus Agerskov and Kjell Lindqvist.

Join the PokerStars Blog team back here tomorrow where we'll bring you all the major talking points we witness, except when the England vs Wales game in on the TV, then the blog may be a little bit light. Until then it's good night from a baking Spain. Catch up on all today's action by clicking here.

PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at UKIPT6 Marbella: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. Photos by Mickey May and Rene Velli. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog

10:12pm: Play ends for Day 1B
That's all she wrote for Day 1B. Kevin Monroe (321,000) just pipped Albert Sapiano (319,400) for the end of day chip lead. A full wrap of the day's play will be up on the blog shortly. Day 1C is about to get underway and we'll bring you details of how that went tomorrow. --MC

10pm: Last six hands
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Each table will play six more hands before play concludes. --MC

9:45pm: Sapiano vs Ruivo
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Albert Sapiano and Manuel Ruivo played out two pots and both scored a win each.

First of all there was a board that read [6c][9d][ac][js] and Ruvio led into Sapiano for 3,500 only for the latter to shove for an effective 115,000. Ruvio took his time before folding and Sapiano told him he was behind while opening [jh][6h] for two pair.

A couple of hands later, Sapiano limped from the button and called after Ruvio raised to 7,500 from the big blind. The board rolled out [4h][ah][7c][2c][9h] with both players checking until the river where Ruvio bet 3,000. Sapiano open folded [5d][6d] and let out a few expletives about missing his straight. --MC

9:25pm: All-in or pass, sir
Level 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)

Albert Sapiano has a big stack and confusing opponents. Standard.

He and Valeriano Toledano were heads up to a [jd][2c][9h] flop with a pile of chips in the middle. Sapiano check-called 6,000 before leading for 13,500 on the [9c] turn. Toledano looked confused and peered around the dealer to look at at his opponent's stack. Sapiano helped his cause by pushing forward a big pile of 5k chips and adding, "All-in or pass, sir!"

Toledano opted to do the latter and Sapiano dragged in the pot. --MC

9:05pm: It's that time of the night
Level 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)

Normally, at this stage of a Day 1, you see the type of people who can't bear to come back with a short stack and will shove light in an attempt to double. Then there's the other camp that just want to make a Day 2 and see what happens from there. There seems to be a lot more of the former around the room right now as a lot of shoving is taking place. Maybe that's got something to do with the Day 1C turbo that's taking place from 10pm tonight.

Lam Van Trinh opened to 3,600 from under the gun before Francisco Manuel Esteban three-bet all-in for 9,500 from the next seat, and Alen Bakovic did likewise for 18,500 from the cutoff. Trinh folded.

Esteban: [ac][kh]
Bakovic: [ah][jc]

The board ran [kd][3d][3h][jd][2h] and Esteban gave a little fist pump. --MC

8:45pm: Curto gets a double
Level 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)

Fernando Curto really needed to start making waves to avoid being washed up on busted beach. He did and but he can't rest on his laurels as he still has fewer than starting stack.

Jose Antonio Valbuena opened to 3,400 and called after Curto three-bet all-in for 11,500.

Curto: [ad][jh]
Valbuena: [ah][9h]

The board ran [7c][3h][4d][ac][tc] to see Curto's hand hold up. -- MC

8:10pm: Last break of the night
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

The players are taking their last break of the day. Two more levels once they return. --MC

From under-the-gun Janina Burger opened to 3,000 and Mario Navarro then moved all-in for 11,000 total. When it folded back to Burger she quickly called and it was time for showdown:

Burger: [As][Kc]
Navarro: [7s][7d]

The Spaniard was in front with his pair but the [8h][Ah][Qc][9d][2d] board favoured the overpair and Burger is now up to 70,000 as a result. --NW

7:47pm: Dowling's killer downed
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)

Andreas Losche took out Chris Dowling a while back, but couldn't use the Irishman's chips to make Day 2.

According to a couple of players at the table, Dowling flopped two-pair with A-J and got it in versus Losche who had a dominating ace with A-Q but only one pair. One pair until the river that was, where a queen appeared to hand him the pot and the scalp.

Losche's exit hand was almost identical, minus the rescue river card. A player on the button raised to 2,500 before Rui Manuel Esteves three-bet to 5,600 from the small blind. Losche called from the big blind but the players on the button didn't fancy it and folded.

The flop fanned [qh][js][3d] and Esteves continued for 8,000 and watched as Losche quickly moved all-in for 41,900. Esteves took his time and made the call with [qd][jc] for top two pair. Losche opened [ks][qs] but couldn't catch up on the [8c][as] turn and river. --MC

7:30pm: Sapiano shoves on Gomez
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

There are still two tables left in play down in La Caseta and Albert Sapiano is at one of those. I arrived at the table to see him all-in for 51,200 on the turn of a [5c][7h][As][4d]. There was about 26,000 in the pot and Diego Gomez was the man with the decision.

He'd stacked up the chips to call and had about 8,000 spare should he call and lose. He tanked and tanked and eventually the clock was called on the Spaniard. The clock didn't reach zero as Gomez folded [Ah][Kc] face-up. "That's a bad fold," said Sapiano, who showed [Ad][8h] as he took the pot. --NW

7:25pm: Check you later
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

The price of poker is going up and there's no room for the chip-less. Say goodbye to: Martin Ilavsky, Adrian Garcia, Jonas Palsgard Christensen, Piotr Kuszczak, Abdelkader Medjahed, Maria Margarida Duarte de Miranda, Robert Grigore, Antonio Battaglia, Felipe Boianovsky, Bret Gross, Victor Herrezuelo, Francisco Javier Herraez, Angel Luis Lopez, Oscar Garcia, Alejandro Casamajor, Borja Teruel, Gil Thierry, Abraham Serrano, Domenico Laebate, David Clarkson, Ricardo Jimeno Dominguez, Franklin Nurmohamed, Antonio Jimenez Castilla, Manuel Antoni Delgado, Gareth Hamilton, Nuno Moser Mantero, Daniel Garcia, Gerry Lillie, Ivan Dias, Anaras Alekberovas, Michael Sklenicka, David Farkas and Jonas Rodriguez Leiva. --MC

7:20pm: The numbers are in
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

We've just had confirmation of the number of runners for Day 1B and can tell you that 409 is the magic number. Add them to the 284 who played Day 1A and you get 693. Tournament staff say they expect somewhere around 100 players to enter the Day 1C turbo flight that starts at 10pm tonight so the total field will likely be around 800. --NW

7:15pm: Top 5 counts from the break
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

Javier Monso, 165,000
Francisco Javier Minguez, 162,500
Simon Perez, 134,000
Roberto Alcala, 130,000
Mladen Ivanov, 128,500
--MC

7:10pm: Mitchell mops up some chips
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

James Mitchell is one of the most experienced players in the field and the Irish Open champion is up to 60,000 after winning a blind on blind hand against Omar Pedro Oyhenart. 
When the action folded to Mitchell he raised to 2,500 and Oyhenart took a couple of looks at his cards before calling.

