5:33pm: Some chippies
Leo Fernandez 29k
Marcelo Dabus 23k
Alex Gomes 22k
Francisco Rios 74k
Jose Rosenkrantz 20k
TwinCaracas 23k
Daniela Zapielo 50k
Humberto Brenes 58k
Derek Lerner 50k
Alex Brenes 51k
Roberto Brenes 48k
Gualter Salles 7k
Angel Guillen 32k
Andre Akkari 23k
Aarron Lerner 30k
Freddy Torres 50k
Jorge Limon 30k
Veronica Dabul 14k
Karlo Lopez 48k
Level 5 is almost over.
5:18pm: Gomes on the go
A player in middle position raised to 700 and got a caller from the hijack seat. It folded around to Alexandre Gomes in the big blind who reraised to 2,800. The original raiser stepped aside, but the caller decided to see a flop with Gomes.
The flop came 2♣ Jâ™ Qâ™ , and Gomes unhesitatingly tossed out a single blue (5,000) chip, saying “cuatro mil” to indicate the bet was for 4,000. “Cuatro?!” said his opponent, leaning forward, who subsequently folded, showing the J♥ as he did.
Gomes chips up close to 50,000.
5:00pm: Brenes Watch
Three members of the Brenes clan are still alive…
– Roberto, Humberto’s son, is up to 36K.
– Alex, Humberto’s brother, is up to 48K after he five-bet shoved and induced his opponent to fold (after several minutes of tanking).
– Humberto, the Godfather, is up to 56K. When Humberto three-bet an opponent, the poor guy didn’t believe Humberto and he shoved over the top with 10-5. Humberto tabled pocket aces, which subsequently held up.
4:40pm: Jose “Nacho” Barbero Eliminated
On one of the first hands after the break, Nacho Barbero and his gaunt stack made a stand for his tournament life with A-J. His opponent called with 10-6. When two sixes hit the board, Barbero hit the road. Last year’s LAPT Lima champion has been eliminated, which means we will not have a repeat champion.
4:38pm: Players Are Back
We’re now playing Level 4. Blinds have been raised to 150-300 with a 50 ante.
4:22pm: Break Time
Players are now taking their second 15-minute break of the day.
4:20pm: Nacho crumbled
Faiber Rodriguez and Nacho Barbero got involved in a pre-flop raising war. The two pushed each other to the brink of elimination. Nacho got his entire stack in with pocket tens. He was flipping against Rodriguez’s Big Slick and had him covered by a slim margin. Rodriguez flopped an ace and his hand held up. Barbero’s slipped to 1,500. He’s on life support.
4:11pm: $207,400 for first place
Mike Ward, our intrepid tournament director, announced that first place champion will take home $207,000 USA. With 350 runners in the LAPT Lima, the top 48 players will be paid out. Stay tuned for a full list of payouts.
4:07pm: Down to 29 tables
Only four tables remain in front of the ballroom, meanwhile, we have 25 tables inside. Approximately 285 or so players remain.
4:01pm: A few for Limon
Veronica Dabul opened for 525 from early position, a player in middle position called, and Jorge Limon of Team PokerStars Online called as well from the big blind. The flop came a eyebrow-raising 8♦ 7♥ 9♣ . Limon, undeterred, fired 800, and both Dabul and the third player called. All three then checked the 5♣ turn card.
The river was the 2♥ . This time Limon pushed out 1,500. Dabul took a moment to stir her cappuccino, then pushed her cards away. The third player folded as well. Limon is now sitting with about 27,000.
3:55pm: Rios = New Chipleader
Francisco Rios from Mexico is up to 80K. He got it all-in preflop with pocket Kings versus pocket Queens. His Kings held up and after he finally stacked up all of his chips, he had a bit over 80K.
3:47pm: Don’t call me, says Ismael
Ismael Cadiz of Chile — fourth-place finisher at the 2010 LAPT Lima event — is here. He was just now involved in a three-way pot in which he was leading the action from out of position. All checked the 9â™ 9♦ 4♣ flop. The 4♥ landed on the turn. Cadiz bet 500 and got one caller. The river brought the 2♦ and a bet of 2,000 from the Chilean. His opponent quickly called and tabled 8♥ 4â™ for fours full. Cadiz showed his A♣ 2â™ , conceding the pot.
Cadiz has about 18,000 at present.
