The Poker Reporter Blog
PokerStars LAPT Nuevo Vallarta Canceled
Created By: Owen Laukkanen Posted in: The Poker Reporter Blog, Tournament Trail
The PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour's Nuevo Vallarta main and side events have been canceled due to what the LAPT calls "an indefinite suspension served on one of its local partners."
Tournament organizers made the announcement at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon at the Marival Grand and Club Suites resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, more than 18 hours after play was halted by Mexican gaming officials late on Day 1 of what was supposed to be a three-day event.
The 89 players still holding chips at the time of the suspension of play will each receive at least double the $2,500 buy-in from the tournament's $568,850 prize pool, with any remainder being dispersed based on each player's approximate chip count at the interruption of play. The 89 survivors will also receive $500 from PokerStars.
Among those who will receive payment for their time in Mexico are Team PokerStars Pro pros Greg Raymer and Victor Ramdin, as well as Alex Brenes, Maria "Maridu" Mayrinck and LAPT2 Costa Rica champ Ryan Fee, although the breakdown of prize money has not been released.
Check out last night's recap for details of how this event broke down.
After action was paused at 10:30 p.m. Friday evening, players were told to return to the tournament area at noon on Saturday for instructions as to how to proceed. At noon, PokerStars' Sarne Lightman instructed the field to return at 5 p.m., at which point a plan of action would be announced.
That plan of action, as outlined above, was the full cancellation of the tournament and the distribution of prize monies among those still alive at the suspension of play.
The announcement that the 153 players already eliminated from contention would not receive any remuneration for the mishap sparked a near-riot, as unhappy eliminatees loudly protested the decision at the entrance to the Marival's theater. In the end, three police cars had to be called to convince those who would not be paid to give up the fight.
The full text of the LAPT's official statement is as follows:
The Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) confirms that it is cancelling the poker tournament in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, due to an indefinite suspension served on one of its local partners.
The LAPT states it has cooperated fully and in good faith with the requirements outlined by the Mexican government. The LAPT respects and abides by local regulations in each market.
LAPT's partner in Mexico obtained a formal ruling from the Mexican Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) allowing the event to take place. As the LAPT compiled with every rule stipulated by the Code of the Mexican Federal Law of Games and Raffles, the reasons for suspension are being reviewed by lawyers of all parties.
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Comments
6warren
2008-12-12I am just an innocent bystander in the poker community that feels that the decision made by pokerstars was not the best solution. Pokerstars footed the bill for the remaining 89 players, so that decision, since it is their money is theirs to make. The players that got knocked out shouldn't receive any money whatsoever. They played the tournament hoping to win $160,000 and didn't make it. Boohoo! But why have a $50,000 freeroll online? I would not feel comfortable playing a tourament of this calibur online with 88 people that I can not see, can not talk to, and can not sit face to face with. How do I know I am actually playing against the "man" behind the screen and not one of his buddies that is running good in his online poker tourneys?
BajaAztec
2008-12-08Hello to all reading this section, i live in Mexico and i have a Q for those who played at the LAPT in Nuevo Vallarta, did you saw any of the players that were already out of the tourney, playing cash money games?, and if your answer is of course; that was the main problem of breaking the law in Mexican soil, because the law prohibits money ring games. So the goverment permit was OK for playing the tourney, but not for playing or making side bets, i know that is stupid kind of law, but the law was broken!, and pokerstars had the obligation to tell everyone about this law.
I only hope that the mexican goverment change this law, because it is a great opportunity for the country to make this awsome poker torneys and then all players can enjoy the warmth of Mexico.
adam
2008-12-08I was in the tourney and was still in it when all this shinanigans happened. The only thing that was good that came outta the situation was a trip to vallarta, otherwise it was all a horrible blunder, i made some money but not what i should have made. Thanks jokerstars lol Nevertheless i love mexico but hate their gambling laws!
AdamDay342
Jordan
2008-12-07I respectfully disagree with my colleagues because it has not been shown that PokerStars or its agents were misfeasant or malfeasant. Your complaint is with the Mexican government.
PokerStars apportionment was correct and added $45,000 to the payout to make it fair. I finished 4th with 60850 chips and will receive a check for $10000. First, unless the tournament had not started, no one eliminated is entitled to a guaranteed buy-in. No casino in the world does that. You only get one bite of the apple. Besides, what if the tournament was shut down with two remaining at the final table...do you really feel that a refund is owed? And what about everyone who paid money to qualify but who failed? Secondly, although I had hoped for a larger check, none of the 89 were in the money yet and we all still had a shot. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. I was paid based on the probability that I would be in the money, nothing more, nothing less, and no guarantees.
Chris
2008-12-07I got eliminated from the Main Event 3 hours in. The famous stevie444 of Pokerstars Steps fame rivered me despite being a 4:1 underdog with one card to go. I would not have played the cards I played had I not been going for the whole enchilada. Had I known that the top 89 players would receive prize money I would have played a completely different strategy, playing only prime starting cards and not playing "implied odds" poker at the early levels with small pocket pairs and suited connectors.
I am one of the eliminated players who feels strongly that EVERYONE should be refunded. We broke the law in Mexico by sitting down and playing poker...the gaming licence was no good.
I agree that the remaining players should get the original prize money distributed between them.
Let's face it, this was a monumental cock up on the part of the organizers, Pokerstars and the LAPT. They did everything in good faith but at the end of the day a lot of people paid a lot of money to go to Vallarta, play in one tourney with the idea of playing the Second Chance tourney next day and in the end we're sorta lucky we didn't all end up in jail.
albert
2008-12-07I was in the tournament, I am one of the people that was still in, I understand that pokerstars believes they compensated everyone well, but I disagree, the chip distribution was horrible for people with above average stacks and great for the short stacks, with everyone guaranteed 5000 as a base, then the free five hundred and then according to chips, in other words ramdin had over 90,000 chips and i think got around 10,800. While a guy that had 300 chips got 5,580. I had about 37k and i believe i got robbed, they should had made the base either 2500 or just do an even distribution according to chip percentages. Not to mention they stated early that not to worry if the tournament was canceled we would be great compensated for those still in and a little something would be offered for the people busted. And it ended with a bad chop, 500 dollars extra, and nothing for busted players. With the mess up of this caliber i believe this is a weak compensation.