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

04-16-2009 19:37 UTC-4

66 Players Remaining

More than half of the field has been eliminated on Day 1.

04-16-2009 19:23 UTC-4

There was a bit of commotion as Chris Moneymaker faced an all-in bet from the gentleman sitting directly to his right. Moneymaker counted out enough chips to make the call--carefully stacking them behind the commitment line on the table. The dealer reached out and started to scoop the chips toward the center and Moneymaker said "Whoa!" He hadn't decided whether to call or not and after some contemplation he chose to fold his pocket tens face-up.

His opponent smiled broadly and as the pot was pushed his way he turned over...pocket deuces. He stood up from his seat and gave a friend on a rail a hug as Moneymaker mustered a wry smile and a shrug of the shoulders. People still get a big kick out of taking down the champ.

Tags: Chris Moneymaker

04-16-2009 19:10 UTC-4

How Late are we Playing?

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We're scheduled to play ten levels tonight, but as the field thins down the tournament director might suspend play earlier. Stay tuned for more information.

04-16-2009 18:59 UTC-4

Dinner Break Chip Leaders

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Here are the unofficial chip leaders through dinner break:

Charles Sylvestre (PokerStars Online Qualifier) - 50,000
Eduardo Santi - 50,000
Fabiano Batista Lemos - 47,800

Tags: Eduardo Santi

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 50

04-16-2009 18:52 UTC-4

We're Back

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The players have returned from dinner and cards are back in the air.

04-16-2009 17:15 UTC-4

Dinner Break

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74 players remaining. They are going on a 90 minute dinner break.

04-16-2009 17:13 UTC-4

Vanessa Machado Doubles Up

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Brazilian model Vanessa Machado now has around 9,000 after doubling up shortly before dinner break.

Tags: Vanessa Machado

04-16-2009 16:58 UTC-4

Lilly Kerssenberg Eliminated

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We just posted that Lilly had outlasted Boris Becker...but only by a few hours. She's out, and sadly there's now an empty seat to the right of Chris Moneymaker.

04-16-2009 16:53 UTC-4

Hola Chipleader!

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Say hello to our chipleader... Fabiano Batista Lemos from Brazil. He's closing in on 50,000. He's one of the loudest players in the room and it's not because of his voice. Rather, he's what we would call a "slapper". When he won a large pot earlier in the level, he slapped the table as loud as he could. The sound echoed across the entire casino.

Tags: Fabiano Batista Lemos