2011 LAPT Brazil

Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2011 LAPT Brazil

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
65
Prize
R$615,840
Event Info
Buy-in
R$4,600
Entries
536
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
20,000

Main Event

Day 4 Completed

Congratulations to Alex Manzano, Champion of the 2011 LAPT São Paulo Main Event (R$615,840)

Level 30 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
A trophy, a ton of money and a kiss from a beautiful woman... it's good to be the champ!
A trophy, a ton of money and a kiss from a beautiful woman... it's good to be the champ!

It's safe to say that most of the gallery was actively rooting against Chilean Alex Manzano at today's final table. Not because they had anything personal against Manzano; they were merely a partisan Brazilian crowd hoping to see one of the five Brazilians at the table be crowned the first Brazilian champion in LAPT history. Manzano, the chip leader of the tournament after Day 2, denied them that joy.

In order to hoist the trophy Manzano had to deal with a tough seat draw. He started the day sandwiched between Brazilian João "joao bauer" Neto (3rd in chips) and Argentina's Leandro Csome (1st in chips). He also had to deal with a delay of more than an hour to start the day due to rolling power outages in Sao Paulo.

When play finally did start Manzano laid low, letting Neto and Csome do the heavy lifting. He chose his spots carefully with strong starting cards. He sent short stack Bruno Politano to the chopping block when Politano's pocket 10s couldn't out-run Manzano's {a-Spades}{k-Clubs}. Henrique Bernardes followed Politano about an hour later when he was forced to move a short stack into the middle with {q-Spades}{j-Hearts}. Manzano picked up Big Slick again and sent Bernardes to the rail by flopping a king.

In between those two eliminations, Neto had to survive his own all in. He opened the button to 115,000 with {j-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}, then shoved against chip leader Csome, who three-bet the big blind to 330,000. Csome took Neto on with {a-Hearts}{q-Diamonds}, but was forced to pay off more than 1 million chips when Neto turned a jack, to the extreme delight of the heavily Brazilian crowd.

Neto, with a doubled stack, was able to apply more pressure to Manzano, Csome and the rest of the table. He tagged Csome again later by check-raising the river of a {k-Spades}{6-Spades}{k-Hearts}{k-Clubs}{2-Hearts} board after Csome bet 315,000 into a pot of more than half a million. Csome snap-mucked, prompting a pumped-up Neto to flash total air, {q-Hearts}{9-Hearts}.

Mexico's Santiago Nadal was the next player eliminated after escalating blinds briefly turned the final table into a game of pre-flop chicken. He moved against Csome with {a-Diamonds}{j-Clubs}; Csome's pocket kings gave his stack a measure of health as they held up to finish off Nadal in 6th place.

Neto found another level after Nadal's elimination; Manazano continued to slide. It seemed every pot went Neto's way. He notched the next two eliminations, first by taking out Csome with pocket 9s against {k-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}, then by out-racing Marcio Motta with pocket 6s against {a-Hearts}{10-Hearts}.

By the time three-handed play commenced, Neto had 6.6 million of the 10.7 million chips in play. Manzano and the remaining Brazilian, Marcelo Fonseca, were battling for the privilege of taking Neto on heads-up. Manzano's stack took a beating as the blinds went around the table quickly and he failed to keep pace.

With blinds at 50,000 and 100,000 two quick hands changed the tide and saved the day for Manzano. First, he put his last 1.5 million in pre-flop with {a-Clubs}{3-Clubs} and out-ran Neto's {k-Clubs}{j-Hearts}. A short time later, Neto put Manzano to the test by betting and three-bet-shoving a {4-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}{8-Spades} flop. Manzano tanked for two or three minutes before calling and putting his whole stack of 3.0 million on the line with {8-Hearts}{10-Hearts}, top pair. Neto was on the draw with {a-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds} and never improved.

Like that, Neto found himself the shortest of the three remaining players. Fonseca just barely covered him for a pre-flop flip, Fonseca's {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds} against Neto's pocket treys. Treys held up; a few hands later Fonseca was eliminated.