On the [Qs][4s][Kd] flop Mitchell gave up the betting lead, check-calling 3,500. The pattern repeated itself on the [2c] turn. This time Oyhenart fired out 6,800 and again Mitchell called. On the [Tc] river both players checked and Mitchell's [Qd][8c] took the pot. After that hand Oyehnart drops to 32,000. --NW

7pm: Just one player to get through...damn
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)

Alan Grace was short (9,400) and made his move from early position. One-by-one they folded and he only had to get through one player. Vytautas Aganauskas was in the big blind, looked down at his hand, and made the call.

Grace: [kd][jh]
Aganauskas: [ac][tc]

The board ran [7s][4c][ah][2s][td] to make the Lithuanian two-pair and send Mr Grace to the rail. --MC

6:32pm: Break it up in there!
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

Everyone take 15 minutes and come back for level 9. -- MC

6:30pm: Fatima the thinker
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

The Thinker is a famous bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin where a nude male sits on a rock with a chin resting on one hand as though deep in thought. Fatima Moreira De Melo mirrored this pose in a hand just now, and is also a little bronze from her time in the sun, but the Dutch star definitely has more clothes on.

Whether or not the pose helped her think more deeply in a hand versus a Spanish opponent is up for debate but either way, she won the hand with some aggression. He's raised to 1,700 from under the gun and Moreira De Melo was the only caller to a [ts][9s][2d] flop. He continued for 2,600 and called when raised to 7,000. The turn was the [td] and a 11,500 bet from Moreira De Melo was enough to win the pot. Her stack grew to around 49,000. --MC

6:25pm: Out
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

It's not been a good day for: Jorge Alexandre Rodrigues De Oliveira, David Rodriguez, David Gutierrez, Joaquim Cardoso, Angel Manuel Vidal, Lars Moller, Luis Fernandez Pacheco, Vladimir Ovshinov, Robert Grant, Elliot Sorsky, Yeray Mateos and Joan Antoni Sanchez. 

It could get better though if they elect to hop into the turbo Day 1C that starts at 10pm. --NW

6:10pm: Margets makes the right fold
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

From early position Marc Coch shoved for just under 10,000 and it folded to Leo Margets, who was on the button. She asked for a count and then tanked for a while before folding. The blinds followed suit and Coch showed pocket aces as he took the pot. 

Margets has around 32,000 at the moment. --NW

6:03pm: Playing Cody's hand is dangerous when your name isn't Cody
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)

"That's what you get for raising with 10-4!" said Alan Horsburgh after he doubled up Said Nadjem.

He raised from middle position and Nadjem defended his big blind before the chips went in on a [3d][th][4h] flop. Nadjem was the all-in player with 13,450.

Horsburgh: [ts][4s] for top two pair.
Nadjem: [4h][4c] for middle set.

The board ran out [6s][js] and Nadjem secured the double. -MC

5:45pm: Big hand vs big hand
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

From late position Alan Horsburgh opened to 1,600, Mohamed Mamouni raised it up to 5,000 on the button only for Vytautas Pakauskas to shove for 9,800 total. 

Back on Horsburgh he let his hand go but Mamouni called off the extra and showed pocket queens. It was a fine hand but he was behind as Pakauskas had [As][Ah]. The [7h][Ac][6h][9c][Jc] board meant Pakauskas more than doubled.

"I had two clubs," said Horsburgh after the hand had finished. --NW

5:40pm: Chip leaders from La Caseta
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

There are some big stacks being built down to La Caseta (the booth) and there are still 11 tables full of players in the overspill room. Those listed below have all had a good start to the tournament:

Manuel Leal Borges, 122,500
Rastislav Paleta, 103,000
Ambrose Travers, 102,000
Jonathan Spaeren, 92,000
Gianluca Speranza, 74,000
Jesper Rasmussen, 67,000
Niko Koop, 61,000

5:33pm: Great spots can end in defeat
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

"What a spot!" said Fatima Moreira De Melo after she folded in a hand where Mario Navarro squeezed all-in with kings, and got called by ace-king. He was in great shape to double but ended up busting.

Moreira De Melo opened to 1,600 from middle position and was called in two spots before Navarro squeezed all-in for 10,625 from the big blind. Moreira De Melo tank folded to allow Jokin Cendoya to move all-in behind. The other player folded.

Navarro: [kd][kh]
Cendoya: [as][kc]

The board ran [8d][2c][jh][ts][qh] to make Cendoya broadway. Navarro took the defeat like a champ, and shook some of his tablemates' hands before making his exit. --MC

5:20pm: Exits
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)

What goes up must come down and so whilst the blinds go up the number of players left in goes down. Among the latest batch of players to feel the hangman's noose around their tournament life are: Jose Pedro Barragan, Ad Beukers, Marius Vik Enebakk, Dmitrii Sukhorukov, Alexander Zeligman, Javier Mauleon, Renee Xie, Fabio Cortes, Ahmad Samir Timuri, Iker Arancegui, David Pollock, Arkaitz Lozano, Abdelmajid Chiboub, David Gonzalez, Edoardo Scimia and Tarek Bouchama. --NW

5pm: A victory for England('s Mitchell)
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

We had to get this is the blog somewhere!

James Mitchell raised to 1,100 from the hijack and was called in three spots en route to a [3d][7s][9h] flop. He continued for 2,800 and was only check-called by the small blind, who gave up on the [ks] turn when Mitchell barrelled for another 5,400. He moved up to a little less than 50,000.

The game's over now, so we'll get back to some proper blogging. --MC

4:45pm: Soccer or football the game is the same
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

There are a few football shirts dotted around the room today. I've noticed at least one Germany shirt, but there's also a Bayern Munich shirt. Strangely enough it belongs to a Dutchman.

