LAPT Punta del Este - Live Updates

Alex Brenes limps in and Jose Miguel Espinar checks his option. The flop comes A-A-8 and Espinar bets out $65,000. Brenes makes the call and the turn is a deuce. Espinar now fires $180,000 into the pot and Brenes again makes the call. The river is a six and Espinar checks. Brenes fires out $300,000 and after some thought, Espinar matches the bet. Brenes shows A-9 for trips and takes down the pot.

Brenes is now on $1.6 million while Espinar still holds the lead with $2 million.

Jose Miguel Espinar raises to $105,000 and Alex Brenes makes the call. The flop comes 9-7-6 with two diamonds and Brenes checks. Espinar bets $160,000 and Brenes mulls things over before making the call. The turn is the 4♠ and Brenes bets out $400,000. Now it's Espinar's turn to ruminate and he does, giving the matter a bit of his attention and ultimately deciding to move all-in.

Brenes stands, his brow furrowed in consternation as he contemplates the call. After a few tense minutes the Costa Rican folds and Espinar takes a whopper of a pot, to the obvious delight of the pro-Spanish audience.

Alex Brenes limps in and Jose Miguel Espinar checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes 8♣ 5♠ 4♠ and both players check. The turn is the 8♠ and Espinar bets out $60,000. Brenes matches the wager and the river is the 4♦. Espinar bets $180,000 and after a second to think, Brenes calls that bet as well. He shows A♦ 3♥ for eights and fours with an ace kicker, and it's good to take the pot.

The dinner break is over and tournament director Mike Ward has succeeded in enticing the camera crew and surviving two players away from the buffet and back to the tournament area. From here on out, we play until we've got a winner.

Chip counts are as follows: Jose Miguel Espinar has $2,250,000 and Alex Brenes has $1,350,000. And the game begins again! 

After a quick break during which the tournament staff pumped Survivor throughout the venue, the players have returned for the thrilling conclusion of the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour's Season 1 finale in Punta del Este.

Heads-up play is under way, with Spain's Jose Miguel Espinar holding $1,993,000 and Costa Rica's Alex Brenes $1,528,000.

Cards are back in the air. Game on!

After being reduced to his last $10,000, Lisandro Gallo gets all-in pre-flop against Jose Miguel Espinar holding 9-5 to Espinar's 8-5. The board comes A-Q-2-7-6 and Gallo doubles up.

On the next hand, Gallo is all-in in the small blind with A-K to big blind Alex Brenes' 7-4. The board comes 6-6-3-8-6 and Gallo again doubles, bringing his stack to over $50,000.

The next hand, however, sees Gallo shove from the button and Brenes make the call, holding a pocket pair of aces to Gallo's Q-9. The board runs K-3-2 and after the turn is a brick, Gallo is drawing dead and is eliminated in third place. He'll earn $93,630 for his efforts.

We now take a short break before commencing heads-up play between Brenes and Espinar. Chip counts to follow.

Lisandro Gallo raises to $60,000 on the button and Jose Miguel Espinar re-ups to $170,000 in the big blind. Gallo gives the matter some thought before matching the wager and we're heads-up going to the flop.

The flop comes T♦ 6♥ 2♦ and both players check. The turn is the J♥ and Espinar bets out $200,000. Gallo moves all-in over the top for approximately $600,000 more and Espinar calls all-in almost instantly, turning up A-J for top/top while Gallo is behind with 8-6 for third pair.

The river card is the J♦ and Espinar makes trips to double up, leaving Gallo with only about $10,000 after he settles his tab.

Lisandro Gallo raises to $100,000 and Alex Brenes puts him all-in for another $450,000 or so. Gallo makes the call, putting his tournament life on the line with A♥ 5♥ against Brenes' A-9. Gallo is dominated and needs to suck out to stay alive, and the flop is a godsend, coming K♠ J♦ 5♦ to give Gallo the best hand. The board finishes out 7♣ 4♠ and Lisandro doubles up to over $1 million.

Alex Brenes raises pre-flop and Jose Miguel Espinar reraises to $105,000. Brenes makes the call and the flop comes A♥ 4♥ 4♦. Both players check and they check again when the J♥ hits the turn. The river card is the 8♥ and Espinar checks to Brenes, who bets $250,000. Espinar makes the call and turns up A-8 for aces-up. Brenes, however, has pocket eights for the boat and takes an $800,000 pot.

Jose Miguel Espinar raises to $55,000 on the button and Alex Brenes makes it $250,000 to go from the big blind. Espinar makes the call and the flop comes J♦ 9♥ 8♠. Both players check and the turn is the 7♠, prompting Brenes to move all-in and put Espinar to a decision for his last $900,000. Espinar folds fairly quickly and Brenes takes the pot.

Alex Brenes limps in the small blind and Jose Miguel Espinar checks his option in the big blind. The flop comes Q♣ 9♦ 7♥ and Brenes checks to Espinar, who bets out $35,000. Brenes raises to $100,000 and Espinar makes the call. The turn is the K♥ and both players check to see the river, which is the 9♠. Brenes checks to Espinar, who bets $300,000, and after a bit of thought the SharkBro makes the call, turning up Q-4 for two pair. Espinar has 9-3 for trips, however, and takes the pot.

