We’ve been noting in the blog and videos how the LAPT has descended upon Punta del Este during a period of relatively calm. As Lynn Gilmartin pointed out in yesterday’s welcome video, we’ve made our way to a popular beach resort destination during the early winter — in other words, the off-season — meaning we’re all able to experience Punta del Este at a slow pace “and without all the hustle and bustle that come with the summer months.”

Last night our crew, noting both the early sign-off and lack of concern over getting reservations, transportation, and such, made our way into the city to find a table at the Isidora, a waterfront restaurant featuring a wide variety of delicious seafood dishes some of us had experienced during our last trek to Uruguay during LAPT Season 4.

All in all, a relaxing end to a comparatively low-stress day. The weather has been mild as well. We’ve seen clouds about, and there is some rain in the forecast. Still, this morning we awoke to sunny skies and a forecast calling for temps in the upper teens/low 20s (or mid-60s, for the Fahrenheiters among us).

You might even say the tournament itself is beginning in somewhat leisurely fashion, too, with a short, six-level day yesterday, and today’s start time pushed back an hour to 1 p.m. local time today (noon ET). That’s when those #laptpunta and #laptpuntabr tweets will begin, for you followers out there.

That short Day 1 meant only a hundred and thirty of the 375 who began the day with us won’t be coming back for Day 2. Team PokerStars Pros Andre Akkari, Christian de Leon, and Leo Fernandez were among the eliminated, although their teammates Angel Guillen, Jose “Nacho” Barbero, and Humberto Brenes will be returning to short stacks.

Uruguay’s own Juan Garcia will be returning to the biggest chip stack today among the 245 returners, having accumulated 134,650 by the end of play Thursday. Garcia’s fellow countryman Martin Lourido is his nearest challenger at present with 118,500, with another Uruguayan, Claudio Garrone, among the chasing pack with 84,200 to start today.

But all of this tranquility simply cannot last. The rules of the game dictate a lot more players are going to have to give up their chips at some point. All but one, in fact. Clashes and conflict are inevitable.

And given how most LAPT events go, we’ll probably be seeing some storms of emotion here and there, too. A few VAMOOOOOs. And perhaps even a reappearance of the “rabo da macaca” (the tail of the monkey), as one Jorge Pereira of Brazil was given to shout at the LAPT Grand Final back in February. Pereira returns today, in fact, to an above-average stack of 35,600.

So while the plan at present is for another short, six-level day, we don’t expect things to remain calm for long. Stick with the PokerStars blog all day as we cover the coming storm.

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