The man in question is Jeffrey Brouwer, who has a decent record in Marbella at this tournament. He finished seventh here last year and is looking to make the final table again. -- NW

4:35pm: Double up for Winterberg
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

Wth about 10,000 in the pot Floyd Winterberg open shoved for 8,650 on a [Qc][Qs][Kc] flop, his opponent looked him up and was first to show, opening [9c][9s]. Winterberg was ahead with [Ks][Js] and held on the [3c] turn and [7h] river. --NW

4:27pm: The 400 club?
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

With late registration still open for another 30 minutes we're getting really close to 400 runners for the day. Currently 330 of 390 remain and the average stack is 29,545. --NW

4:18pm: Play resumes without the following
Level 6 - Blinds 250/500 (50 ante)

Enrique Gonzalez, Fokke Beukers, Javier Baeza, Javier Barabino, Zeljko Adzaga, Jean Baptiste Lagier, Victor Eugenio Gil Den-Houting, Antonis Poulengeris, Monteiro Correia Jelcides Patrick, Jesper Rasmussen, Ana Marquez, Tomas Nasarre, Gonzalo David Louro,
Adrian Tivadar, Imanol Cabello and Borja Rilo. -- MC

4:05pm: Break time
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)
Time for a another break. --MC

4pm: Serrano singing a happy tune
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

Abraham Serrano had just called an all-in bet of 10,300 and was busy signing to himself "la,la, la, la, la," was his chosen ditty. The original raiser had just 1,200 in the pot at this juncture and be it the confidence Serrano was exuding, or his own hand strength, he elected to fold.

The reason for Serrano's confident exterior was soon clear as he turned over [Ks][Kd] and was ahead of his opponent's [Ac][Jc]. A [6s][3c][Kc] flop was an eventful one, but the set of cowboys held up on the [Js] turn and [2h] river. 

After that hand Serrano is up to 56,000. --NW

3:56pm: Chips from the main room
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

Joe Hindry, 26,000
Francisco Javier Herraez, 28,500
Gareth De Groot, 34,500
Kevin Whelan, 55,000
Mateusz Moolhuizen, 23,000
Leo Margets, 34,000
Fatima Moreira De Melo, 33,000
Chris Dowling, 35,000
Kjell Lindqvist, 8,000
James Mitchell, 41,000
David Clarkson, 27,000
Anaras Alekberovas, 46,000
--MC

3:45pm: Chip counts from La Caseta
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

All the tables in La Caseta - bar one - are in use and there's a few names and notables dotted around the 17 tables, including:

Tudor Purice, 56,000
Albert Sapiano, 40,000
Diego Gomez, 38,500
Ben Warrington, 30,000
David Susigan, 24,500
Antonis Poulengeris, 7,700

3:30pm: Still time to play
Level 5 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)

There's still plenty of time to register this tournament as late registration is open until the end of level six. That's roughly 5pm CET. --NW

3:20pm: Big stacks
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

By this time yesterday Vinente Delgado had amassed a stack of 80,000. No one's reached those heights so far today - that we've seen anyway - but there are some impressive stacks being built.

Mladen Ivanov is up to 59,000, Andrew Wool has 48,000 and Oyvind Lundby is up to 52,000. The Norwegian climbed to that lofty perch after winning a pot against Renee Xie. She bet 2,600 on the river of a [5c][Kh][7c][6c][8s] board and Lundby tank called. Xie mucked her hand and Lundby took the pot without showdown. --NW

3:10pm: Baby flush works for Margets
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

Leo Margets' stack has grown to 39,500 after she made a baby flush in a three-way pot.

Manuel Coronado opened the pot with a raise to 650 from middle position and was called by both blinds. All three checked the [5d][qs][6d] flop before Margets led for 1,400 on the [7d] turn. Only Coronado called to the [8d] river where both players checked. Margets opened [3d][2d] and her opponent mucked. --MC

2:55pm: Free to watch England v Wales game
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

We're not going to lie, the PokerStars Blog is very jealous of anyone who's reading this whilst they've got the other eye firmly fixed on the England v Wales match. A few players who'd hoped to be playing poker during the big match are, instead, free to watch it as they've busted out early on Day 1B. 

Currently warming the bench waiting for Day 1C to start at 10pm are: Juan Rosello, Andelfo Martinez, Xoan Mourino, Jose Luis Perez, Jorge Ruiz and Kuljinder Sidhu. --NW

2:50pm: Chris "The blogger" Dowling
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

"Where are you watching the game?" asked Chris Dowling while we were by his table. We responded by saying on a laptop or a nearby screen and then apologised if the blog was a little light on content for a couple of hours.

The conversation paused while Dowling raised to 725 from the cutoff, an amount called by Sebastian Perez (button) and Ezequiel Macho (big blind). All three checked the [9d][4d][8d] flop before Macho led for 1,250 on the [8h] turn. Only Dowling called to the [as] river where he called another 2,550. Macho mucked and Dowling took the pot without having to show, to move up to around 36,000.

Dowling then said he wouldn't mind sending the blog hand updates while the game is on. The Day 1C turbo is being trialled later, so trialling a "Do it yourself" blog today is only staying on trend! -- MC

2:35pm: Curtains for Molloy
Level 4 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)

In a blind on blind battle Rossa Molloy got his final 9,800 in the middle holding [Ac][Qd] but was in rough shape against Inaki Barreiro's [Ad][Kd]. The [Ah][Kh][Tc] flop actually gave him more outs as he now had four to make broadway. The [7h] turn and [2c] river missed him though and he exited the tournament.

Barreiro is up to 35,000 after winning that pot. --NW

2:18pm: Break time
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

The players are on their first break of the day. --MC

2:17pm: Whelan paired with Moolhuizen
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Kevin Whelan has enjoyed a little success on the UKIPT with a couple of cashes on the tour in the last 14 months. That deep run still eludes him but he's up to 38,000 already today, so maybe this is the event. He's drawn at table one, a few seats to the right of Dutch pro Mateusz Moolhuizen, who's won over $700k in his career and came 27th here last year.

Whelan will be out of position a lot to Moolhuizen, except when the latter is in the blinds. Whelan raised from the cutoff and was called by Gioele Maruccia on the button and Moolhuizen in the big blind. The flop fanned [9s][6d][2h] and a 1,100 c-bet from Whelan was enough to win another pot. Moolhuizen dropped slightly to 22,500. --MC

2:05pm: Early exits
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

A trio of bustouts to tell you about as Dinh Doat Le, Tomas Kozlovas and Paul Keenan have all lost their stack. They can of course try again in tonight's turbo Day 1C which starts at 10pm. --NW

2pm: Dowling hoping for luck of the Irish
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

There are now an estimated 370 players in the field today and one of the newcomers is tour regular Chris Dowling. The Irishman has played the tour since Season 1 and has three final tables to his name. 