Alex Brenes and Alexandre Gomes see a flop come 6♠ 4♠ 3♣ and that's when the fireworks start. Brenes leads out and Gomes gets all-in over the top for just marginally less than his Costa Rican opponent's stack. Brenes mulls his options and eventually decides to call, galvanizing a very vocal audience as he turns up A-5 for the open-ended straight draw.

Gomes has Q♠ 7♠ for the gut-shot straight draw and the flush draw and will need to improve to stay alive. The turn is the 7♥, giving Brenes the straight, and now Gomes needs a spade to win or a five to chop. The river card, however, is the 9♦ and the Team PokerStars pro can't get there.

Gomes is eliminated in fourth place and will take home $68,100 for his accomplishments.

Lisandro Gallo raises to $47,000 and Alex Brenes makes the call in the small blind. The flop comes A♠ J♥ J♦ and both players check. The turn is the 7♣ and Brenes bets out $50,000. Gallo thinks for a minute or two before making the call; the river is the 2♥. Brenes bets $150,000 and Gallo makes the call, showing A-K for aces-up. Brenes has him spanked, however, showing A-J for the boat. SharkBro takes the pot.

Jose Miguel Espinar raises to $45,000 and Alexandre Gomes flat-calls in the big blind. The flop comes 4♥ 3♠ 3♦ and both players check. The turn is the 6♦ and Gomes bets out $70,000. Espinar thinks for a few minutes before making the call. The river comes the 7♥. Gomes bets $130,000 and Espinar lays it down, giving the pot to the Brazilian.

Lisandro Gallo raises to $44,000 and Gylbert Drolet moves all-in over the top for his last $195,000. Action folds back to Gallo, who gives the matter a bit of thought before making the call and turning up A♣ Q♥. Drolet has pocket jacks and is racing for his tournament life.

The flop comes T♣ 9♣ 2♣ and Gallo flops four to the flush. Drolet needs to fade an ace, a queen or a club or he's busto. The North Americans in the room holler for a deuce and the turn is the 5♠, which is just as good. The river, however, is the K♣ and Gallo makes the club flush, eliminating the young Canadien in fifth place. He earns $51,070 for his efforts.

The game has slowed considerably since we began five-handed play, with flops a rare breed and pre-flop raises mostly succeeding in taking down pots. We just saw a reraise as Alexandre Gomes came over the top of Alex Brenes' $45,000 raise, but SharkBro wasn't down to tango and laid down the hand. And the beast goes on.

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from Uruguay on the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour.

Here are the current chip counts as we proceed:

Jose Miguel Espinar	$1,350,000
Lisandro Gallo	$775,000
Alexandre Gomes	$620,000
Alex Brenes	$490,000
Gylbert Drolet	$227,000

Lisandro Gallo limps under the gun and Alexandre Gomes completes in the small blind. Jose Miguel Espinar checks his option and the flop comes Q♠ T♥ 3♣. Gomes bets out $36,000 and Espinar folds out, but Gallo raises to $75,000. Gomes mulls it over before making the call and checking dark heading for the turn, which comes the 2♥. Gallo bets out $85,000 and Gomes folds. Gallo takes the pot, flashing a queen as he does so.

We're now on a 15-minute break.

Lisandro Gallo raises to $30,000 out of the small blind and Gylbert Drolet makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes K♥ 4♠ 2♣ and Gallo checks to Drolet, who bets $45,000. Gallo makes the call and the turn is the 9♣. Gallo checks again to Drolet, who makes it $70,000 to go. Again Gallo calls and after 6♠ on the river, both players check. Gallo shows A♥ T♦ for ace-high and takes the pot.

Alex Brenes raises to $34,000 from the button and Jose Miguel Espinar makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes A♠ 5♠ 2♦ and Espinar checks to Brenes, who bets out $60,000. Espinar raises to $160,000 and after some thought, Brenes lays it down. Espinar takes the pot.

We've reached the end of Level 19 and action continues into Level 20 without benefit of a pause.

Here are the current chip counts for the remaining five players:

Jose Miguel Espinar	$1,145,000
Alexandre Gomes	$800,000
Gylbert Drolet	$600,000
Alex Brenes	$500,000
Lisandro Gallo	$450,000

Short-stacked Sidney Chreem open-shoves all-in for his last $50,000 and Lisandro Gallo makes the call, turning up a pocket pair of sevens. Chreem is racing with Q♦ 9♦ and will need to improve to survive. The flop comes T♣ T♥ 8♠, giving Chreem the gut-shot. The turn, however, is the 6♥ and the river the 3♥ and Chreem whiffs. He's out in sixth place and takes $34,045 from the prize pool.

Gylbert Drolet raises to $29,000 from under the gun and Alexandre Gomes makes the call on the button. The flop comes Q♦ 8♦ 7♥ and Drolet bets out $45,000. Gomes raises to $160,000 and after some negotiation, Drolet lays it down. Gomes shows J-T as he rakes the pot.

