2011 PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este

Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2011 PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j4
Prize
$244,720
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,300
Prize Pool
$941,480
Entries
422
Level Info
Level
27
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
10,000

Neto Crosses Seven Figures

Nelson Trad Neto opened to 70,000 from the hijack and Fernando Araujo called from the big blind.

The flop came down {10-Diamonds}{9-Spades}{5-Spades} and Araujo led out for 80,000. Neto, though, popped it to 200,000. After a few moments, Araujo surrendered the pot. Neto flashed the {10-Spades} as he collected the chips.

Player Chips Progress
Nelson Trad Neto
Nelson Trad Neto
1,100,000 225,000
Fernando Araujo
Fernando Araujo
690,000 -170,000

Tags: Fernando AraujoNelson Trad Neto

Neto Doubles and Celebrates Much More than Excessively

Nelson Trad Neto
Nelson Trad Neto

From under the gun, Nelson Trad Neto raised all in for 395,000. Engelberth Varela called from the button and the two blinds folded.

Neto: {K-Clubs}{J-Diamonds}
Varela: {3-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}

The flop came down {7-Hearts}{7-Clubs}{6-Diamonds} and the threes for Varela stayed in front. The turn was the {10-Hearts} and now Neto needed help on the river.

The river produced the {K-Spades} and smashed Neto with the winning hand. What happened next was -- to say the least -- a little out of the ordinary.

Neto began jumping up and down as high as he could, pumping his arms into the air each time he jumped. The final table stage sounded with extremely large thuds every time Neto landed forcefully, so much so that it sounded as though it might come crashing down. Neto than began running around the room with a black ski mask now pulled over his face. He hugged and cheered with his fan section before returning to the table. When he got back to the table, he put a hat on backwards over the ski mask and sunglasses, too, before taking them off a few moments later.

Player Chips Progress
Engelberth Varela
Engelberth Varela
1,425,000 -415,000
Nelson Trad Neto
Nelson Trad Neto
875,000 470,000

Tags: Engelberth VarelaNelson Trad Neto

Level: 24

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 5,000

Final Table Almost Set To Start

Alex Komaromi
Alex Komaromi

Welcome to PokerNews' Day 4 coverage of the 2011 PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour Punta del Este Main Event.

Three days ago, a field of 422 came to play at the Mantra Resort. Now, only eight players remain with hopes of capturing a coveted LAPT title.

Leading the way with 2,920,000 -- more than a third of the chips in play -- is Alex Komaromi, the lone Uruguayan remaining. Second in chips is Engelberth Varela with 1,840,000 and between the two, more than half the chips in play reside. They still have a long way to go as the six other players left all have the same goal, emerging victorious and claiming the title.

Play begins a little bit after noon local time, about hour from now, so be sure to keep it here at PokerNews to follow all of the exciting action and to see who the next LAPT champion will be!

Here is how the final table stacks up:

SeatPlayerCountryChips
1Rafael MonteiroBrazil810,000
2Felipe PasiniBrazil345,000
3Nelson Trad NetoBrazil405,000
4Carlos WatanabePeru430,000
5Alex KomaromiUruguay2,920,000
6Claudio PiedrabuenaArgentina490,000
7Fernando AraujoBrazil860,000
8Engelberth VarelaVenezuela1,840,000

Seat 1: Rafael Monteiro, Brazil (PokerStars Player) - 810,000

Rafael Monteiro
Rafael Monteiro

Rafael Monteiro from Florianopolis, Brazil splits his time between poker and his studies. The 22-year-old student has been playing poker (mostly online) for the better part of three years. Monteiro’s career live tournament earnings total just under USD $50,000. Monteiro enjoys playing tennis and working out at the gym in his spare time.

Bio courtesy of PokerStars

Tags: Rafael Monteiro

Seat 2: Felipe Pasini, Brazil (PokerStars Qualifier) - 345,000

Felipe Pasini
Felipe Pasini

Felipe Sangalli Pasini is a 24-year-old professional poker player from Passo Fundo, Brazil, who learned how to play poker at home games with his friends. Pasini has been playing for approximately five years, mostly online, and prior to this week, had no live tournament cashes. No matter how he ends up at Sunday’s final table, this will be the largest win of his career. Pasini is an avid soccer fan, and says his hobbies outside of poker are “friends, parties and beer.”

Bio courtesy of PokerStars

Tags: Felipe Pasini

Seat 3: Nelson Trad Neto, Brazil - 405,000

Nelson Trad Neto
Nelson Trad Neto

Nelson Trad Neto from Campo Grande, Brazil is a 24-year-old public relations specialist and part-time poker player. Neto is relatively new to the live tournament scene, but has earned more than $180,000 on PokerStars, playing under the alias “DJMAJNUN” over the past four years. When he’s not working or playing cards, Neto is a DJ back in a Brazil. His music of choice is electronic/dance.

Bio courtesy of PokerStars

Tags: Nelson Trad Neto

Seat 4: Carlos Watanabe, Peru (PokerStars Player) – 430,000

Carlos Watanabe
Carlos Watanabe

Carlos Adolfo Watanabe, the only Peruvian player at the final table, has been a hobby poker player for the past 10 years. The 38-year-old industrial engineer from Lima notched his first and only major tournament cash at the 2010 PokerStars.net-sponsored NAPT Los Angeles Main Event (15th - $21,000). Watanabe, a regular at PokerStars, enters the final table as one of his short-stacks with 430,000.

Bio courtesy of PokerStars

Tags: Carlos Watanabe