Poker's not the only thing on his mind though, he's got football on the brain too: "I'm heading to France next week to watch Ireland play Italy," he told me. That game takes place Wednesday evening so should he reach the business end of this tournament he'll have a pretty tight turnaround to make it to Lille. It'll be a nice problem to have though. --NW

1:50pm: Kings for Kjell
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Kjell Lindqvist is off to a good start here in Marbella as the Swedish player just claimed the scalp of Juan Antonio Maza . The Spaniard was down to around 9,000 and got the last of his chips in with pocket queens. Unfortunately for him Lindqvist had pocket kings and the cowboys held up to send Maza tumbling out. --NW

1:40pm: Purice looking for a National Tour full house; Sweden looking to stop the rot
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)

Diego Gomez has position on Tudor Purice, and as the two most notable players at their table, that could be key factor in their successes today. Gomez just raised Purice's big blind from early position. The latter called but made a frustrated looking check-fold post flop. Purice made a FPS and an IPT final table this year so will add a UKIPT and ESPT to that list of achievements if he makes Sunday's final.

A couple of tables over you'll find Craig Sweden. The London-based player had lost a chunk of his stack so was happy to win a pot. He and an opponent made the river of a hand with over 3,000 sat in the middle. The board read [9s][as][8h][th][ah] and Sweden led for 1,900 from the big blind. His opponent was in the cutoff and asked about much Sweden had behind, then folded once he heard it was 13,000. --MC

1:20pm: Sapiano ships it
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150

Whilst many players don't like playing big pots in the opening levels of a tournament, Albert Sapiano has no such fear. He's not afraid to get his chips across the line in the early stages and I just saw him shove on a couple of players who've clearly never played against him before.

There was a [4h][2d][5d] flop on the felt and a bet and call of 1,200 in front of his two foes. Sapiano wasn't mucking, or indeed mucking about as he shoved his stack of around 28,000 across the line. It did the trick and he's up to 32,000 now. --NW

1:10pm: Opposites attract
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150

Fatima Moreira De Melo and Leo Margets, as we mentioned before, travelled to the PokerStars Marbella Festival together, and are renting an apartment nearby. They've been sat at adjacent tables so can chat away all day.

When this was mentioned to Moreira De Melo she said, "Probably not actually, as she (points to Margets) likes to stay quiet and focus, whereas I like to chat!"

That response sparked a conversation about how they are opposites who fill in each other's gaps. One is light, the other is dark; one is chatty, the other is quiet; one can be cheeky, the other polite; and one likes to run whereas the other one did enough of that when she was a professional athlete.

"I get people to run around for me these days!" said a laughing Moreira De Melo. "And make breakfast for me, like Leo did this morning, after her run of course." --MC

12:50pm: Hindry hunting a trophy
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150

If Joe Hindry is still in this tournament on Sunday then they young Englishman will have made back to back UKIPT final tables. In April he finished third in London, which was good for £37,110. Whilst he might have missed out on a trophy there he should be leaving Marbella with a 'spadie' regardless of what happens at the poker tables.

In Season 5 we held a beer pong tournament in Bristol and Hindry, who was partnered by Neil Raine, shot their way to victory. Raine, who is an accomplished table tennis player, is also in Marbella and the pair are hoping to receive their trophies here. Raine is safely through to Day 2 having played yesterday. --NW

12:35pm: Main room sightings
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

Dave Clarkson took down the Win the Button tournament the other night and he's hoping to carry on that good form in the Main Event. He got off to a good start by winning a small pot off an opponent.

He was in the big blind and called a raise to 250 to head to a [2s][2c][7c] flop. He check-called 500 before both players checked the [ah] turn. The board completed with the [4d] and Clarskon led for 2,500. Fold.

Clarkson's in the main tournament room with the aforementioned Fatima Moreira De Melo and Leo Margets. They're sat very close to each other so expect lots of chatter in that corner of the room!

Other players spotted so far include: James Mitchell, Kjell Lindqvist, Renee Xsie, and local pro Ana Marquez. -- MC

12:20pm: Down in the booth
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

Today play is spread over two rooms with 'La Caseta' aka The Booth, which is normally used for side events, pressed into use for the main event. There's currently 15 tables in use down there with another three ready to go should they be needed. 

There's a calming feel to La Caseta, it feels a bit like you're playing poker in a big Spanish villa. Among those trying to feel at home in this tournament in that environ are: Rasmus Agerskov, Tudor Purice, Albert Sapiano, Craig Sweden, Diego Gomez and Asif Warris.

12:03pm: Shuffle up and deal
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

Cards are in the air for Day 1B. --MC

11:50am: Welcome back for Day 1B
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100

Yesterday was so much fun, let's do it all over again. Actually, let's do it twice today. It was trailed on the Eureka Poker Tour and now it's come to the UKIPT/ESPT. There is a Day 1C Turbo flight taking place later tonight that offers players a second chance to make Day 2, only open to players who busted on Day 1A yesterday, or Day 1B today. That's for later though, there's the little matter of Day 1B to take care of first.

Cards will be in the air at midday CET and more than 300 players are expected to through the doors of Casino Marbella. It may be the Spanish summer but no shorts in here please. Don't worry, they've got you covered with air conditioning.

One of the players taking centre stage today will be Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira De Melo. It one of her favorite stops of the year and she's dragged Leo Margets along with her. We'll bring you news of all the other notables once play is underway. --MC

Key UKIPT6 Marbella Facts:
- 25,000 starting stack
- Blinds starting at 50/100 for 250 big blinds
- Levels are 45 minutes on Day 1 and they'll be 12 of them. From Day 2 onwards levels increase to 60 minutes. 
- Day 1A was yesterday (read about it here), Day 1B takes place today and there's also a turbo Day 1C at 10pm tonight. That opening flight is only open to players who've busted on Day 1A or Day 1B.
- The field will then combine for the first time on Friday. We'll reach the money during the eight levels of play on Day 2 and then play down to a final table on Saturday. Sunday is all about the final. Cue mad celebrations and swigging of sangria from the trophy (possibly). 
- Full UKIPT5 Marbella schedule here.

PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at UKIPT6 Marbella: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. Photos by Mickey May and Rene Velli. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog

Who needs sand, sunshine and sangria when you've got cards, chips and a chair? Not 409 poker players from around the world who all took part in the second of three starting flights of UKIPT Marbella.

A total of 39 countries were represented today and whilst the UK, Ireland and Spain accounted for 249 of their number there were players from as far afield as Algeria and Uruguay at the felt today. When the allotted dozen 45-minute levels had been played it was the karaoke king Kevin Monroe who claimed the chip lead.

The Irishman enjoyed a incredible day running up his starting stack of 25,000 to a bag busting 321,000 by the time the final whistle blew. 