At the start of heads-up play, Manzano had 6.8 million chips. Neto had 3.9 million and the hopes of the entire gallery. But unlike his fictional counterpart Jack Bauer, Neto was unable to save the world. A deflated Neto was spotted walking down the hall after play concluded. Team PokerStars Pro (Brazil) Maria "maridu" Mayrinck was rubbing his back, a meek offer of consolation for coming up just short.

For his victory in São Paulo, Manzano will bring R$615,840 back to Chile.

In a few days the action shifts to Copenhagen for the next stop on the 2011 PokerStars.net European Poker Tour. PokerNews will have a team in place to bring you all the live updates from that tournament.

Until then you can find us at the bar.

Tags: Alex Manzano

João Neto Eliminated in 2nd Place (R$352,760); Alex Manzano Wins LAPT São Paulo Main Event!

Level 30 : 60,000/120,000, 20,000 ante
Joao "joao bauer" Neto - 2nd place
Joao "joao bauer" Neto - 2nd place

It took exactly three post-dinner hands for all the chips to go into the middle. João "joao bauer" Neto won the first two hands pre-flop. On the third hand, Alex Manzano raised pre-flop to 270,000. Neto called.

The flop came three small cards, {3-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{2-Spades}. Neto checked and called a continuation bet of 275,000 from Manzano. He checked again on the {7-Clubs} turn and then called 315,000 more. When the river came the {4-Diamonds} he checked a third time.

Manzano didn't act quickly on the river. He tanked for about a minute, asked for a count of Neto's stack (about 3.5 million behind), tanked for another minute and then announced he was all in. The action shifted back to Neto. It was his turn to tank and tank he did. Four full minutes he pondered his decision. Finally he announced a call. The gallery rose to their feet as one.

A beaming Manzano showed down {5-Clubs}{6-Clubs}, a 7-high straight. Neto looked crushed. He tossed his cards into the center of the table face down, stood up from his chair, and seemed shaken for the first time all tournament. The dealer opened Neto's hand to reveal {a-Spades}{8-Diamonds} as the hand on which Neto risked his tournament life.

It was a gutsy call by Neto but it didn't work out this time. He is eliminated in 2nd place, earning R$352,760, and Alex Manzano is the champion of this tournament.

Tags: Alex ManzanoJoao Bauer

Level: 30

Blinds: 60,000/120,000

Ante: 20,000

Break Time

Level 29 : 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante

Despite a brief surge by Joao Neto, it looks like the last two players will head to the dinner break about where they started heads-up play. Approximate counts are 4.0 million for Neto and 6.7 million for Alex Manzano.

Play will resume in 75 minutes.

Marcelo Fonseca Eliminated in 3rd Place (R$224,800)

Level 29 : 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Marcelo Fonseca - 3rd Place
Marcelo Fonseca - 3rd Place

Alex Manzano had raised the button and Marcelo Fonseca moved all in from the small blind for 285,000. Joao Bauer called in the big blind and Manzano called the extra little bit from the button.

The flop came down {10-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{2-Spades} and both remaining players checked. The turn brought the {7-Hearts} to pair the board and both checked again. The river completed the board with the {J-Spades} and after Bauer checked, Manzano bet. The amount was unknown, but Bauer quickly folded.

Manzano tabled the {10-Hearts}{8-Spades} for tens and sevens with a jack kicker. Fonseca's {A-Spades}{K-Hearts} couldn't beat it and he was eliminated in third place, setting up the heads-up battle between the Brazilian Bauer and the Chilean Manzano.

Tags: Joao BauerAlex ManzanoMarcelo Fonseca

Fonseca Crippled

Level 29 : 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante

Marcelo Fonseca was up against Joao Bauer with the {A-Clubs}{K-Diamonds} in an all-in race situation. Bauer held the {3-Clubs}{3-Spades}.

The flop ran out {8-Hearts}{8-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{6-Spades} and Fonseca failed to hit. Bauer was the player with the least amount of chips and all in for 1.625 million. Be doubled back over three million while Fonseca was crippled to just 295,000.

Tags: Marcelo FonsecaJoao Bauer