At 34 years old, the PokerStars player simona75 has done something only a select few PokerStars players do in a year. He's made it to the level of Supernova Elite. This marks him among the top 160 or so most active players at PokerStars.

So, you might think it odd, then that the man from London describes his activities in this order.

1) Chess International Master
2) Computer programmer
3) Play a bit of poker on the side

Back when 2009 started, he didn't have any plans to make it to Supernova Elite. A couple of years ago, he had quit his job to do some traveling and then work on a Masters degree. By the time he finished that, he realized the job market, in a word, sucked.

"So, I found myself playing a lot of poker," simona75 said. "Around March or April I realized I could get to Elite and made the decision to go for it."

This is not a decision people undertake lightly. That is, simona75 made this decision when spring was still in the air. He didn't achieve the goal until just a few days ago.

"It was tough at times," he admitted. "I tilt regularly and when you tilt with a full stack on 16 tables simultaneously, it's not pretty! But I'm proud to have got there and pleased that I did it."

Now that simona75 has made it to Supernova Elite, has a chance to play in two free big live PokerStars events. For a guy who loves to travel anyway, it's just an added bonus.

"I've never been to Vegas, so am particulary looking forward to the WSOP," he said.

Not bad for a guy who only plays poker "on the side."

Updates from day 2, level 10&11 of UKIPT Galway, brought to you by Rick Dacey.

Level 10: blinds 500/1000 (100)
The players are back from the first break of the day and as mentioned we've already lost some 40 players. Nelius Foley (Nines into Kings) and Fergal Coyle (top pair and flush draw) are two more names consigned to the UKIPT Galway scrapheap.

Teddy Sheringham is trying to make his late arrival worth it and has squeezed at least two whole levels of play in. He's up to 18k. Big names hanging on in include Andy Black (8000) and Team PokerStars Pro JP Kelly (15000).

4.51pm: Interesting table move
Tables are breaking more frequently now and one of the most interesting repositioning is that of Ray O'Mahoney, an aggressive cash game player, to the left of Kieran Walsh, who is one of the tournament chip leaders. O'Mahoney has 85,000 and Walsh 141,000. I expect fireworks and, quite frankly, will be a little disappointed with both if there's not. Get it on!

Check chip counts here

5.15pm: Not so interesting table move
After all the bluster about O'Mahoney and Walsh they've broken that table as well. Oh well, maybe we'll have to wait until they make the final table. But in other update news it's looking like Andy Black has taken a tumble. The big time player was down to less than 10 big blinds and it's looking like his shove didn't go the way he intended.

5.28pm: Sheringham denied by the Keeper
Barry McPhilips had a long hard think before calling off his chips - and most of Sheringham's - after the ex-football player madea standard shove from the button with [as] [6s]. McPhillips turned over [ah] [jd] and promptly hit trips taking his stack up to 26,000. Sheringham is down to around 8000 and will have to keep shoving that stack in.

Meanwhile APPT Macau winner Dermot Blain has just bagged a huge pot from David Connors with [kh] [ks] versus [qh] [qc] on a [4h] [5h] [jh] board. A bit of a cooler for Connors who is down to just 8000 after losing the 105,000 pot.

Level 11: blinds 600/1200 (100)

5.53pm: Double jeopardy for PokerStars
In a brutal five minutes Team PokerStars Pros Jude Ainsworth and JP Kelly have been knocked out of the UKIPT Galway. Ainsworth was the first to fall getting it all-in for a 100k pot with pocket 7's on a 7 8 A flop against Benoit Mouret's AQ. Running 8's gave Benoit his 2% chance of a monster outdraw and sent Ainsworth to the rail.

Just a table away JP Kelly had just enjoyed a double up to get back to a workable 31,000 when the action folded to him on the button. Raising to 3,000 with KJ he was 3-bet from Ray O'Mahoney in the big blind to 8,500. Kelly decided to take the aggressive further and 4-bet all-in and O'Mahoney made the call tabling AT and the (marginally) best hand held. The hopes of Team PokerStars is left resting on John Duthie's capable shoulders.

5.53pm: Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a new chipleader
Matt Perrins has gone on a bit of a tear and is up to 200,000. He was a little coy about how he won all the chips - maybe a little fishing was involved - but there was also a big hand with his Kings versus Ace-King that held up. One of his victims has been the overnight chipleader Gavin O'Rourke who is looking a bit hard on his luck with about 20,000 left.

The last remaining Team PokerStars Pro, John Duthie, is up to around 62,000.

6.30pm: Time for scran and a scoop round the chip stacks
Dodging round the eagle eyed dealers protecting their table's stacks I've got three potential chip leaders for you. Walsh has been moved two seats to the right of Parkinson and should the two clash there could be a truly monster stack making an early run at the final table. Stephen Devlin is also on the table with around 65,000.

