Main Event
Day 1 Started
2011 Latin American Poker Tour Peru
Main Event
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 Latin American Poker Tour Peru
Buy-in
$2,300
Entries
350
Level
29
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Bienvenido a Lima!
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
After extremely successful Season 4 events in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Viña del Mar, Chile, the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour moves north today for the start of the Lima, Peru Main Event. This picturesque desert city of almost 9 million inhabitants -- the capital of Peru -- is perched on tall cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The early autumn daytime temperature for the next four days is forecast to be 75F (24C), with nighttime lows dipping to a pleasant 60F (16C). All in all, it is a damn fine time of year to be in Lima.
Lima was new to the LAPT last year for Season 3. Its first-timer status didn't prevent almost 400 players from taking a seat at the tables in the Atlantic City Casino in the Miraflores district, the beating heart of Lima. The event was won by Team PokerStars Pro Jose "Nacho" Barbero, his second LAPT title in a row.
In order for Barbero to defend his title this year he's going to have to come through an even larger field. Tournament organizers are predicting that more than 400 players are going to take a shot at LAPT glory when the tournament kicks off at noon local time (just over an hour from now).
As always, PokerNews will bring you as much of the action as possible from the moment the cards are in the air on Day 1 until the victor raises the trophy at the end of Day 4. That's sure to be plenty of Peruvian spice along the way, so make sure you join us!
Preliminary Photos
A few photos whet your appetite while we wait for play to begin.
Shuffle Up and Deal!
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Without much pomp or pageantry, the cards are in the air for LAPT Peru Season 4!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Players Taking Their Seats
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We're doing something a little different here at LAPT Peru.
Because of some very last-minute unforeseen circumstances, there's only one PokerNews blogger here at the desk at LAPT Peru (me!). As a result, instead of giving a mostly-live blog of the events as they unfold, I'll be attempting to provide an update every half-hour or so of the general flow of tournament events. All photos that accompany the blog are being graciously provided by the PokerStarsBlog photographer Carlos Monti.
A half hour into play things are still just getting started. Players continue to wander in one and two at a time, with a short line of players still at the registration cage waiting to buy in. Ten stacks are out at each table for now; we imagine that play will move to nine-handed as quickly as possible.
Team PokerStars Pro is represented (so far!) by Humberto Brenes, Andre Akkari, Alexandre Gomes, Cristian de Leon, Angel Guillen, Leo Fernandez and Gualter Salles. Other notable faces in the field include Jorge Pereira, Veronica Dabul, Roberto Brenes, Joao Neto, LAPT Brazil champion Alex Manzano and American Shirley Rosario, who is already up to about 40,000 after flopping a set of 8s against an opponent's pocket queens.
Registration Trickles
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We still have some time left in late registration but everyone who was standing in line has been processed and is in the tournament. Right now 34 tables are in action; with 10 stacks out at each table the total number of players should be between 320 and 340.
Most of the tables are located inside the main tournament room, but seven are set up in an overflow area just outside. That's where PokerStars Team Pro Cristian de Leon finds himself. When we last passed by his table they seemed to be having a great time, with de Leon leading the table chatter.
It's all business at most of the rest of the tournament tables. With one level under their belts we expect play to start to loosen up in the second hour. There are no big movers and shakers so far.
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
The Field Begins to Spread Out
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Walking around the room, there's still very much a sense here that few players have busted out (as it should be in a high buy-in event with a deep structure in Level 2). Still, some stack spread is turning up.
Shirley Rosario, after her early flopped set, has continued to add to her stack and is up to about 45,000. At the table behind her, Joao "joao bauer" Neto, who made the final table at LAPT Sao Paulo, is also north of the 40,000-chip mark. Two seats to Neto's right is New Zealander James Honeybone, who was all in just a few moments ago against the player two seats to his right. On a flop of 
, and with 6,100 in the middle pre-flop, that player led into Honeybone for 5,000. Honeybone tanked for about two minutes before shoving all in for about 12,000. That shove took down the pot.
LAPT Brazil champion Alex Manzano is also flying high at the start. He's up to 28,000 already.
At the other end of the spectrum, Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari took a small hit when he ran pocket jacks into pocket kings and gave his opponent 4,000 chips of value on a board that ran out 
. Akkari's opponent checked behind on the river, otherwise the damage may have been worse. His fellow Team Pro Angel Guillen didn't fare much better, losing almost as many chips to a player who flopped a flush with 
, 
. Guillen called 575 on the flop in position, bet 1,250 on the turn after his opponent checked, then snap-called a bet of 1,825 on the river.
One recent late arrival to the field: defending champion Jose "Nacho" Barbero.
Team Online Quick Out of the Blocks
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
We've spotted four members of PokerStars Team Online in today's tournament: Jorge "twin-caracase" Arias, Jorge "Baalim" Limon, Karlo "elmagopr" Lopez, and
Fredy "SirFreddy83" Torres. All four of them find themselves aboe the starting stack and above par as we come into the first break of the day. Arias is sitting behind 26,000; Lopez has already doubled to 41,000; and Torres and Limon each have about 27,00 despite drawing the same starting table and sitting two seats apart.
Unlike LAPT Brazil, where a few players had amassed stacks larger than 60,000 heading into the first break, the early pace of LAPT Peru is sedate. We haven't seen anybody that has many more chips than about 45,000.