Julio Arocena - Courtesy of Carlos Monti/PokerStars
While 86 players began the day, there were only 24 to finish it out. Players played down past the money bubble today and it took six and a half levels to whittle the field down to the final three tables. Leading the way at the end of the day was Julio Arocena. Arocena was the chip leader after Day 1b and he’ll look to go wire to wire by carrying that chip lead to the final table and perhaps a victory. Arocena goes by the nickname “El Maquina” or “The Machine” here in Uruguay, mostly because he refers to his fellow tablemates as "Maquina." Arocena will bring 566,000 chips into Day 3 of play.
Plenty of players dropped out before the bubble burst though. Some of the notables not making it into the money include Brett Trevillian, Ramiro Petrone, Leo Giacoia, Andre Hajjar, and Marcelo Cudos. Perhaps most notably not making into the money was PokerStars Team Pro Leo Fernandez. Fernandez was stacked by the Uruguay PokerStars Cup Winner Gustavo Prato when Fernandez called Prato’s shove holding aces against Prato’s pair and straight draw. Prato turned his straight and that eliminated well before the money.
It was Christopher Franco who was the bubble boy. He was eliminated by Roberly Felicio when Franco moved all in preflop for 26,000. Felicio called from the big blind with pocket threes. Franco’s ace-king suited could not catch up and he would be the last player to hit the rail without a payday, brining the rest of the players into the money and securing them $2,620 each.
Some of those who made it into the money but not much further included Diego Aro, Victor Llanos, Juan Parra, Fabio Colonese, and Day 1a chip leader Halysson Sala. Sala moved all in from the button with king-five but couldn’t outrace his opponents pocket twos. South African Jesse Rosen was the last to fall of the day. Rosen shoved with a gutshot and a flush draw against Renan Toniolo’s top pair, but couldn’t catch up and he was the last to be eliminated for the day, bringing the field down to 24 players.
The final 24 will return tomorrow at 12 p.m. local time where they will play another ten levels or down to the final nine players, whichever comes first. PokerNews will be back with all the action so make sure you’re here to catch it all.
Deigo Aro moved his short stack all in from under the gun. He was all in for roughly 30,000. Action folded around to the button where Hugo Marcelo called. Both blinds folded so the two headed to a showdown.
Aro:
Marcelo:
The board rolled out flopping Aro some extra outs to a straight that never materialized. Aro becomes the first player paid from the tournament, collecting $2,620 for his efforts.
Christopher Franco moved all-in for his last 26,000 from early position and Roberly Felicio called from the big blind to put him at risk.
Franco:
Felicio:
Franco found himself racing for his tournament life and needed help from the deck in order to double up against his opponent's pocket pair. The board ran out which was no help to Franco and Felicio took the pot to end the bubble.
We didn't see the entirety of the preflop action but Marcelo Cudos was all in and at rish for roughly 30,000 chips holding . He had been called by Hector Barua who was holding .
The board was safe for Barua all the way through when it came keeping his king kicker as the best hand.
Just several days ago Barua final tabled the PokerStars Cup here in Uruguay, taking home $5,000 after a five way deal. Barua is on the verge of another deep run here today in the Main Event as he as already started to amass a big stack.
Hugo Marcelo - Courtesy of Carlos Monti/PokerStars
Ramiro Petrone opened with a raise to 5,000 from early position. He found resistance from Hugo Marcelo in the hijack seat. Action folded to Jesse Rosen in the big blind and he reraised, making it 16,000 to play. Petrone called as did Marcelo bringing them three ways to the flop.
On the flop, action checked to Marcelo who put out a bet of 35,000. Rosen quickly got out of the way. Petrone dropped into the tank, then finally decided to move all in after a couple minutes of thought. The shove was for 122,500 total, or 87,500 more for Marcelo to call. Marcelo asked for a count, then eventually announced a call, creating a massive pot worth more than 300,000 chips.
Marcelo:
Petrone:
Petrone was in the lead with his flopped two pair, but Marcelo could catch any diamond to win outright. The turn was the giving Marcelo numerous extra outs to with a three, jack, or ace. The river was the and that gave Marcelo a better two pair to earn him the massive pot and the clear chip lead in the tournament while Petrone hit the rail busting just a bit short of the money.
It's a been a good day so far for the Brazilian poker star Hugo Marcelo. He started the day with 121,000 chips, but he's nearly doubled that already within the first two levels.
In a recent hand, Marcelo opened with a raise to 4,500 from under the gun. He found a call from the player to his left, the player on the button, Francisco Araujo in the small blind and Ramiro Petrone in the big blind.
The flop came down and action checked around to the player under the gun +1. He moved all in and action folded back to Marcelo who called.
Marcello:
Under The Gun +1:
The board bricked out for the early position player when it came making Marcelo's queens and fives best. He collected the players roughly 40,000 chip stack and was able to climb well over 200,000 chips.
Catching the action on the flop, with a board of Gustavo Prato, the winner the PokerStars Festival Uruguay PokerStars Cup for $9,600, was facing off against Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez. Prato checked over to Fernandez who put out a bet of 5,000. Prato then moved all in with a covering stack. Fernandez tanked for a while then called all in for less with his stack of roughly 50,000 chips.
Prato:
Fernandez:
The turn was the putting Fernandez in a deep hole, but keeping him live with a draw to the same straight, but the river was the and that was it for the Team PokerStars Pro who hits the rail early here on Day 2 well before the money.
On a board of with roughly 7,000 chips in the middle, Carlos Segarra had a bet of 25,100 in front of him. Action was back to Andre Hajjar and he moved all in for about twice the size of the bet. Segarra was in the tank when we approached. Eventually, he decided to call and their hands were turned up.
Segarra:
Hajjar:
Hajjar was behind but he had outs to any king or any spade, since a nine would make Segarra a straight and a seven would make him a full house. The river thought was the not completing any of Hajjars outs and he was eliminated from the tournament while Segarra collected the pot.
The Eventual Winner's Trophy as well as the High Roller Trophy
Prizepool information has been posted. The winner of this event will eventually take home $76,155. With 260 total players, the total prize pool for the event amassed $379,755. A min-cash for this event is worth $2,620 and a total of 39 players will be paid, which means about half of the remaining field will need to drop before payday. A final table appearance will be worth $7,940 with nine players making the official final table.
A full list of payouts will be posted in the payouts section briefly.
and that kept Perez in the lead with his pair of tens and Betancor was eliminated from the tournament.
flopping Aro some extra outs to a straight that never materialized. Aro becomes the first player paid from the tournament, collecting $2,620 for his efforts.
. He had been called by Hector Barua who was holding 
. 
making Marcelo's queens and fives best. He collected the players roughly 40,000 chip stack and was able to climb well over 200,000 chips.
