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

04-17-2009 14:04 UTC-4

Check-Raising Ibuki

[user24788]

Ibuki Fukui was involved in a heads-up pot. I caught the action on the flop of {Q-Hearts}

with 1,200 in the pot. First player checked and Ibuki Fukui bet 750. His opponent check-raised to 2,500. Ibuki Fukui sat in silence for several minutes as he considered his options. He reached for his chips and then abruptly stopped the motion. He picked up his cards and folded.

"Nice hand," said Ibuki Fukui as he rapped his hand on the table.

Ibuki Fukui was closing in on 20,000 until he lost that pot. His stack is around 17,000.

Tags: Ibuki Fukui

Level: 4

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

04-17-2009 14:16 UTC-4

Quads, Straight Flush, and Massages

[user24788]

Leo Fernandez settling down during a massage

"Akkari just made quads," said my colleague Otis.

A few seconds earlier, one player was eliminated at a table in front of media row with a straight flush.

On the far end of the room, two Team PokerStars Pros are being worked on by two masseuses. Leo Fernandez and Alex Gomes are sitting at the same table and getting dual massages.

Meanwhile, Max Stern chopped a pot with an opponent. Stern was ahead with {A-Spades}

against

, but the river counterfeited and they two carved up the pot.

Tags: Max Stern

04-17-2009 14:30 UTC-4

Meet the Sterns

[user24788]

Max and Maria Stern are former Las Vegas residents who currently live in Costa Rica. Between the two of them, the married couple earned almost $2 million in career tournament winnings. They also won four combined bracelets.

Maria Stern is currently 32nd on the women's all-time money list. Since 1992, Maria advanced to four final tables at the World Series of Poker including a victory in the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud event in 1997 at Binion's Horseshoe. Her final table included Tom McEvoy. Maria made a final table during the first season of the LAPT when she finished in eighth place at LAPT Costa Rica. Her most recent cash was a 19th-place finish at LAPT Vina del Mar.

Max Stern has been cashing in tournaments as far back as 1987. To put that in perspective, the current WSOP Champion, Peter Eastgate, was a mere baby in diapers when Max Stern cashed for $20,000 in Amarillo Slim's Superbowl of Poker in Las Vegas. Since his initial cash, Stern racked up over $1.37 million in career winnings.

Stern also has three WSOP bracelets in his collection, including two from 1997 when he won two events in the same week. He finished in first place in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event and first place in the $2,500 Seven-Card Stud Split event. In 1995, Stern won his first bracelet in the $1,500 Omaha 8-or-Better event. That final table also featured Annie Duke.

Max and Maria Stern are a fixture on the PokerStars.net LAPT. The last time I checked, Maria is cruising along with 13,500, while Max is still alive with 8,500.

Tags: Maria Stern Max Stern

04-17-2009 14:45 UTC-4

Eddie Sabat Eliminated

[user24788]

Eddie Sabat, the APPT Macau champion, was short most of the afternoon. He recently hit the rail.

Tags: Eddie Sabat

04-17-2009 14:54 UTC-4

Dennis Phillips Eliminated

[user37786]

And on a bit of a cooler at that. Phillips and two other players saw the {Q-Hearts}

flop and it was checked around. The {10-Diamonds}

fell on the turn and after a check, the player two to Dennis' left bet 2,000. Phillips quickly pushed his chips forward and after the third player folded the initial raiser quickly called.

Phillips turned over {J-Clubs}

for the king-high straight, but his opponent rolled over {A-Spades}

for Broadway. Betrayed by that ten on the turn Phillips dejectedly rose to his feet and shook hands as his afternoon came to an abrupt end.

Tags: Dennis Phillips

04-17-2009 15:08 UTC-4

Roberto Brenes Eliminated

[user24788]

J.C. Alvarado and Humberto Brenes sweat Roberto Brenes

Roberto Brenes raised from UTG for 600. Horacio Courdin on the button called along with both blinds. The flop was {A-Clubs}

. The small blind fired out 3,000. The big blind folded. Roberto Brenes moved all in for 7,000. Horacio Courdin reraised all in for almost 25,000. The player in the small blind headed into the tank for a couple of minutes. He made a praying motion with his hands before he stood up and moved all in.

Small Blind: {A-Hearts}