Lisandro Gallo raises to $30,000 and the action folds around to Alexandre Gomes, who makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes T♦ T♠ 5♥ and both players check. The turn is the K♥ and Gomes bets out $50,000. Gallo folds and Gomes takes the pot.

Juan Jose Perez raises to $35,000 and Jose Miguel Espinar reraises to $92,000 on the button. Action folds back around to Perez, who moves all-in for $195,000 total. Espinar makes an instant call and turns up A♦ J♦, only to find himself well behind Perez's A♣ A♥.

The flop comes Q♥ T♠ 2♣, giving Espinar the gut-shot straight draw, and the A♠ on the turn gives Perez top set and eliminates Espinar's runner-runner outs. The river is the dagger K♦ and Espinar spikes the broadway straight in dramatic fashion, brutally eliminating Juan Jose Perez in seventh place for a $25,535 consolation prize.

On the third hand at the final table, Jose Miguel Espinar raises to $26,000 and Paulo Ribeiro makes it $52,000 to go. Action folds back to Espinar, who makes the call, and the flop comes K♥ K♣ 6♣. Espinar checks to Ribeiro, who bets $100,000 and is raised all-in.

Ribeiro instantly calls off his last $226,000 and turns up a pocket pair of jacks, only to find himself well behind Espinar's K♠ Q♣. The turn is the Q♠ and Ribeiro is drawing dead, and the K♥ on the river adds insult to injury by giving Espinar quads.

Ribeiro is eliminated in eighth place. He wins $17,025 for his efforts.

Juan Jose is a professional player who took up poker four years ago, playing online on PokerStars. He makes most of his money playing cash games, at the $3/$6 and $5/$10 tables. He also plays live in casinos in Argentina. He has played relatively few tournaments but has thoroughly enjoyed the LAPT. Short-stacked, he plans to play aggressively. “My only goal is to win.” Thinks the tournament has been very well-organized and hopes to win.

Alex has already set a phenomenal LAPT record by making two final tables in the first three events. He came fourth at the first LAPT in Rio. Alex is the younger brother of Team PokerStars Pro Humberto and has been playing poker for 20 years. He used to watch Humberto and their other brother Eric play home games and when the game shifted to a local casino, he started playing himself.

He said: "There was a group of around 30 regulars at the casino. We used to have two tournaments a week and at the end of the year, the top 10 on the leader board would play a final table. I won it every year from 1988 to 1996."

If he wins today, it won't be his biggest live result – aside from LAPT Rio where he won $62,800, he's come second in two WSOP side events, and won a WPT title in LA and a $250k first prize in a Vegas tournament. Nevertheless, it’s the LAPT title he wants – and which he aims to get today.

Gylbert has been playing poker seriously since he turned 18 three years ago but is already enjoying considerable success. He qualified for both LAPT San José and Punta del Este via the Steps satellites on PokerStars. He normally plays online as well as in home games with friends, and prefers tournaments. He has won three $100 online tournaments on PokerStars and also cashed in the Sunday Million around a month ago.

“I want to be sponsored and I know I can play really great poker,” he was quoted as saying. Gylbert is currently studying technology but will focus on business studies at university. “My parents aren’t that keen on me playing poker but they recognize that I’m pretty good at it.” He is being supported in Punta del Este by his good friend Andreane.

He added: “I had a really good feeling about this tournament. It started very badly though. In the first hour, I was dealt KK but ran into aces, which took me down to $6k. Despite that setback, I always felt very confident however.”

Only two years ago, Alex was fully set on a career as a lawyer. He played poker at home with friends but was committed to his career and was already a partner in a corporate law firm. However, once he started playing online poker, he was soon winning big money, including first place in the Wednesday Hundred Fifty Grand for $65,333.

Eventually Alex had to make a choice, but doesn’t regret his decision to turn pro. In the last six weeks, his career has soared: first he took down the $2,000 NLHE at this year’s WSOP for an astonishing $770,540; then he was signed to join Team PokerStars Pro, and now he is chip leader on the final table at his first-ever LAPT. Alexandre is a keen sportsman and plays soccer regularly as well as supporting his local team, Coritiba FC. Alexandre plays online as "Allingomes."

Welcome to Day 3 of the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour's finale in Punta del Este. Of the 351 players who started with high hopes and beleaguered bankrolls two days ago, only eight remain, and they've all reconverged on the Mantra Resort Spa Casino for the final day of this epic battle.

There's a $241,735 first prize on the line and nearly double that in bragging rights, so the action is guaranteed to be fierce as we play down to a champion over the next few hours. PokerListings.com is live and on location as your only true source for credible and comprehensive coverage of the LAPT extravaganza.

Action was slated to begin at noon local time (i.e. now), but has been pushed back an hour. While you wait, check out the chip counts here, the results to this point here, and our photo gallery here.

And then get yourself a [[LinkTracker:PokerStars]] account so you can see Season 2 out the window of a jet airplane and not your laptop!