LAPT San Jose - Live Updates

Valdemar Kwaysser limps-in and Max Steinberg checks his option. The flop comes 9♥ 8♠ 8♣ and Steinberg leads out for $35,000. Kwaysser raises to $85,000 and Steinberg makes it $135,000 to go. Kwaysser raises yet again, this time making it $205,000 to go, and after a pause, Steinberg moves all-in. Kwaysser calls immediately, tabling a pocket pair of aces (A♥ A♦) and finding himself ahead of Steinberg's J♠ 9♦.

The Hungarian needs to fade a nine or some running cards to win the tournament, and after the turn is the 6♠ and the river the 4♥ he has done it, winning the PokerStars.net LAPT-San Jose tournament and $274,103 in prize money!

For his runner-up finish, Max Steinberg takes home $144,773. Congratulations to both finalists and special thanks to PokerStars for hosting this incredible event. See you in Punta del Este!

Valdemar Kwaysser limps-in and Max Steinberg checks his option. The flop comes A♣ T♣ 3♥ and Steinberg bets out $35,000. Kwaysser makes the call and the turn is the 5♠. Steinberg bets out $80,000 and Kwaysser makes the call again, and the turn card is the 6♦. Now Steinberg checks and Kwaysser bets $250,000. Steinberg raises to $500,000 and Kwaysser snap-calls, showing A♠ 2♦ for top pair to Steinberg's K-4. Kwaysser takes the pot.

Max Steinberg raises to $60,000 and Valdemar Kwaysser makes the call. The flop comes A♦ 9♣ 5♦ and Kwaysser checks to Steinberg, who bets out $70,000. Kwaysser smooth calls and the turn is the 2♣. Again, Kwaysser check-calls, this time to the tune of $140,000. The river is the 2♦ and both players check. Steinberg shows pocket queens, but Kwaysser has A♠ 4♥ and takes the pot.

We're now in heads-up play between Max Steinberg and Valdemar Kwaysser, with the chip counts as follows:

Kwaysser: $3,004,000

Steinberg: $985,000 

Steven Silverman has just been eliminated from this tournament courtesy Valdemar Kwaysser twice hitting runner-runner to come back from being utterly dominated preflop.

The first hand, as reported below, saw Silverman's pocket kings cracked by Kwaysser's T♠ 5♠ when the Hungarian hit runner-runner spades for the flush to double through the young American. 

Then, a few hands later, Kwaysser raised to $76,000 from the button and Silverman moved all-in from the big blind for about $535,000. Kwaysser thought it over and finally decided that he shouldn't call, but he would anyway, and turned up 2♣ 2♠ against Silverman's 5♣ 5♦.

The flop came 8♠ 8♣ 4♠ and Silverman maintained his advantage, but after the turn was the J♠ Kwaysser picked up more outs to steal the victory. The river was the K♠ and once again, Kwaysser hit running spades to take the pot, busting Silverman and claiming a massive chip lead as we go to heads-up play.

Silverman is out in third place and claims $106,167 in prize money. 

Steven Silverman raises to $50,000 and Valdemar Kwaysser re-raises to $110,000. Silverman makes it $295,000 to go and Kwaysser moves all-in. Silverman insta-calls and shows K♥ K♣ while Kwaysser is shown up as a liar with T♠ 5♠. The young American looks poised to send his Hungarian rival to the rail, but after the flop comes A♠ 9♦ 8♦ and the turn the 2♠, the river is the 7♠ and Kwaysser hits runner-runner to double through Silverman in shocking, shocking fashion. Kwaysser now has the chip lead.

Max Steinberg raises to $50,000 on the button and Steven Silverman re-raises to $150,000 in the small blind. Action folds back to Steinberg, who mulls things over before putting Silverman all-in for his last $773,000. Silverman immediately calls and turns up 8♠ 8♦ while Steinberg is behind with 5♦ 5♠.

The board comes J♦ T♥ 4♣ 9♦ K♠ and Steven Silverman doubles through Max Steinberg. 