Just like in the England v Wales game it was a close run contest right up until the end of play. Just pipped into second was Albert Sapiano who finished the day on 319,400. "I got lucky a couple of times," was his deadpan response to his day at the tables. A raft of other players increased their stack handsomely with David Greene (237,700), James Mitchell (224,600) and June Edwards (213,400) all well placed to make a deep run at the money.

Speaking of which, at this point we've usually got the prize pool information, total number of runners and the overnight seat draw to hand. But, for the first time on a UKIPT we're trialling something that's worked well on other PokerStars tours, a turbo Day 1C. It's a flight that's only open to anyone who busted Day 1A or Day 1B and won't wrap up until around 2.30am CET. 
 
As a result we can't bring you the Day 2 seat draw just yet, but keep an eye on the @UKIPT and @PokerStarsBlog twitter accounts for that information, which will be available before play starts tomorrow. You can see the chip counts of the 182 survivors from the opening two flights here.

One player who'll almost certainly play Day 1C is Team PokerStars SportsStars Fatima Moreira de Melo. She got as high as 49,000 at one point today but the blinds and antes began to eat away at her stack and she exited three quarters of the way through the day.

Other familiar faces who may well be back for Day 1C include: Kuljinder Sidhu, Renee Xie, Chris Dowling, Mateusz Moolhuizen and David Clarkson. That talented quintet all tried and failed on the first attempt today.

Whilst some of the big names faltered they'll be plenty of notables in the Day 2 seat draw tomorrow all looking to get themselves a Spanish Flag. The assorted talents of: Diego Gomez (150,200), Lam Trinh (122,300), Kjell Lindqvist (72,500) and Niko Koop (65,000) will return tomorrow.

Also through is De Melo's best bud, Leo Margets. The two were seated at adjacent tables at the start of the day and that made for a jovial atmosphere in their part of the room. Margets will return tomorrow with a stack of 43,200 and work to do.

You can catch up on all the Day 1B action here, Day 2 starts at noon tomorrow and that's when we'll pick up the action again. We'll bring you a brief overview of what happened during the turbo Day 1C as Day 2 kicks off. But for now, goodnight from Marbella.

PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at UKIPT6 Marbella: Marc Convey and Nick Wright. Photos by Mickey May and Rene Velli. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog 

* CLICK TO REFRESH FOR LATEST UPDATES
* Largest UKIPT Marbella main event in history with 844 runners
* Day 2 is over, Day 3 starts Saturday at noon CET
* We're in the money! 55 of 844 players remain
* CLICK FOR START OF DAY 3 CHIP COUNTS
* CLICK FOR DAY 3 SEAT DRAW
* CLICK FOR PRIZE POOL INFORMATION

8:05pm: Let bagging and tagging commence
Level 19 - Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000 ante)

Play is done. Rodrigo Strong is the chip leader, he tops the (approx) 55 survivors. They'll be a full recap of the day's play shortly.

A reminder that the players' party starts at 8.30pm and they'll be a big screen showing the Spain v Turkey game. --NW

7:50pm: Last three hands
Level 19 - Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000 ante)

The clock has been paused and players will play three more hands before they're done for the day. --NW

7:45pm: Strong finish from Rodrigo
Level 19 - Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000 ante)

Rodrigo Strong won an LAPT title in Chile earlier this year and he's on track to take down a ESPT/UKIPT title here in Marbella as he just won two big pots to vault into the chip lead.

In the first he shoved for 323,000 on the river of a [2c][Ts][2d][5c][4d] board and Darren Millar was the man with the decision. There was a similar amount already in the pot and eventually Millar elected to call.

Strong showed [Jc][Js] and a frustrated Millar opened [Ac][Td]. As Strong was still stacking chips he won another big pot against Jose Luis Gonzalez. With those back to back pots it's likely he'll finish the day as chip leader. --NW

7:30pm: More for Gilmore
Level 19 - Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000 ante)

Alan Gilmore just doubled through Pascal Hocquard in a premium hand v premium hand clash. Gilmore three-bet all-in for 128,000 with [Ks][Kh] and Hocquard, who was the original raiser, called with [Jd][Jc].

A [Ad][9d][3h][4c][Qh] board kept the cowboys ahead and left Hocquard with just 1.5 big blinds. --NW

7:15pm: So long to the pink chips
Level 19 - Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000 ante)

Not much to report in the last 15 minutes. The most significant action has been the big stack at each table buying the 500 denomination chips and tournament staff chipping them up as the pink chips are no longer needed now the ante has risen to 1,000. --NW

7:05pm: Chip leaders
Level 19 - Blinds 5,000/10,000 (1,000 ante)

As the last level of the night begins the players below are in possession of the biggest stacks in the room. 66 players remain in contention and the average stack is a shade under 320,000.

Nikola Ristivojevic - 930,000
Javier Zufia - 830,000
Albert Sapiano - 825,000
Marko Simic - 800,000
David Greene - 630,000
Michael Ozimek - 610,000
Lucas Blanco -  550,000

6:53pm: Mejias soundly beaten
Level 18 - Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante)

It's never nice to call all-in and then see you're already drawing dead. Just ask Julio Mejias. 

He and Marko Simic  made it to the turn with a board reading [8c][7d][kc][8d] and a big pile of 5k chips in the middle. Mejias checked from the small blind to see his big-stacked opponent set him in for his last 70,000. The Spaniard tanked and then called off with [9c][6c] for an open-ended straight and flush draw. Simic already had a boat with [7h][8h] and took the scalp to jump to over half a million in chips. -- MC

6:40pm: Kubaliak double dents Schuman
Level 18 - Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante)

From early position Tomas Kubaliak shoved all-in for 88,000 and after getting a count of the shove Jonathan Schuman re-raised all-in for just over 100,000. Everyone else folded:

Kubaliak: [Kh][Qd]
Schuman: [7d][7s]

The [8s][Ts][As][Kd][Ah] board was a fun one to sweat (if you weren't in the hand) but when all was said and done Kubaliak doubled to about 200,000 whilst Schuman was left with just a couple of big blinds. --NW

6:30pm: Happy ending for Liperis
Level 18 - Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante)

From early position Pablo Rojas raised it up to 19,000 only for Yannis Liperis to re-raise all-in for 127,500 total. Rojas got a count but Liperis thought the dealer had miscounted his stack. "I thought I had about 140,000," he said to the dealer, who recounted his stack and verified it was 127,500.

"I don't like it," said Rojas who mulled over the decision for a minute or so before folding [9d][9s] face-up. Liperis showed pocket eights and Rojas said: "I thought with your actions you were making a movie."

