$5,200 Mar del Plata Main Event Day 1a | 2009 PokerStars.net LAPT Mar del Plata

Level: 3

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0

04-16-2009 13:14 UTC-4

And We're Back

[user37786]

The players have returned from a brief siesta (look Ma, I'm speaking Spanish!) and have returned to action.

04-16-2009 13:02 UTC-4

Players Take a Ten Minute Break

[user24788]

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

04-16-2009 12:46 UTC-4

Slipping Away

[user37786]

The crowd surrounding Boris Becker has thinned a bit, as has the former Wimbledon champion's stack. A long, slow slide sees him with just 3,550 of the 10,000 he started with.

04-16-2009 12:46 UTC-4

16 Tables and Counting

[user24788]

Action has been rather quick in the first two levels. We're down to 16 tables of players. Approximately 137 players are left in today's field.

04-16-2009 12:26 UTC-4

Fabian Ortiz is among the 140+ players in today's field. The local player from Argentina became the first ever Latin player to win an event on the LAPT when he finished in first place for the LAPT Vina del Mar in Chile. Ortiz collected $141,426 for his victory and is trying to become the first player to win two LAPT events.

After approximately 85 minutes of player, Ortiz's stack is around 9,800.

Tags: Fabian Ortiz

04-16-2009 12:03 UTC-4

Auto-Fold

[user24788]

Team Pokerstars Pro Chris Moneymaker was caught up under the stampede of media at the start of the tournament. His table was located right next to Boris Becker's table and the media concentrated on that part of the room. Moneymaker breathed a sigh of relief when was moved to a new table and quickly ordered a massage. While a local Argentinian beauty works on his upper back and shoulders, he's been in auto-fold mode. Moneymaker hasn't played a significant sized pot since cards went in the air. His stack is around 9,800.

Tags: Chris Moneymaker

Level: 2

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

04-16-2009 11:48 UTC-4

Here Come the Burros!

[user24788]

In the first forty-five minutes of action, two tables have already broken. Approximately twenty players have been eliminated.

04-16-2009 11:33 UTC-4

SCOOP Champion in the House

[user24788]

Team PokerStars Pro J.C. Alavardo from Mexico is among the players on Day 1b, but he stopped by the tournament area to wish a few friends good luck.

If you are an online poker junkie, then you might already know that J.C. Alvarado won the SCOOP $1,000 + $50 buy-in event on PokerStars a few days ago. Alvarado bested a field of 3,198 of the premier online players in the world. He collected a nifty $502,086 for his victory. He's been "running good" and he hopes that his rush continues when he takes his seat tomorrow.

Tags: J.C. Alvarado