PokerStars Brings Back the Latin American Poker Tour in 2023
Poker really is the ultimate equality game. Regardless of who we are, the size of our bankroll, whether we’re 25 or 75, male or female or where we live – none of this has any impact whatsoever on what cards will next appear. It all comes down to how we play and the occasional whim of the poker gods...
Thanks to the emergence a couple of decades ago of real money online poker and the developments and successful progress since, the constant expansion of poker has been truly global. Moreover, the symbiotic relationship between online poker and its ‘live’ bedfellow means countless players are able to enjoy major festivals somewhere or other throughout the year.
The ever-present PokerStars has for a long time been an established big name, and it’s nice for us at Pokerlistings to report on their announcement that, after an absence of seven years, the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) will return in 2023!
Poker players from Scandinavia, across Europe and even North America could be forgiven for believing the game might not be so popular in Latin America, but they would be quite wrong. In fact, the LAPT first started as long ago as 2008 in Rio de Janeiro, running for nine seasons until 2016, by which time the continent had hosted prestigious tour events in Brazil, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Panama and the Bahamas. Impressive indeed, and indicative of poker’s popularity.
It’s fitting, then, that the long-awaited return of the LAPT to the region should kick off back in Rio. And with the festival taking place in the exotic surroundings of the luxurious beachfront Windsor Marapendi Hotel between 2-6 March, 2023, it’s sure to be a big hit.
If big money poker by the sea in the holiday paradise that is Rio de Janeiro sounds appealing (which, of course, it does), then full packages and Seat Only satellites for the $1,500 buy-in Main Event are already running on PokerStars in the run-up to the hotly-anticipated festival. Numerous tasty events have been lined up, including a 6-Handed Mystery Knockout and a High Roller Progressive Knockout... Remember that you don’t have to be an online poker tournament veteran to qualify for these elite events and, once there, have a great chance for glory.
The organising team at PokerStars aren’t looking for a one-off success - after Rio there’ll be another stop in April in the fantastic location of Montevideo, Uruguay, and this will be followed by two LAPT/Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) events scheduled for São Paulo in July and November. And more stops are to be announced soon.
This is what Cedric Billot, Head of Global Live Event Operations at PokerStars had to say about the announcement: “We are delighted to announce the return of this iconic series and once again hold the LAPT for poker players in Latin America... We’re working hard to ensure that this is a spectacular series and can’t wait to head to Rio to get the show on the road.”
It’s worth remembering that the LAPT proved significant for a number of South America’s top poker players, with Dominik Nitsche a good example, having won his first live tournament in Argentina back in 2009 for a cool $381,000 at the age of just 18 ears old.
Devanir Campos, Executive Director for LAPT: “The LAPT has a special place in the hearts of Latin American poker players and poker enthusiasts, so we’re absolutely thrilled that the tour is back. The tour will enable us to bring together former LAPT champions and a new generation of poker players that never got to experience this amazing event...’
Meanwhile, head to our section that’s packed full of the latest online poker bonuses and more strings to your poker bow. Have fun, and good luck at the tables.
*Any mention of a bonus or discussion of such terms is not in relation to the province of Ontario.
