PokerStars.com LAPT San Jose - Live Updates

Ladies and gentleman we have our first winner of of LAPT Season 2 and it's not exactly a surprise who it is.

Some thought we might be in for a long drawn-out heads-up battle and for awhile that looked possible with Joel Micka winning several hands and starting to close the gap between him and Ryan Fee.

Then, as quick as the come-back started, it ended.

In the final hand of the tournament Micka bet $40,000 from the button and Fee re-raised to $105,000. Mick threw $300,000 more into the pot and Fee decided it was shove time.

Micka called in short order and the players tabled their cards:

Micka: 4♣ 4♠

Fee: A♠ T♥

Fee had Micka just barely covered as the dealer prepared to put out, what would be, the final board of the tournament. The flop came K♠ Q♣ 7♣ and Fee had a gut-shot straight draw. The turn was the 8♥ but the river fell... A♥!

It turns out ace on the river isn't just a book by Barry Greenstein!

Fee wins LAPT San Jose Season 2 for $287,773 while Micka settles for $148,993. We'd like to thank tournament director Mike Ward and his staff for putting an exceptional event here in San Jose and especially the folks at PokerStars.com, who provided a huge overlay for the players here in Costa Rica.

Stay tuned an interview with the winner and recap blog.

With the recent departure of Brent Sheirbon we are now heads-up between Ryan Fee and Joel Micka. Fee would likely be considered the favorite as he's been on a world class tear in the last hour of play and of course entered the day as chip leader.

Micka on the other hand has quietly build a very impressive stack and is rumored to be an A-grade heads-up player.

Here are the chip counts as the players begin heads-up.

The players at the final table of LAPT San Jose certainly aren't wasting any time. Brent Sheirbon has been eliminated leaving the two chip giants to do battle.

In his final hand Sheirbon shoved for for his last $100,000 after Joel Micka bet $32,000 from earlier position.

Micka called and showed 2♥ 2♣ while Sheirbon flipped over Q♦ T♦ for two overcards.

The board came 7♥ 6♣ 5♣ J♣ K♠ and Sheirbon was eliminated in a somewhat uneventful hand, compared to the last three.

Sheirbon will receive $109,913 for coming in third.

We are now heads-up between Micka and Ryan Fee.

We've made it to Level 21 and Ryan Fee looks unbeatable as ever. Blinds are now $8,000/$16,000 with a $2,000 ante.

Here are the approximate chip counts:

We can barely believe our eyes but Ryan Fee has gone and gotten lucky in yet another hand within moments of eliminating Chen. Short-stacked Jesus Bertoli open shoved and Fee made the call.

Bertoli was in the lead with A♦ 3♠ against Fee's K♠ Q♠ but with Fee's recent luck you had to like his chances.

Of course the flop came K♦ Q♥ 8♦ putting Fee firmly in control of the hand. The turn came 4♠ and Bertoli was drawing dead.

Bertoli, the last South American in the field, is eliminated fourth and will receive $80,603 for his efforts.

Fee, on the other hand, is looking unstoppable and is approaching $1.5 million in chips. 

Ryan Fee told the entire table for action began that he had saved all his run-good for the final table and was planning on sucking out an all of them. So far he's taken two players out with that logic.

In the most recent case there was betting pre-flop and Canada's Andrew Chen decided to shove for $325,000. Fee, perhaps still riding the high of winning the A-K vs. A-K debacle against Jeff Patronack, decided to call.

Once again the players revealed their hands:

Chen: Q♣ Q♥

Fee: 8♠ 8♥

Chen had to like his chances but nonetheless feel somewhat nervous about Fee's recent suckout.

The dealer flopped 6♣ 5♣ 4♥ and the crowd gasped at Fee getting a gut-shot straight draw.

"Any seven or eight will put Ryan in the lead," said today's announcer Humberto Brenes.

It turned out to be a prophetic statement as the 7♦ peeled off the turn. Chen was suddenly drawing dead and the crowd cheered Fee's good fortune.

Fee will receive $61,063 for coming in fifth while Fee busts through the $1 million mark in chips for the first time this tournament

We've seen some pretty sick hands here at PokerListings.com as we travel the world searching for poker action but the one that just transpired would definitely be among the top 10.

In the hand Jeff Patronack and Ryan Fee got into a raising war pre-flop and Patronack finally announced he was all-in for a total of $297,000. 

Fee snap-called and the players flipped over their cards:

Patronack: A♦ K♦

Fee: A♠ K♠

The players laughed nervously as usually this is a chop pot. As you might have guessed things went a little differently this time around.

The flop came a stunning T♠ J♠ 8♠ giving Fee his flush and effectively eliminating Patronack. The weirdness was just getting started however as the turn brought the Q♠ giving Fee a royal flush!

It didn't stop there however as the river fell 9♠ to add injury to insult as Patronack actually made a straight flush on the board but was obviously beaten by Fee's Royal.

Patronack is eliminated sixth and will have to settle for $43,960 in prize money but he will have quite the bad beat story to tell his grand children.