Hollywood or not, Liperis took the pot. --NW

6:24pm: Carole sings her last song
Level 18 - Blinds 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante)

Carole Segoura found a lovely hand to get her short stack, and there was even some dead money in the pot too, but not much you can do if someone wakes up with aces behind you.

After an accidental limp under the gun, Segoura pushed with [ah][kh] from the cutoff. Olov Jansson found [ad][as] in the small blind and made the call before surviving a [7c][tc][7h][5d][kd] board. -- MC

6:05pm: Liperis wins three-way pot
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

Yannis Liperis allowed a wry smile to cross his face as he collected a pot that saw him go from 58,000 to around 165,000. In the hand in question Jose Luis Gonzalez opened to 13,000, Liperis shoved for 58,000, Manuel Leal Borges moved all-in for 38,000 total and when it folded back round to Gonzalez he too made the call.

Liperis: [Ad][Jc]
Borges: [Th][Tc]
Gonzalez: [As][Qh]

Liperis was drawing thin but connected best with the [8s][Jd][3s][8d][5c] board to eliminate Borges and all but triple his stack. --NW

6pm: Why does it always Raine on Xie and Margets?
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

While Neil Raine was making moves in a hand on one side of the room, Renee Xie and Leo Margets were busting in other parts of the room.

Raine raised to 13,000 from the cutoff and LAPT9 Chile champion Rodrigo Strong defended his big blind to see a [th][ah][6c] flop where both players checked. The turn was the [5h] and Strong led for 17,000. Raine raised to 50,000 but snap folded when Strong moved all-in.

No details on Margets' exit but Xie told the Blog that she busted blind on blind. Her opponent shoved into her with K-7 and she called all-in with A-7 but could'nt avoid a king. --MC

5:50pm: Assorted chip counts
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

We're down to 94 players in the main event and the average stack is 225,000. Among those 94 players you'll find:

Albert Sapiano - 780,000
Alexander Voytko - 620,000
David Greene - 490,000
Tinlay Tsontu - 420,000
Neil Raine - 360,000
Kjell Lindqvist - 272,000
Leo Margets - 200,000
Bob Janssens - 180,000
Yannis Liperis - 160,000
Diego Gomez - 155,000
Will Davies - 145,000
James Mitchell - 132,000
Rasmus Agerskov - 120,000
Kevin Monroe - 105,000
June Jenkins - 95,000
Renee Xie - 40,000

5:47pm: Agerskov doubles
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

Rasmus Agerskov and Henrique Silva have been enjoying a lot of light-hearted banter today. Maybe a little too much as both got short and had to make moves. The latter shoved into the former's big blind who made the call all-in for 57,000.

Silva: [ah][8c]
Agerskov: [ad][jc]

The board ran [kc][tc][qd][ac][8s]. Lovely flop for the Dane and he avoided the turned flush draw to double.

Sliva was only left with a few thousand and he called all-in with [qh][td] the very next hand after an under-the-gun raise. His opponent had him crushed with pocket kings but it was Silva's turn to flop a straight as the board ran [as][js][kd][6c][9h]. --MC

5:32pm: Halvorsen flushed away
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

Morten Halvorsen got his chips in ahead but an opponent flopped him dead, meaning the Norwegian just missed out on the top 100.

Theodore Vives raised from under the gun and then called after Halvosen moved all-in for around 60,000 from the small blind.

Halvorsen: [ac][7c]
Vives: [qh][jh]

The board ran [kh][2h][4h][7d][8s] and Vives moved up to 242,000. --MC

5:25pm: Top ten stacks
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

Below are the top ten chip stacks as of the start of the level. David Greene leads the way, with Albert Sapiano in second place. You can see more selected chip counts here. 

5:10pm: Action galore
Level 17 - Blinds 3,000/6,000 (1,000 ante)

One expected a lot action this level after the protracted bubble period before the break. There are cries of all-in and calls from all around the room.

One of the players to double was Pablo Martinez, who was down to ten big blinds when he shoved from the cutoff. Yannis Liperis was in the big blind and made the call.

Liperis: [5h][5c]
Martinez: [js][jc]

The board ran [8d][th][8s][qh][js]. -- MC

4:47pm: Break time
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

The players are now on a 15 minute break. --NW

4:46pm: The double ups continue
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

The bubble may have burst but the double ups continue, today is a good day to be a shortstack.

First to double up was Tamas Konya, he shoved with pocket tens and was in bad shape against the pocket queeens of Pablo Rojas. But the [Tc][Jd][5h][Jh][3d] board favoured Konya. He's up to around 160,000 whilst Rojas in down to 72,000.

Then Bonifacio Martine Gonzalez got his final 30,000 in holding [Jc][Th] and got there against Milos Skrbic's [Kc][Qd] as the board ran [6s][Tc][6c][Td][8c]. --NW

4:45pm: Davide Ferrari bubble the PokerStars Marbella Festival
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

After such a long bubble period there's certain level of irony that a player called Davide Ferrari is the last player to leave with nothing.

He and Neil Raine were heads up to the turn where the board read [as][qc][jc][td]. Ferrari led for 17,000 and then called all-in for around 120,000 after Raine shoved from the hijack.

Ferrari: [kd][qh] for the straight.
Raine: [ac][kc] for the same straight, but with a flush redraw.

Raine was freerolling and the flush duly came in on the [7c] river. Raine moved up to 280,000. --MC

4:35pm: Up to 11 bubble doubles
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

More doubles than a darts match now in Marbella as Rui Manuel Esteves Das Dores just became the 11th player to find a double during hand for hand play.

He shoved for 60,500 on the river of a [6s][Jc][Td][9d][6h] board and Stanislav Koleno tank called. Esteves Das Dores showed [Tc][Ts] for the flopped set and Koleno could only muster [Js][7h]. He drops to 120,000. --NW

4:30pm: Closing in on some kind of record
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

There have been longer bubbles on the UKIPT/ESPT for sure but it's hard to remember there ever being so many double ups. Another hand saw two more of them.

James Mitchell thought he'd made lots more friends when he flopped a set versus Miguel Riera but the latter turned a bigger set. Mitchell had opened to 10,500 and called the shove worth 59,000.

Mitchell: [4d][4s]
Riera: [kd][kh]

The board ran [4c][9c][5h][kc][ah] to make both players sets. Mitchell could only smile while Spanish players celebrated around him. --MC

4:20pm: Another hand and another double up
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

Vicente Delgado just played sherif, but it was he who was bang to rights.

I picked up the action on the river of a [6s][9s][5d][As][3c] board. There was already 250,000 in the pot and Milos Skrbic had shoved for 193,000 total. Delgado was in the tank, and counted out the chips from his stack. He had 223,000 in total and eventually settled on a call.

