FIRST SCANDINAVIAN LAPT CHAMPION

20-YEAR-OLD NORWEGIAN KARL HEVROY BECOMES FIRST SCANDINAVIAN LAPT CHAMPION

WINNING POKERSTARS LAPT PUNTA DEL ESTE TITLE AND USD $283,500

Punta Del Este, URUGUAY - March 20, 2009 — Taking time out from his political studies, 20-year-old student Karl Hevroy from Bergen, Norway has won one of South America’s largest ever poker events. The star studded poker tournament, which attracted 327 players from across the world, and boasted the largest ever PokerStars LAPT prize pool at $1.1 million, took three days of intense competition to win and has netted the young poker player a cool USD$283,500.

The Uruguay stop of Season Two of the PokerStars LAPT featured one of the largest buy ins of the tour so far with players who hadn’t qualified online at PokerStars needing $3,700 to enter. The young Hevroy hadn’t even intended to play the event, but was persuaded to at the last moment by a group of Peruvian players he met at the PokerStars EPT Copenhagen, a decision that has reaped him incredible dividends.

The three-day event was held at the luxurious Mantra Resort and Casino in stunning Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Following 3 days of grueling play, Hevroy clinched the LAPT title on the very first hand of heads up play. On a board of 9-9-8 his opponent, Argentinian player Alejandro De Arruabarrena, over-committed himself with Q-J and was horrified to see Karl flip over 9-8 for the flopped nuts.

Despite a dominant final table performance Hevroy remains humble about his play. “I’m so happy, I don’t feel like I know anything.” Hevroy said of his win. “I had a few moments where I was in danger, and then I lock boxed my way out.”

With 327 players in the main event in addition to more than 160 in the 2nd chance event on the second day, the LAPT has continued to firmly establish itself as the most successful tour in Latin America. “Season Two of the LAPT continues to bring larger fields, larger prize pools and more poker excitement than ever before to Latin America” said Glenn Cademartori, PokerStars LAPT President. “We have no doubt that our season finale in Mar del Plata next month will break all records in the region and set the bar even higher for all future Poker events in Latin America.”

Satellites for the LAPT Mar del Plata event are available daily at PokerStars. Players have the chance to win a prize package which includes a main event buy-in, accommodation for four nights, and spending money for expenses. Please visit http://www.lapt.com/ for more information, updates on tour dates and how to qualify.

About www.pokerstars.net:

PokerStars is the world’s largest poker room with over 20 million members worldwide, and more free-to-play tables than any other site. At PokerStars.net players learn how to play, and practice poker skills for free. As the premier destination for the top players, with numerous tournaments running every day, PokerStars is renowned for offering the best software and security in the online poker world.

PokerStars;

Has dealt over 26 billion hands
Has run more than 140 million poker tournaments
Has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for holding the largest online poker tournament - 35,000 players
Have had over 265,000 simultaneous players, and entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the first and only poker website to reach the 200,000 simultaneous players mark

PokerStars is the official sponsor of the: European Poker Tour (www.ept.com), PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Latin American Poker Tour (www.lapt.com), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (www.appt.com) and The World Cup of Poker.

PokerStars is the home of Team PokerStars Pro, a group of over 30 veteran and up-and-coming players from around the world who play online at PokerStars and are sponsored by the site in international tournaments around the world. For more information please visit www.pokerstars.net.

Press Contacts:

FIRST SCANDINAVIAN LAPT CHAMPION

About www.pokerstars.net:

Press Contacts:

Argentina: Alejo Zagalsky - Ketchum

Brazil: Ana Luiza – Xpress

USA: Lotus Public Relations