As expected, Day 3 of the LAPT Season 9 Uruguay $1,500 Main Event was full of action from the start until the very end. The day kicked off with 32 survivors and they all strove to secure a seat into to the official eight-handed final table and a bigger portion of the overall prize pool. Eventually, the final table was set with Argentinian Pedro Daniel Claus standing at the top of the chip counts chart with 2,230,000 in chips.
Claus is a tournament regular in his home country but it seems he is relatively new to the international poker scene. Being one of the eight finalists at the LAPT Uruguay Main Event will secure the player with his biggest live cash and his first one from a major international poker tournament.
Day 3 of the Main Event began with 32 players and two-time LAPT Main Event winner Mario Lopez as the chip leader. Lopez maintained his lead throughout the early part of the day but was later on eliminated in 14th place. The player thus missed his chance to win a record third LAPT title. Lopez was actually the winner of last year’s LAPT Uruguay Main Event.
As for the final table chip leader, Claus, he took the lead in early afternoon and never relinquished it until the day was completed. The player is the only one to have passed the 2-million chip mark and will indeed begin Day 4 of the tournament with a considerable advantage over his remaining opponents.
Speaking of the eight finalists, it is interesting to note that all but two are from Argentina. The other two survivors are from Brazil. Argentina currently holds the record for the most LAPT titles won by local players, with nine such titles captured over the poker series’ nine seasons. As for Brazil, its players have collectively won six titles from what is known to be Latin America’s most popular poker tour.
This year’s edition of the LAPT Uruguay Main Event drew as many as 438 entries who accumulated $571,590 in prize money. The top 63 finishers are to receive a share of the money, with payouts starting from $2,420. Each of the eight finalists will leave the event with no less than $13,040. The champion is set to take home the amount of $110,870. Here are the eight players that will be contending for the title later today:
Pedro Daniel Claus (Argentina) – 2,230,000
Fernando Araújo (Brazil) – 1,490,000
Manuel Vuotto (Argentina) – 1,416,000
Nicolas Pernigotti (Argentina) – 1,043,000
Ruben Barros (Argentina) – 866,000
Sergio de Benedictis (Argentina) – 772,000
Marco Oliveira (Brazil) – 562,000
Cristian Andres Rotondo (Argentina) – 294,000
Eight-handed play is set to resume today at noon local time at Conrad Resort & Casino in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