Skrbic quickly showed [Ks][8s] for the nut flush and Delgado was forced to show [8d][8c]. He's now short on chips. -- NW

4:10pm: When will it end?
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

This is starting to go on a bit. One more hand, two all-ins, and two double ups.

Leo Margets doubled Davide Sergio when her top pair was no match for the latter's turned straight and Jorn Mikkelsen somehow found a way to double through Angel Martinez.

Mikkelsen: [as][qc]
Marinez: [jh][js]

While waiting for other hands to finish, Mikkelsen found out from his tablemate's that most of the aces and queens were not left in the deck but the [4s][6c][2c][3c][jc] deck four flushed him to keep him alive. --MC

3:55pm: It's raining double ups
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

The fourth hand of the bubble period had nothing on the fifth and there were two more double ups.

First Miguel Riera doubled through Will Davies, with pocket tens against pocket nines. The Spaniard's shove was for 29,000.

Then it was Mathijs Janssen's turn. He'd shoved for 27,000 with [As][Ad] and was up against Morten Halvorsen's [9d][8c]. When it came to the reveal Janseen slammed his aces on teh felt and said: "I told you I had the best hand, I've got the aces."

Many have angered the Poker Gods by celebrating early but the [Jh][4s][5s][Jc][2c] board meant Halvorsen survived to fight another day.

On the sixth hand of bubble play Peter Zandee found a double. He'd jammed for 47,000 from the small blind with [Ac][7s] and Jesper Rasmussen made the call with pocket fives. A seven on the river meant Zandee doubled and hand for hand play continues. --NW

3:50pm: Another double
Level 16 - Blinds 2,500/5,000 (500 ante)

The fourth hand of the bubble period brought another double up, this time for Mats Jungsand.

He and Remigiusz Wyrzykiewicz took to a [ad][td][ks] flop where Jungsand led for 8,000. Call. The turn was the [8s] and Jungsand moved all-in for 57,500. Wyrzykiewicz asked for a count and then called with [ac][8c] for a turned two pair. Jungsand was in trouble with [ah][qh] but the [jh] came to his rescue and made him a straight. -- MC

3:35pm: Marin doubles on the bubble
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

On the third hand of hand for hand play we had the first all-in and call. Pre-flop Nikola Ristivojevic - who had about 420,000 - raised to 12,000 and Carlos Manuel Marin, who had just 53,000 flat called from the big blind.

On the [Tc][Jh][Ac] flop Marin led for 15,000, Ristivojevic set him in and, after about 20 seconds, Marin called all-in for 41,000 total. There then followed a long wait for all the other hands to be finished - during which the blinds went up to 2,500/5,000 (500 ante) - before the cards could be revealed.

When they were turned over Ristivojevic revealed [Kh][3h] whilst Marin held [Ad][Kc]. The [2d] turn and [9c] river kept Marin in front and he survived. --NW

3:18pm: On the bubble
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

We're now on the stone bubble here in Marbella. 

Tamas Eredics is the player who's exited in 129th place. He shoved for roughly 40,000 with [7d][7s] and ran smack into Sergio Soler's pocket kings. A [8c][Jd][5s][5h][Jc] board meant the cowboys held up. --NW

3:15pm: Kully culled
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

Juan Carlos Bixquert and Jonathan Spaeren took it in turns to take all of Kully Sidhu's stack, eliminating him just a couple of spots of the money.

Bixquert's [ad][6h] stayed ahead of Sidu's [kc][qd], the former's hand making two pair on a [2c][6c][7s][as][8s] board. He was all-in for 31,000. A few hands later, Sidhu lost his last 50,000 holding [jh][js]. Spaeren's [as][qh] flopped a pair on a board that ran [4d][ts][qs][ac][8c]. The chips went in preflop.

The clock has been paused while the staff double check the amount of players left in, and hand for hand play may well begin at 129, two off the money. -- MC

3pm: Five from the money
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

Two exits in quick succession mean 132 players remain, so the players are just five off the money now.

First to go was Mihaita Croitoru, he committed his chips on the turn of a [Qd][Td][4s][8d] board with [Qc][9c] but ran into the nut flush of Sergio Soler and was drawing dead. Soler is up to 490,000 and one of the chip leaders. 

And Lucas Blanco - who we earlier reported as being out - is very much in as he's up to 400,000 after eliminating Ezequiel Macho. The latter shoved for 58,000 with [Ah][Qc] and Blanco called him with pocket kings. A [5h][9h][7s][4s][5c] board meant Macho headed to the rail. --NW

3pm: My ace is bigger than yours
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

Olov Jansson didn't actually say this to Carole Segoura but the cards did all the talking. The Swede's better kicker enabled him to win their duel and rise to 242,000; Segoura dropped to 35,000.

She opened to 12,000 from the cutoff and Jansson called to see a [ts][ks][ad] flop where both players checked. The board ran out [5c][2d] with Jansson betting 13,000 and 16,000 on each street. Segoura called both times and was shown [as][jc]. She showed the [ah] and mucked --MC

2:55pm: Top 10 stacks
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

Below are the top 10 stacks as level 15 got underway. You can see more selected chip counts here.

2:45pm: The bubble is approaching
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

The players continue to bust out at a fair clip. Just 147 remain, 127 of whom will get paid. Unfortunately for Vasil Yordanov, Jose Luis Calvo, Nicholas Crozer, Niko Koop, Francisco Jose Gomez, Oscar Ingelmo, Haritz Doyharzabal, Rafael Munoz, Mateusz Moolhuizen, Dávid Farkas, Asif Warris, Ladislao Dalfo, Samuel Meeuse, Antonio Angel Ponce, Seun Oluwole, Stefano Bellisario, Theodore Vives, David Rodriguez, Jose Luis Cordero, Arie Yaaran, Lucas Blanco, Gonzalo Mancera, Martin Bader, Jon Gonzalez, Tapio Vihakas, Nihat Karyagdi, Jan Mach, Karolis Ananevas, Dimitar Dimitrov, Vojtech Susta, Luis Angel Rey, Moises Parrilla, Jorn Mikkelsen, Ivan Kalac, Daniel Nieto, Ross Mannion, David Martin Gallego and Ian Holmes they're among those who've lost their chips. --NW

2:40pm: Margets vs Sidhu
Level 15 - Blinds 2,000/4,000 (500 ante)

Leo Margets has taken a chunk out of Kully Sidhu's and risen to around 180,000 as a result. Sidhu dropped to 45,000 as a consequence.

