LAPT San José Main Event | 2008 PokerStars.net LAPT - San José

11-05-2008 12:14 UTC-5

Final Table Set for Play

[user66118]

The tournament room has undergone a dramatic transformation overnight, and all but one poker table has been removed from the building. That leaves just the final table which will soon be populated by the remaining eight players who are still alive with a chance to take home the trophy in the second season of the PokerStars.net LAPT San Jose.

The players and tournament staff are setting up for a press conference, which will take place shortly. After that, the chips will be un-bagged, and the players will reconvene at the table to commence the final day of play.

We expect to be underway at 12:00 noon local time, so join us then as we crown our champion!

11-05-2008 12:21 UTC-5

Seat 1: Jeff Petronack (122,500)

[user66118]

Jeff Petronack is a 37-year-old mortgage broker from Hugo, Minnesota USA. He is relatively unaccomplished in the poker world, but has proven that he's no slouch at the tables throughout the past two days. He qualified for this event in an online satellite and has taken advantage of the opportunity to make a deep run to the final table.

Petronack is supported by his wife and two children -- 5-year-old son Cody and 5-month-old daughter Brooklynn. When he's not at the tables, Petronack enjoys a relaxing round of golf and spending time with his family.

Petronack begins play on the short stack, sitting with 122,500 chips.

Tags: Jeff Petronack

11-05-2008 12:27 UTC-5

Seat 2: Andrew Chen (313,000)

[user66118]

Andrew Chen is a twenty-year-old former student who comes to us from Toronto, Ontario Canada. He says "former student" because he is now a full-time poker pro. He is making a name for himself online, just missing out on four final tables over an eight-week period in the Sunday Majors. He's competent in satellites as well, apparently, as he earned his way into this LAPT event for $215 on PokerStars.

Chen was nearly out of here early on Day 2. He showed up more than twenty minutes late for play, and had just ten big blinds left when he sat down. With the poise of a pro, he worked his stack up through the course of the day, ending on a high note when he eliminated the ninth place finisher to close play last night.

Chen, courtesy of that late knockout, is sitting with 313,000 in chips.

Tags: Andrew Chen

11-05-2008 12:32 UTC-5

Seat 3: Brent Sheirbon (186,500)

[user66118]

Brent Sheirbon is a native of The Dalles, Oregon USA, but he comes to us today from his home in Panama. Sheirbon is a 33-year-old IT-consultant-turned-poker-pro. He is already well-regarded in tournament poker, having earned several nice finishes in major events. Among those were a 13th place finish in the WPT Bellagio Main Event, as well as in-the-money finishes in the last two WSOP Main Events (392nd and 134th, respectively).

Sheirbon was in and out of the chip lead all day yesterday, but began to slide a bit towards the end of the evening. He will start with 186,500 chips.

11-05-2008 12:39 UTC-5

Seat 4: Ryan Fee (481,000)

[user66118]

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your chip leader. Ryan Fee is just twenty years old and has traveled from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA to play this event. Not yet able to play live poker in the United States, Fee has found a place where he's legal, and he's taking full advantage of this opportunity. He lists his occupation as, "Baller", and plays high-stakes cash games online.

Fee cleared his way through the field with precision yesterday, amassing a mountain of chips by the time play concluded. Along the way, his lighthearted antics both amused and annoyed his fellow competitors. Whatever he was doing must have been working; he is the big stack now, sitting with 481,000.

Tags: Ryan Fee

11-05-2008 12:49 UTC-5

Seat 5: Claus Rasmussen (254,000)

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Claus Rasmussen is a 22-year-old native of Roskilde, Denmark. Rasmussen used to be a professional player. Table tennis player, that is. He played the game on a pro level for several years, but says he is stepping back slowly from that aspect of his life, as he's found a new game now. Rasmussen is quickly becoming a fine young poker player. He won his entry into this tournament via PokerStars' steps satellites. He said he just sat down one day, thought it looked interesting, and ran straight through from Step 1 to Step 6.

Rasmussen begins play with 254,000 in chips.

Tags: Claus Rasmussen

11-05-2008 12:55 UTC-5

Seat 6: Maria Stern (151,500)

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Maria Stern is one of the foremost female poker players in the world, and the media has taken to calling her the "Godmother of Poker" here in Latin America. She has been playing tournament poker for many years, and has the results to justify her place in poker lore. In 1997, she earned herself a gold bracelet at the WSOP, matching that of her husband, Max. With that, the Sterns became just the second husband-wife combo to win bracelets. She's made history again here today, becoming the first lady to make a LAPT final table.

Maria will start with 151,500 in chips.

Tags: Maria Stern

11-05-2008 13:02 UTC-5

Seat 7: Jesus Bertoli (265,500)

[user66118]

Jesus Bertoli is a 25-year-old player who moonlights as a lawyer. He made the trip here from his nearby hometown of Margarita, Venezuela. Bertoli has become a fixture on the LAPT scene, playing all of Season One and snagged a 24th place finish in Rio. He says that his father is responsible for his poker education, and both Jesus and his brother are becoming avid players.

When he's not grinding it out on the felt or working a big case, Bertoli enjoys water sports, sailing, and futbol.

Tags: Jesus Bertoli

11-05-2008 13:06 UTC-5

Seat 8: Joel Micka (336,500)

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Joel Micka is from Mill Creek, Washington USA, and he is a twenty-year-old poker pro. It's his only job, and has been his only job for his entire working life. Playing on PokerStars as "JMPRODIGY", Micka regularly crushes high-stakes heads-up Sit 'n Go's. He earned his seat to the LAPT via a $500 online satellite, and this is his first major live event.

Get used to the name Joel Micka, as all indications are that he will be a force to be reckoned with on the international tournament scene once he turns 21. Micka starts play with 336,500 in chips, good enough for second place at the table.

Tags: Joel Micka

11-05-2008 13:19 UTC-5

Almost Set to Go

[user66118]

The players are being introduced to the crowd, and we should be underway momentarily.