Alexander Sonderlund open-shoves his last $235,000 from under the gun and sees Valdemar Kwaysser move all-in over the top from the small blind. Max Steinberg gets out of the way in the big blind and Sonderlund turns up Q♣ 2♠ to Kwaysser's A♦ K♥. The board comes K♣ 7♠ 4♦ A♥ J♥ and Kwaysser turns two pair to send his Swedish counterpart to the rail.

Sonderlund is out in fourth place and earns $77,212 for his efforts. 

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour San Jose tournament. Four players remain in the hunt for the $273,103 first prize and the thrilling conclusion is well in sight. Game on!

We've reached the end of Level 22 and players are on a fifteen-minute break.

Alec Torelli raises to $45,000 from middle position and Max Steinberg re-raises to $150,000 from the big blind. Torelli tanks for a good five minutes before announcing he's all-in for his last $711,000. Steinberg insta-calls and turns up A♠ A♥ while Torelli is way behind with 3♠ 3♥.

The board comes K♠ J♦ 9♦ Q♥ 7♣ and Torelli is eliminated, out in 5th place for a $57,909 score. Meanwhile, Steinberg takes over the chip lead with that massive pot. 

Max Steinberg raises to $40,000 in the small blind and Alexander Soderlund re-raises to $140,000 in the big blind. After some thought, Steinberg moves all-in over the top and Soderlund lays down the hand. Steinberg takes the pot and brings his stack close to the $1 million mark.

Alec Torelli raises to $45,000 on the button and Valdemar Kwaysser makes the call in the big blind. The flop comes A♦ 3♥ 3♣ and Kwaysser checks to Torelli, who bets out $55,000. Kwaysser makes the call and the turn is the A♠. Both players check and the river is the 8♥, prompting Kwaysser to reach for chips. Torelli immediately folds and Kwaysser takes the pot.

The 21st level of the tournament is over and the blinds are moving up. Here are your chip counts for the remaining five players:

Seat 1	Alec Torelli	$1 million
Seat 2	Pawel Sanojca	$0
Seat 3	Steven Thompson	$0
Seat 4	Steven Silverman	$525,000
Seat 5	Valdemar Kwaysser	$1.3 million
Seat 6	Ashton Griffin	$0
Seat 7	Max Steinberg	$800,000
Seat 8	Joe Ebanks	$0
Seat 9	Alexander Sonderlund	$400,000

 

Action folds around to Pawel Sanojca on the button, and he makes it $40,000 to go. In the big blind. Valdemar Kwaysser moves all-in over the top and Sanojca is put to a decision for his tournament life. The Polish player gives the matter some serious thought, tanking for sheer minutes before finally announcing a call and reluctantly turning up A♦ 5♦.

He's in better shape than he might have been as Kwaysser turns up 3♠ 3♣, and after the flop comes K♠ 7♦ 7♥ Sanojca picks up a few more outs. The turn is the 2♥, helping neither player, and the river card is the T♥, banishing Sanojca to the rail in sixth place, for which he earns $38,606. 

Action folds around to Alec Torelli, who makes it $40,000 to go on the button. In the small blind. Pawel Sanojca raises to $113,000, leaving himself with about $300,000 behind. Steven Silverman gets out of the way in the big blind and Torelli moves all-in. Sanojca folds and Torelli takes the pot.

In a battle of the blinds, Valdemar Kwaysser moves all-in from the small blind and Ashton Griffin calls off his last $190,000 from the big blind, showing A-8 to Kwaysser's 8-4.  The flop comes 9-7-3 and Griffin is in great shape to double, but a four on the turn puts him behind with one card to come. The river is a jack and Griffin can't catch up. He's out in seventh place, taking home $28,955.

Ashton Griffin opens for $32,000 and Max Steinberg moves all-in over the top for $390,000 from his left. Joe Ebanks goes into the tank on his left before finally making the call for his last $380,000 and turning up A♥ K♥. Griffin gets out of the way and Steinberg shows A♦ A♠, demonstrating a new and interesting way to play aces.

