And so the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is all over bar the sulking. The successful acts are thrilled and sad to be going, the less successful are staring at a hole where their bank account used to be. For the five acts nominated for the if.comedy Award, however, there is still plenty to play for as they wait to hear the judges' verdict at midnight on Saturday night.

And it is really too close to call. Bookmakers William Hill said that Australian comedian Brendon Burns is clear favourite, but having been on the panel in the past things are not that simple. Judges see the shortlisted shows a second time in the last week and I think Burns's show is the one that will seem weaker the second time around when the surprise elements will be less effective.

By contrast seasoned Irishman Andrew Maxwell could benefit from repeated viewing. His warm, deftly-crafted yet simple stand-up set has some great gags and stories – including a hilarious encounter with Irish politico Bertie Ahern, "a potato in a suit" – and flows over you like the perfect pint of Guinness. Maxwell has been hipper and hotter, but it is still hard to fault this straightforward hour.

The other three acts all have their own novelty factor. Andrew Lawrence is a uniquely sick and twisted stand-up who hates the world. His show is actually much gentler than his debut last year, though if you've never seen him before you'll find this hard to believe – Lawrence spits out bile better than anybody else on the circuit. But is hard to imagine the ten judges voting unanimously in favour of someone who says his ambition in life is to become a social leper.

Pappy’s Fun Club is a brilliantly bouncy sketch show. Fans of last year's nominees We Are Klang would appreciate the silliness in their quick changes, running around and playfulness. And there is something very family-friendly about Pappy – I don't know what the judges think of them, but never mind the if.comedys, give them a children's TV show quick.

And then there is spoof DJ Ivan Brackenbury, who excels at playing inappropriate records for patients – a potential suicide is treated to Jump by Van Halen, a jaundice-sufferer gets Yellow by Coldplay and at one point – holy tabloid outrage alert! – he plays The Primitives' Crash during a Princess Di tribute. I can't see Brackbury winning, it doesn't have the potential or depth of Alan Partridge, but it is certainly an hour of non-stop laughs.

The winner then? By default Andrew Maxwell, who was a pre-Festival tip more times than I can remember back in the early noughties. The if.comedys gave the prize to the exquisitely talented veteran Phil Nichol last year for a show that was not his best, and history could well be repeated, with Maxwell triumphing this time round.