Padraig Parkinson - 190,000
Matt Perrins - 180,000
Kieran Walsh - 170,000

Updates from day 2, level 8 of UKIPT Galway, brought to you by Rick Dacey.

Level 8: blinds 300/600 (75)
Play has started for the day with a redraw and players have taken to their seats. Chipleader Gavin O'Rourke, who has been drawn to the right of a jealous looking Jerome Bradpiece, is straight into the action. Raising with [as] [3s] he is shoved on by short stack James Finigan who tables [ah] [9h]. A cruel [3c] on the turn sends Finigan to the rail and gives boosts O'Rourke to 110,000.

Jerome Bradpiece is the next player to get it all-in. When Nicholas Hahn raises from the cut-off it doesn't take Bradpiece too long to decide his [qh] [qs] is good enough to ship in with his 6k short stack. Hahn snap calls with pocket Kings but when the flop runs out [as] [qd] [jd] Hahn is left in bad shape and Bradpiece more than doubles up to 16,700.

2.35pm: What has Wealthall done to Channing?
The newly appointed UKIPT host Nick Wealthall has been making the rounds of the tournament floor. Unfortunately I was out of earshot for this conversation between Wealthall and British poekr stalwart Neil Channing. It would be an absolute winner for a picture caption competition.

3.01pm: Making a late shove into the box
Teddy Sheringham is in his seat and has shoved his chips across the line. Much like his old playing days he's working a late run into the tournament area well and has chipped himself up to around 15,000. If he keeps this up he might see his 20,000 starting stack for the first time!

Level 9: blinds 400/800 (100)
Some serious chips are starting to be slung about here at the Radisson hotel and the all-in quota is rapidly rising. Clement Thumy has just survived after shipping in 12k from the big blind into pocket 9's. Three betting has well and truly entered the building.

3.41pm: Duthie takes a hit
Team PokerStars Pro John Duthie has been chipping up in these first couple of levels but has just lost a fair chunk of those winnings to Brit William Martin. On a [7d] [th] [6h] flop Martin led 3100 and Duthie made it 8000 to go and Martin called before checking the [kc] turn. Duthie bet out another 8200 and Martin spent a good few minutes staring at the board before moving all-in for an additional 26,550 putting the pressure back on the European Poker Tour founder. Duthie eventually passed knocking his stack back down to around 35k. Martin is approaching 75k.

4.10pm: 133 players left and Parkinson appears to want knock them all out
The starting field has almost been halved with close to 40 players dropping in the first two levels of the day. Overnight big stacks Kieran Walsh and Christopher Brammer have continued scooping in chips and look to be joint chip leaders on around 140,000 while the man on a mission - in more than one sense of the word - is Padraig Parkinson who is absolutely flying. Washing down pots liberally with Guiness Parkinson has boosted his stack from a day start of 22,750 to somewhere in the region of 85,000 to 111,000. Take a look at his stacking and you'll see why creating an approximation is being such an issue. The tournament directors are doing what they can but a Parkinson in full swing is difficult to manage to say the least.

While sleep is being rubbed out of eyes and breakfast is being shovelled down necks around Galway there are 170 stomachs that may be having a little more trouble settling down than most. The inaugural €2,000 UKIPT Galway main event enters its second day and it's going to be make or break for many of the field who are chasing a share of the €471,380 prize pool. Leading the charge is Gavin O'Rourke, a train driver from Portlaoise, who qualified through a $11 rebuy and is sat on 104,000, well above the 30,000 chip average. The pack at his heels includes Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth (81,850), former Irish Poker Championship winner Kieran Walsh (79,925) and Michael 'BIGMICKG' Graydon(64,825), a player who cashed in the WSOP Main Event earlier this year.

While big stacks are looking to keep building and bullying there are just as many players that will be re-entering the tournament floor here at the Radisson hotel, Galway with just one thought on their mind, 'How do I get my stack into the middle in a good spot.' Notable short stacks include Jerome Brad piece (6700), George McKeever (7775) and Nicky Power (8400). With just a little more breathing space is former Manchester United and England star Teddy Sheringham (10,925) but it's Teddy that's likely to have the biggest problem picking a opponent to 3-bet shove on given that he's yet to turn up (thanks to airport issues, I understand).

FOR CHIP COUNTS CLICK HERE

We'll be playing another seven one-hour levels today starting from 2pm with the blinds at 300/600 (75) for the first 60 minutes going up to 400/800 (100). Keep with us and we'll give you regular updates on all the big names and chip movements. Click here.

BREAKING NEWS
Teddy Sheringham has landed and will be on hand to shove his chips into the middle after all. Now all he has to do is negoiate the Saturday morning traffic.