Now this is more like the LAPT San Jose we used to know. Less than 20 minutes after the elimination of Maria Stern we have another bustication.

In the hand Norwegian Claus Rasmussen open shoved from middle position for approximately $150,000 and Joel Micka made the call from cutoff. Everyone else got out of the way and the players revealed their hands:

Rasmussen: Q♦ 7♦

Micka: K♥ K♠

The board came Q♠ 9♣ 2♣ T♣ 6♠ and despite making a pair of queens Rasmussen was eliminated. He will receive $34,195 for his efforts in Costa Rica and the chance to go get a tan before he heads back to Scandinavia.

We've gotten to Level 20 which means players now have to content with blinds of $6,000/$12,000 and an ante of $1,000. Also, Ryan Fee has changed into a cowboy shirt.

All is well. 

We finally have our first elimination at the final table of LAPT San Jose and it's none other than Costa Rican Maria Stern. Stern was probably the most popular playing in today's event and her sons were cheering loudly from the rail every time she won a pot.

In her final hand Stern shoved from the cut off for her last $116,000. Everyone got out of the way except for Jeff Patronack, who called instantly.

The quick call didn't bode well for Stern and her fears were soon realized when Patronack flipped over Q-Q. Stern showed K♥ J♥ and would need a great deal of help if she was to continue in the event.

The board came 5♣ 4♣ 4♥ T♦ 6♣ and the Godmother of Poker in Costa Rica was eliminated. The crowd stood on it's feet and gave a grand applause for Stern as she headed for the payout box.

While Ryan Fee can pull off a bluff or two, Brent Sheirbon just proved he's not afraid to make some moves either.

In the hand Sheirbon bet $25,000 from middle position and Jesus Bertoli re-raised to $57,000 from the botton.

Sheirbon thought for a minute and then asked how much Bertoli had left behind. Approximately $120,000 was the answer and after another minute of thought Sheirbon announced he was all-in.

Bertoli folded and Sheirbon flipped over 7♦ 2♦ to the amazement of everyone in the poker room.

"I love you!" exclaimed Fee as he gave Sheirbon a big hug to celebrate his fearless play.

"But they were suited," Sheirbon joking explained.

The only person not laughing was Bertoli, who is now down to $120,00 chips and on life-support.

U.S. online player Ryan Fee has shown no fear in making large raises and he just proved it once again against Brent Sheirbon.

In the hand Sheirbon bet $30,000 from the small blind and Fee called from the big blind. The flop came 9♥ 6♣ 2♦ and Sheirbon checked but Fee bet $25,000.

Sheirbon made the quick call and the turn came 5♠. Both players checked and the river fell 8♥.

Sheirbon decided to bet $60,000 which sent Fee into the tank for a couple minutes. Finally Fee came up for air and decided to throw an extra stack of blue $5,000 into the middle worth $100,000. Sheirbon decided he couldn't make the call and laid it down.

Fee threw down his 4♦ 4♥ in triumph.

After the hand Sheirbon was knocked down to below $200,000 chips while Fee is approaching $500,000.

LAPT San Jose, for the most part, has been all about speed and aggressive play so it is somewhat surprising that one level into the final table we are still looking for our first elimination.

Perhaps the new blinds of $5,000/$10,000 and and an ante of $1,000 will entice some action.

Brent Sheirbon just added a few more chips to his stack. In the hand action folded to Sheirbon, who was on the button, and he popped it up by $20,000 chips. Claus Rasmussen announced a re-raise, however, and put $62,000 into the middle.

Sheirbon thought for several minutes and said, "Yeah, I'm all-in."

Rasmussen pondered a call for a minute and then threw his hand into the muck. Sheirbon rakes the pot.

After not seeing a flop for the first five hands of the tournament we have our first double up. In the hand Joel Micka bet $18,500 from late position and Jeff Patronack shoved for $107,000 from the cutoff.

Ryan Fee was in the big blind and asked for a count on Patronack. After hearing what it was Fee decided to move all-in himself having both players covered.

Micka immediately folded and the remaining players in the hand revealed their cards:

Fee: Q♥ Q♣

Patronack: A♥ K♥

It's a classic race as we headed to the board. It came 7-5-5-3... A♠!

Patronack doesn't even react as he hits his miracle miracle ace and doubles up to past $200,000.

After an extremely lengthy press conference and introduction to the players we are finally live from San Jose, Costa Rica.

Although eight players go into today's contest with high hopes only one will walk away with the LAPT San Jose title and $280,000+ in cash.

There are approximately 40 minutes remaining Level 18. Shuffle up and deal! 

Greetings and salutations poker fans. Welcome to PokerListings.com's coverage of the final table of LAPT San Jose in the LAPT's second season.

Media Director Nollan Dalla is currently conducting a press conference with the final table contestants but in under 30 minutes they'll all be battling it out at the final table.

Stay tuned as we'll bring you every thrilling double-up, elimination and general poker shenanigans.

Here are the chip counts as the players prepare to take their seats: