Main Event
Day 4 Started
2011 PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este
Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este
Buy-in
$2,300
Prize Pool
$941,480
Entries
422
Level
27
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
10,000
Seat 8: Engelberth Varela, Venezuela (PokerStars Qualifier) – 1,840,000
Engelberth Varela is the mystery man of the LAPT Punta del Este final table. Little is known about the young Venezuelan, other than he’s recorded two previous cashes on the LAPT: a 17th place finish in Lima back in April ($5,420) and a 13th place finish in Florianopolis during LAPT Season 3 ($9,245). We do know one thing – Varela can play, and he’ll most definitely make his presence known at Sunday’s final table, unbagging a second-best 1,840,000 in chips when play begins.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Seat 7: Fernando Araujo, Brazil (PokerStars Qualifier) – 860,000
Fernando Araujo is a 26-year-old professional poker player from Florianopolis, Brazil. Araujo grew up playing poker with a close group of friends and is now an online pro, and a six-year veteran of the game. This, his first LAPT event, Araujo says his greatest influence has been fellow Brazilian pro Thiago Pessotti, who goes by “GUITOSBR” on PokerStars. Should he reach the heads-up portion of Sunday’s final table, Araujo would most like to be sitting across from fellow Brazilian Felipe Pasini.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Seat 6: Claudio Piedrabuena, Argentina – 490,000
At 52, Claudio Piedrabuena is the elder statesman of the LAPT Punta del Este Main Event final table. Piedrabuena has been playing poker for 34 years – longer than most of our final-tablists have been alive. Piedrabuena is a businessman who calls Rosario, Argentina home, and when he’s not working or playing cards with his friends, his favorite pastime is golf.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Seat 5: Alex Komaromi, Uruguay - 2,920,000
Final table chip leader Alex Komaromi is the only remaining Uruguayan in the Punta del Este Main Event field. No player from Uruguay has ever won an LAPT Main Event title. Komaromi is 21 years-old and lives in Montevideo – the largest city and capital of Uruguay. Komaromi is a full-time student and part-time poker player, who’s flirted with the live tournament circuit for the past three years without recording any major results. A win on Sunday would easily be the biggest of Komaromi's young career.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Seat 4: Carlos Watanabe, Peru (PokerStars Player) – 430,000
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
Seat 3: Nelson Trad Neto, Brazil - 405,000
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
Seat 2: Felipe Pasini, Brazil (PokerStars Qualifier) - 345,000
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
Seat 1: Rafael Monteiro, Brazil (PokerStars Player) - 810,000
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
Final Table Almost Set To Start
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:
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rafael Monteiro | Brazil | 810,000 |
| 2 | Felipe Pasini | Brazil | 345,000 |
| 3 | Nelson Trad Neto | Brazil | 405,000 |
| 4 | Carlos Watanabe | Peru | 430,000 |
| 5 | Alex Komaromi | Uruguay | 2,920,000 |
| 6 | Claudio Piedrabuena | Argentina | 490,000 |
| 7 | Fernando Araujo | Brazil | 860,000 |
| 8 | Engelberth Varela | Venezuela | 1,840,000 |