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

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 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 14:30 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 14:16 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

Level: 4

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

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

04-17-2009 13:52 UTC-4

Dennis Phillips Gets the Call

[user37786]

During play yesterday it seemed like everyone couldn't wait to call down Chris Moneymaker. Players enjoyed sitting with the 2003 World Champion and weren't about to lay down a hand that might earn them a good story as well as a pile of chips.

It seems that Dennis Phillips might be getting a bit of the same treatment. After the {10-Hearts}

flop, a player sitting across the table from Phillips bet 500 and Phillips smooth-called. Both players checked the {4-Diamonds}

on the turn, and when the {6-Hearts}

came on the river Phillips bet 2,000 after his opponent again checked.

The two stared at each other with good humor, the other player smiling behind the hand he used to cover his mouth. Phillips riffled chips in his hands as his opponent took a couple of minutes to consider the situation. In the end he couldn't resist a call and Phillips turned over {J-Clubs}

for trips. His opponent sighed as he tossed his cards in the muck and Phillips picked up a tidy pot.

Tags: Dennis Phillips

04-17-2009 13:39 UTC-4

Fathers and Sons

[user24788]

"Dad, can I borrow a few hundred pesos?"

Roberto Brenes is sitting one table away from his father, Humberto Brenes. Humberto is considered the Godfather of Costa Rican poker. In conventional poker terms, Brenes is sort of like the Latin version of Doyle Brunson.

Since the father and son duo are sitting in close proximity to one another, it's not uncommon to see the two chatting it up in between hands. There are some similarities between the two including the trademarked PokeStars visor with a stitched Costa Rican flag. However, unlike his garrulous father, Roberto is extremely quiet at the table.

Tags: Humberto Brenes Roberto Brenes

04-17-2009 13:27 UTC-4

Some Chip Counts

[user24788]

Vincenzo Gianelli - 22,600
Gualter Salles - 14,500
Carter Gill - 14,200
Dennis Phillips - 13,000
Ibuki Fukui - 12,500

Tags: Ibuki Fukui

04-17-2009 13:19 UTC-4

Joe Hachem Doubles Up

[user24788]

On the last hand before the break, Joe Hachem was all in with pocket jacks against Big Slick. His jacks held up and he avoided elimination. Before the hand began, Hachem's chip count was under 5,000. After his double-up, the 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion is now back to his starting stack.