Around 130,000 chips had made it into the middle of the table by the end of the flop action. Both players went on to check the turn and a [ks][5d][3s][kc][5s] board rested on the river. Margets was in the big blind and led for 42,000. Sidhu folded. --MC

2pm: Break time
Level 14 - Blinds 1,500/3,000 (400 ante)

The opening two levels of Day 2 are over and the players have been released out into the wild, ok not the wild, but outside. --NW

1:50pm: Oluwole left short
Level 14 - Blinds 1,500/3,000 (400 ante)

Seun Oluwole is down to just a couple of big blinds after losing a big pot against Even Mikkelsen. It all went in pre-flop with Mikkelsen at risk for 73,600 with [Ac][Ah]. Oluwole had a big hand too but his [Ad][Kc] was in big trouble. The [9c][Ks][Qs][6c][Qh] board gave him some hope but ultimately kept Mikkelsen in front. 

After that hand Oluwole was left with just 8,700. --NW

1:40pm: Monroe on the slide
Level 14 - Blinds 1,500/3,000 (400 ante)

Start of day chip leader Kevin Monroe was shaking his head after he lost a big race. Day 2 has not been kind to the Irishman so far as his stack has dropped to 152,000.

He was on the button and tanged with Sergio Veloso in the small blind, who had around 68,000. The chips went in preflop.

Veloso: [ad][qh]
Monroe: [9c][9s]

The board ran [jh][7c][2d][7h][qc].

"Lucky river!" commented Monroe. --MC

1:20pm: Bad news for...
Level 14 - Blinds 1,500/3,000 (400 ante)

Down to 184 players now as Davor Pavic, Heinz Traut, Gary McGinty, Francesco Utzeri, Dario Nittolo, Carlos Furelos, Vincent Gabel, Benjamin Garcia, Jelcides Monteiro, Tamas Gyori, Rossa Molloy, Giuseppe Graziano, Bartosz Jablonski, Laurent Cessy, John Power, Jokin Cendoya, Stephen Lockett and Ole Enebakk are all out. --NW

1:10pm: The dance continues for Dancey
Level 14 - Blinds 1,500/3,000 (400 ante)

David Dancey is up to 75,000 after doubling through Diego Gomez. The Spaniard's cards were already face down by the time I arrived at the table but Dancey's were still showing. He'd got his final 35,000 in with pocket tens and held on a [Jd][6s][2h][4h][Kd] board. Gomez is down to 110,000. --NW

1:07pm: Turbo players having fun
Level 13 - Blinds 1,500/3,000 (400 ante)

We wrote that Vicente Delgado had work to do after a bad start to Day 2. Well, he's all smiles now after rebounding up to 90,000.

Another Day 1C player happy at the moment is Renee Xie, who's turned 34,000 into 120,000. She told the Blog that she won enough money playing cash yesterday to freeroll a Day 1C entry, and got through. "I came back with 15 big blinds and found a double up!" --MC

1pm: Double up for Riera
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Always nice to get your chips in with a dominating hand and that was the spot 
Miguel Riera found himself in just a short time ago. He re-raised all-in for 31,200 with [Kc][Ks] and Darren Millar - who had opened with [Kd][Qs] - called the extra to to put the Spaniard at risk.

The [6c][5h][8d][9s][9h] board kept Riera in front and he doubled to around 70,000 whilst Millar drops to 124,700. --NW

12:55pm: Just the job, Bob
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Bob Janssens is up to 370,000, which looks good for the chip lead right now. One player at this table is blinding away though as Manuel Borges - who started the day with 124,700 - is yet to show up. --NW

12:50pm: Delgado on the slide
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Vicente Delgado was one players who made it through to Day 2 at the second attempt, surviving the turbo Day 1C that ran last night. He turned 25,000 into 56,000 but he's back down to around 27,000 already here on Day 2.

He opened to 5,200 from middle position and was called by Samain Dorronsoro on the button and Fernando Javier Garcia in the big blind. The flop fanned [6d][6h][2c] and Delgado continued for 6,200. Garcia check-called before the two of them checked the [7s][8c] turn and river down. Garcia opened [5d][2h] and Delgado mucked. --MC

12:35pm: Race for the exits
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Carange. Absolute carnage. 30 players out in the first 30 minutes. Sadly for Daniel Lopez, Juan Ramos, Juan Campayo, Erik Sturkenboom, Adrian Saavedra, Oscar Lima, Francisco Manuel Esteban, Ben Warrington, Daniel Albright, Jens Hansen, Narciso Oliveras, Paul Cooper, Xavier Pinto Terra Almeida, Floyd Winterberg, Samy Salah, Roberto Perez, Eugeniu Corotchii, Istvan Pilhofer, Normunds Pukinskis and Alfredo Badolato and Kevin Whelan, who wasn't able to mount a comeback (see below), their tournaments are over. --NW

12:25pm: Gieles goes first, Whelan almost joins
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Luuk Gieles was first player to depart today. The Dutchman came back with only 17,000 and they were sucked up by Janina Burger.

Moments later Kevin Whelan thought he was out too. The Liverpool man opened to 10,600 from second position and then called after Daniel Gomez moved all-in for 46,700 from the next seat.

Whelan: [kc][qc]
Gomez: [as][qs]

The board ran [6h][9h][9s][qh][6s]. Whelan was heading off but he was called back as he still had 2,000 chips left.

Minus his 300 ante, he moved all-in for 1,700 the very next hand and managed to quadruple up with [jc][7c] on a [4c][3h][jd][7d][kd]. The comeback is on! -- MC

12:10pm: Cards are in the air
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Play has started. We're told that today will consist of seven levels. We've upped the clock to one hour levels now so that should mean play ends around 8pm. Plenty of time for the players to eat and get ready for the player party which begins at 8.30pm and will involve a big screen showing the Spain v Turkey match that starts at 9pm. --NW

12pm: Moving day is here
Level 13 - Blinds 1,200/2,400 (300 ante)

Welcome back to Day 2 of what is officially the biggest ever UKIPT Marbella main event. 151 players entered last night's turbo Day 1C to take the total number of runners to 844, eclipsing last year's record of 841.

The likes of Kuljinder Sidhu, Renee Xie, Vicente Delgado and Mateusz Moolhuizen all got through at the second attempt and take their place among 241 Day 2 runners. Over half of those players will get paid with 127 players earning at least €1,700 whilst the winner will take home €151,350.

You can see all the pertinent Day 2 information below. Cards are in the day at noon and we expect the usual ferociously fast day of poker as stacks are built and dreams dashed on what we call 'moving day'. Follow the coverage right here.

Seat Draw
Chip counts
Prize pool