•Alex Gomes looking grumpy. He’s down to 12,000 already so it’s understandable. He just raised from early position and received two callers in late position. The flop came jack-high and Gomes check-folded to a bet.
•Frenchman Pascal Perrault on the other hand seems to be in a very chirpy mood and is chatting away to his neighbor. He currently has 22,000 chips.
•Young British player Jonathan Crute was off to a good start rising to 25,000 but he’s back down to 21,000 now. He was the aggressor pre-flop, on the flop but was out-punched on the turn. The board read and Crute had to lay down when he was raised by his small blinded opponent.
Carter “devinr12” Gill recently won $276,358.20 for a second place finish in PokerStars SCOOP Event #2 and he’s going along nicely here too. He’s just won two back-to-backs pots to help his stack rise to 25,000.
The first hand he raised from third position to 400 and was only called by the BB to see a flop. Gill continued with a 600 bet and it was good as his opponent folded. Gill said “Not a bad flop, eh?” and flashed two queens for a set.
The next hand Gill was three-way in a raised pot and the flop was . It was checked to a player in MP who bet 1,000. Only Gill called to go to the turn where he check-called a another 1,000 bet. The river came and both players checked. The MP player tabled pocket sixes but Gill took the pot with pocket tens.
If anyone out there was betting on how long it would take for the first Latin flare up the payout line is at 65 minutes and you can thank/curse last year’s LAPT Chile winner Fabian Ortiz for that. Ortiz had tossed his hand into the middle on the river of a board. His opponent had to show his hand to win the pot and turned over pocket nines. Ortiz then retrieved his hand to show winning with his queen kicker. Then all hell broke loose.
My Spanish is just about functional but following the international language of arm waving and hand waggling was enough to discern that his opponent was saying the hand had been mucked. The tournament director was called and the ruling was made that because Ortiz’s cards were 100% attributable to him - and that there had been no betting on the river - the hand was still live. Ortiz raked in a chunky pot and is on 35,000.
Michael Piper has just doubled-up to 27,000 with the same hand that did the damage at the start. There was an UTG raise to 300 that was called by a player in the next seat and Piper in late position before the SB raised to 1,000. The original called as did Piper to go to the flop. The SB led for 1,500 to see Piper min-raise to 3,000 after the UTG player folded. The SB then moved all-in and Piper snap-called.
At showdown the SB opened for top-top but Piper revealed for middle set. The turn came [ and river before Piper raked in the pot.
Young Brit Cory Desmond was in the big blind when four limps headed his way so it came as little surprise that he popped it up to 700. The raise squeezed out all but one of the limpers. Desmond, who had a good run at the UKIPT Manchester in the UK back in February, fired 1,025 at the low board and was called. The call slowed Desmond down on the turn wher he check-called 2,350. A flush completing appeared on the river which helped Desmond decided that the 5,000 bet was too much for his which he mucked face up. Desmond is down to 17,000.
Dennis Phillips has once more got the better of Daniela Zapiello to see his stack rise to 23,000 while hers has dipped to 13,000. The action folded to Phillips in the small blind where his raise to 250 was quickly called by the Brazilian in the big blind. The flop came and Phillips continued the aggressive line with a 425 bet and was called quickly once again. Both players shut down from this point and checked down the turn and river. Phillips tabled for two-pair and it was good as Zapiello could only muster the drawing . Zapiello came 5th at the LAPT3 Punta del Este for $52,110 so I’m sure we’ll see more from her today.
You might expect latin blood to be boiling and bubbling from the outset but things seem to have started off pretty calmly. Maybe it’s the powerful air conditioning that they have in operation. So far there has been no standing on chairs, no snapping shark toys and barely as much as a waved arm or raised voice. Surely it can’t last long - start your spread bets now.
Michael Piper recently took down 3rd place at EPT San Remo for a cool $468,731 but he hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts here. He told Pokernews that he ran into the nut flush of Aaron Lerner to move to below 15,000. Lerner raised from early position and saw three players, including Piper from the button, call. The flop came with two clubs. Lerner led for 800 into a 1,200 pot and only Piper called to see a non-club seven come on the turn. Piper bet 1,800 and was called before the river came . Lerner now led for 2,200 and Piper made the call with pocket jacks but soon saw the bad news.
Dennis Phillips must surely see some soft spots here in the early levels of the LAPT Lima and seems fairly willing to get involved. We came to the action on the turn of board (against LAPT Punta del Este fifth place finisher Naiela Zapiello). The former November Niner cagily check-called 725 before he swiftly led out for 1,225 on the river. Zapiello considered calling for a short while before her cards hit the muck.
button in Safari
and Crute had to lay down when he was raised by his small blinded opponent.
flop. Gill continued with a 600 bet and it was good as his opponent folded. Gill said “Not a bad flop, eh?” and flashed two queens for a set.
. It was checked to a player in MP who bet 1,000. Only Gill called to go to the 
turn where he check-called a another 1,000 bet. The river came 
board. His opponent had to show his hand to win the pot and turned over pocket nines. Ortiz then retrieved his hand to show 
winning with his queen kicker. Then all hell broke loose.
flop. The SB led for 1,500 to see Piper min-raise to 3,000 after the UTG player folded. The SB then moved all-in and Piper snap-called.
for top-top but Piper revealed 
for middle set. The turn came 
[ and river 
before Piper raked in the pot.
board and was called. The call slowed Desmond down on the 
turn wher he check-called 2,350. A flush completing 
and Phillips continued the aggressive line with a 425 bet and was called quickly once again. Both players shut down from this point and checked down the 
for two-pair and it was good as Zapiello could only muster the drawing 
. Zapiello came 5th at the LAPT3 Punta del Este for $52,110 so I’m sure we’ll see more from her today.
with two clubs. Lerner led for 800 into a 1,200 pot and only Piper called to see a non-club seven come on the turn. Piper bet 1,800 and was called before the river came 