3:33pm: Young guns
A pair of PokerStars Online Pros are sitting at Veronica Dabul’s table — Freddy “sirfreddy83” Torres from Colombia and Jorge “Baalim” Limon from Mexico. Limon slipped to around 15K and Torres is sitting on 26K.
3:16pm: Mayu on the move
“Keep an eye out for Mayu Roca,” explained the LAPT’s Thomas Koo.
Mayu Roca from Colombia has been all over the world in the last month. He recently spent time in Europe and cashed in tournaments Bratislava and Vienna, before playing in the EPT Berlin. He flew back to South America to play in the LAPT Lima. He’s sitting at the same table PokerStars Team Pro Christian de Leon and has around 25,000.
3:01pm: Barbero bluffs, beaten
Jose “Nacho” Barbero has been active here in Level 3. Just now came a hand in which a player in middle position made a standard preflop raise, Barbero three-bet, and it folded back to Barbero’s opponent who called. The flop came 10â™ 4♥ 8♦ . Barbero’s opponent checked, Nacho bet 1,025, and his opponent took a long time before calling. The turn was the J♣ , and this time the original raiser pushed out 2,300. Barbero thought a short while, then called.
The river brought the 3♦ and check from Barbero’s opponent. The Argentinian weighed the situation for about a half-minute, then fired 3,700. His opponent quickly counted out calling chips, paused, then called. Barbero flipped over K♣ Q♦ for king-high and a busted straight draw. His opponent showed J♦ 7♥ for jacks — not a lot, but enough to beat the defending champ.
Barbero was left shaking his head after that one. After having jumped up to 33,000, he’s quickly back down to about 20,000 again.
2:55pm: Official numbers — 350
Tournament director Mike Ward just informed us that 350 players are here for the LAPT Lima. We don’t have full payout information yet, but as soon as he reveals that important info, we’ll post it. Stay tuned.
2:50pm: Welcome to Miraflores!
In our first video report of the day, you can follow the lovely Lynn Gilmartin as she explores the sights in the hip and happening Miraflores neighborhood in Lima.
2:35pm: 50K stacks
We discovered our first player over 50K. His name is Abraham Hazin from Chile, but he’s not the current chipleader. That honor goes to Derek Lerner, who is sitting on 52K right now after he dropped a small pot. Lerner, a pro from Canada, acquired his big stack when he doubled up to almost 55K.
2:21pm: Akkari avoids duck crossing
Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari opened for 500 from under the gun and ended up with three callers — two players sitting nearby to his left and the small blind. The flop came 2♥ J♥ 2♣ and it checked to Akkari who continued for 1,300. His neighbor promptly made it 3,200, and all folded, including the Brazilian. Akkari’s opponent rechecked his cards, then turned over one — the 2â™ — before raking the pot.
Akkari has about 21,000.
2:16pm: Welcome back, Back-to-Back
Jose “Nacho” Barbero — a.k.a. “Back-to-Back” Barbero (so named for his having won LAPT Uruguay and LAPT Lima consecutively last year) — arrive during the last level and after shaking several hands found his seat at one of the front tables. Barbero wasn’t too active during the last part of Level 2, and returns from the break to roughly his starting stack of 20,000.
2:15pm: We’re back
Level 3 is underway.
2:00pm: Players are on a 15-minute break
1:55pm: Humberto doubles
Humberto Brenes busted John Rua from Colombia. One player opened to 275 from early position. Rua called. Brenes raised to 875 and both players called. The flop was Q♦ 10♦ 8♣ . First player checked, Rua bet 2,100. Brenes raised to 5,100. First player folded. Rua moved all in. Brenes had him covered and called. Brenes tabled pocket Queens for a flopped set. Rua, meanwhile, showed J♦ 9♦ for a open-ended straight flush draw. An eight fell on the turn and Brenes boated up. The river was a blank. Rua whiffed on his monster straight flush draw. Brenes dragged the pot and is now sitting on a stack around 40,000.
1:40pm: Christian counterfeited
After a player sitting under the gun raised to 350, it folded around to Christian de Leon of Team PokerStars Mexico who called from the hijack seat. The big blind came along as well, and the trio saw the flop come J♦ J♠3♠. The big blind checked, the preflop raiser bet 350 again, de Leon called, and the third player stepped aside.