The flop comes 7♣ 4♥ 3♣ but the turn makes things interesting with the 7♥, giving Ebanks the flush draw. The river card is the J♠, however, and Joe Ebanks is out in 8th place, earning $19,303 for his time.

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from Costa Rica. Here are the latest chip counts as the action resumes:

Seat 1	Alec Torelli	$910,000
Seat 2	Pawel Sanojca	$231,000
Seat 3	Steven Thompson	$0
Seat 4	Steven Silverman	$533,000
Seat 5	Valdemar Kwaysser	$670,000
Seat 6	Ashton Griffin	$237,000
Seat 7	Max Steinberg	$389,000
Seat 8	Joe Ebanks	$384,000
Seat 9	Alexander Sonderlund	$621,000

 

Alexander Soderlund raises to $35,000 in early position and Pawel Sanojca moves all-in over the top for $118,000 from middle position before Ashton Griffin announces all-in from the small blind. Soderlund gives the matter some serious thought before making the call for his last $440,000 and turning up K♠ K♣.

His hesitation proves to be prescient, however, as Sanojca turns up A♠ A♥ while Griffin is far behind with A♦ Q♣. The board comes 8♠ 6♠ 6♦ 6♥ 8♣ and Sanojca's aces hold up to triple him up. Meanwhile, Soderlund doubles through Griffin in the side pot, crippling the young American.

The field is now on a fifteen-minute break.

Chipleader Steven Silverman raises to $35,000 from early position and action folds around to Alec Torelli, who makes it $110,000 to go from the small blind. The big blind gets out of the way and after some thought, Silverman moves all-in. Torelli insta-calls for his last $353,000 and turns up Q♦ Q♠ to Silverman's 8♣ 8♠.

The flop comes A♦ Q♠ 9♠ and Torelli flops a set. The turn makes things interesting, bringing the 8♦, but the river card is the 2♦ and Torelli fades the one-outer to double through Silverman.

Action folds around to Kwaysser Akos in the cut-off and the Hungarian makes it $30,000 to go. On the button, Ashton Griffin re-raises to $72,000 and the action folds back to Akos, who re-re-raises to $300,000. Griffin lays it down and the pot goes to Akos.

We've reached the end of the first level of the day and the blinds and antes are on the rise. Action continues without a pause.

On the first hand at the final table, action folds to Steven Thompson, who raises to $105,000. In the big blind, Steven Silverman moves all-in over the top and Thompson makes a quick call with A-Q. He's up against Silverman's A-9 and looks primed to double, but the flop comes 10-8-7 and Silverman picks up bocoo outs with the open-ended straight draw. The turn is a queen but the river card is a jack and just like that, Thompson is eliminated.

The Costa Rican sensation is out in ninth place and earns $14,477 for his efforts this week.

Team PokerStars pro Humberto Brenes and Mike Ward have introduced all of the players and it's time to shuffle up and deal. The cards are in the air from Costa Rica!

It's final table time at the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour in San Jose, Costa Rica. Of the 398 entrants to this $2,500 event only nine remain and they've all returned to the Cariari Country Club in this beautiful Central American locale to play down to the title.

Action is set to begin in just a few minutes and from that point on, there will be no stopping until the champagne's popping. Keep it locked on PokerListings.com for comprehensive coverage of this landmark event.

Here are the chip counts and seating positions of the final nine:

Seat 1	Alec Torelli	$404,000
Seat 2	Pawel Sanojca	$134,000
Seat 3	Steven Thompson	$195,000
Seat 4	Steven Silverman	$831,000
Seat 5	Kwaysser Akos	$594,000
Seat 6	Ashton Griffin	$761,000
Seat 7	Max Steinberg	$284,000
Seat 8	Joe Ebanks	$321,000
Seat 9	Alexander Sonderlund	$325,000