Both checked the Qâ™ turn. The Q♣ then came on the river, putting two pairs on the board. The UTG player quickly checked, and after several seconds of chip-fiddling de Leon checked as well to see his opponent table A♣ 10♣ . With a grin, De Leon shot an imaginary trigger at his opponent’s hand and nodded, acknowledging it had bested his 2♥ 2♦ .
De Leon has about 24,000 at present.
1:30pm: Boat over boat
Shirley Rosario’s stack took a slight hit and she slipped to 37,000. She held pocket treys again, but this time they were not as fortuitous as last time. She had turned a set and rivered a boat, but her opponent rivered a bigger boat and he dragged the pot.
1:15pm: Angel and Gualter
Team PokerStars Pro Angel Guillen is sitting at the same table as Team Pro Gualter Salles. They two have been avoiding each other early on. Salles is sitting on 14K, meanwhile Guillen is just under his starting stack of 20K.
1:11pm: “We’re not going to fall for the banana in the tail pipe.”
Someone in the ballroom has a ringtone that is “Axel Foley” Theme Song from the Beverly Hills Cop. We don’t know which player it is, but someone has been trying tor each him because every ten minutes or so, the ringtone goes off.
12:57pm: Swimming with the shark
In the last hand of Level 1, Humberto Brenes opened for 250 from middle position and got a caller in the fellow sitting to his left. It folded around to a player in late position who made it 1,125 to go. The others got out, and after a smilingly-delivered bit of quizzing from Brenes of his opponent, he let his hand go. The third player followed suit, and to as if to assuage Brenes the reraiser showed his A♥ K♠before dragging the small pot.
Brenes grinned and rubbed his chin as he repositioned his chips. All those greens (25) in front of him seem indicate he’s been doing a lot of opening of pots early on. He sits with about 23,000 as we move to Level 2.
12:30pm: First man down
Twenty-two minutes into Level 1, we had out first casualty. Shirley Rosario had crippled her opponent early on and finished him off in brutal fashion. He opened, Shirley raised to put him all in and he called. Shirley and her pocket treys were racing against Q-9. Her opponent flopped a 9, but she rivered a trey win the pot with a set.
12:18pm: Shirley Rosario snaps off queens
Shirley Rosario opened for 250 UTG. She got one caller from the cutoff and a gentleman in seat 9 raised to 750 from the big blind. Shirley called and the cutoff folded. The flop was 10♦ 8♠5♠. The big blind fired out 1,500. Shirley called. The turn was the 2♠. The big blind bet 3,000. Shirley popped him for a 9,000 raise and she got an instant call. The river was the 7♣ . The big blind checked to Shirley, who bet 8,000. After a few minutes of deliberation, the big blind called. Shirley tabled 8♣ 8♦ for a set of eights. Her opponent shook his head and muttered something unintelligible as he flipped over two red Queens. Shirley increased her stack to 39,450 and sits among the early chipleaders.
12:15pm: Who’s here, part II?
There’s some spillover tables located outside the ballroom, and we spotted Team PokerStars Online Karlo Lopez, Team PokerStars Pro Alex Gomes from Brazil, and Team PokerStars Pro Christian de León from Mexico sitting at those tables.
12:10pm: Who’s here?
After a quick scan of the ballroom, we found Team PokerStars Pro and the Godfather of Latin American poker, Humberto Brenes, holding court in the corner. No shark sightings thus far. His fellow countryman Jose Rosenkrantz is sitting at an adjacent table. Meanwhile, one of Brenes’ sons, Roberto, is sitting on the other side of the room. Argentinean Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez is sporting aviator sunglasses at the featured table in the back of the ballroom. Also playing today are Brazilian Team Pros Andre Akkari and Gualter Salles. And how could we forget about the legendary Team Online Pro Jorge ‘TwinCaracas’ Arias from Venezuela? He’s also here and mentioned that he’d like a shot at Isildur1 in the SuperStar Showdown.
12:01pm: Cards are in the air
The first hands of the $2,300+$200 no-limit hold’em LAPT Lima Main Event are being dealt! Players begin with 20,000 chips, with the blinds 50-100 for the first one-hour level.
Refresh this page for updates from the first five levels of the $2,300+$200 NLH Main Event.
LAPT Lima reporting comes courtesy of bloggers Martin Harris and Paul “Dr. Pauly” McGuire and photographer Carlos Monti.
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