Three SnG victories mean $12,000 for one lucky player this afternoon as the Battle of the Planets $50,000 Triple Shootout continues today with this long running daily promotion for Sit and Go players (read how to get your ticket into today's event here). If you're from the United State or Canada most likely your eyes were glued to the final event of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as Team USA and Team Canada battled for the Men's Hockey gold. However, if any of the 641 players in today's Triple Shootout freeroll were dancing their eyes back and forth from the Canada Hockey Place they were treated exciting puck slinging and poker at the same time.

At the bubble of the first leg of the triple shootout, teacuppoker came back from just 470 chips with blinds at 150/300 ante 25 to knot up the match with Pocket2Chris several hands later. But, the final hand found both players looking at a [9h] [5c] [3s] board, Pocket2Chris elected to check as teacuppoker led out for the minimum. With 7,090 chips behind Pocket2Chris check-raised and set teacuppoker all-in holding top pair [7s][9s] as teacuppoker called off the remainder of his stack with middle pair of fives [5d][8d]. The board ran out dry for both players [4h] and [Qh] as Pocket2Chris took down the final pot thus assuring 81 players a $195.00 pay day.

Right around the time Zack Parise scored the game tying goal in the hockey game, zhenya__S secured the first seat to the final table while most still held four players at them. And shortly after Sidney Crosby shoved home the game winning goal in overtime for Team Canada, Harthor and RealRastar were heads-up for the last final table seat. Playing all the way into the 200/400 ante 50 blind level nearly even in chips it would take a fortunate river card to end it. Harthor completed from the button as RealRastar checked the option to see a [9c] [Ad] [Ks] flop, RealRastar checked as Harthor led out for the minimum and was called. The [8d] on the turn and RealRastar decided to be the aggressor and lead out for 800 and Harthor decided to call. [8h] paired the board on the river and again RealRastar led out, this time for 1,600. But, Harthor found the eight to his liking and shoved all-in covering RealRastar's stack. [Ac][5s] was good enough to RealRastar to call with top pair, but not good enough to beat Harthor's rivered trips [7s][8c] to set up the final table below:

Seat 1: Hexo4yxa (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: mister aleks (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: bolecc (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: slideby (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: Harthor (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: rudzkinator (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: zhenya__S (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: BEFO (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: jeanette_33 (1500 in chips)

jeanette_33 is looking to improve on a fifth place finish here at the Battle of the Planet's triple shootout after finishing fifth in March 2009 (final table write-up here). The Supernova would have to get thru this talented final table first as everyone started off with 1,500 chips and blinds of 10/20. bolecc started off in the wrong direction, finishing off the level with just 504 chips after being unable to counter the re-raises and shoves post flop by mister aleks and slideby. The big pots off bolecc helped mister aleks to the early chip lead.

No change in the 15/30 blind level as all nine players survived as bolecc continued to nurse a shortstack while mister aleks increased the chip lead to a double stack of near 3,300 chips. bolecc would double up midway thru the 25/50 blind level off Harthor, inching [Ah][Jd] past Harthor's [Qs][Ad] after spiking a gutshot broadway straight on the turn of the [8s] [Kc] [Qh] [Th] [9c] board to send Harthor down to the bottom of the leaderboard.

At the top of the hour break here's how the chips stacked up with mister aleks still leading the way:

Seat 1: Hexo4yxa (1705 in chips)
Seat 2: mister aleks (3276 in chips)
Seat 3: bolecc (1,053 in chips)
Seat 4: slideby (1423 in chips)
Seat 5: Harthor (611 in chips)
Seat 6: rudzkinator (1355 in chips)
Seat 7: zhenya__S (1415 in chips)
Seat 8: BEFO (875 in chips)
Seat 9: jeanette_33 (1805 in chips)

Four hands back from the break and increased 50/100 blinds saw off our first contender. Folded around to BEFO in the small blind who would shove with just 825 chips after paying the small blind holding [Qd][Jc]. But, jeanette_33 similarly shorted stacked was not giving up the big blind and called holding the dominating [Jh][Kc]. The trip kings on the flop did in BEFO as the turn and river did nothing to help [Kd] [Kh] [5s] [9s] [4c] and BEFO became our ninth place finisher ($775.00).

jeanette_33 would use this win to springboard over mister aleks into the chip lead and be the first one to 4,000 chips as mostly tentative play continued with preflop raises taking down most of the pots.

As the blinds moved up to 75/150, shortstacked bolecc finally succumbed to the rising blinds and lost back-to-back hands. First, after a short stacked slideby shoved from UTG for only 580 chips, bolecc covered in the big blind and called with [Ah][4h]. Neither player improved on the [8d] [2c] [5c] [Th] [Js] board and slideby slid by the weak ace with pocket treys [3d][3c]. The next hand, chip leader jeanette_33 would gobble up bolecc scraps with a rivered flush endning bolecc's tournament in eighth place ($1,200.00).

Nine hands later a three-way all-in broke out between Hexo4yxa, slideby, and rudzkinator watch the carnage of the pocket kings of Hexo4yxa did below:

Winning the 1,889 chip pot got Hexo4yxa back a solvent stack and eliminated both rudzkinator (7th place for $1,700.00) and slideby (6th place, $2,200.00) as Hexo4yxa tried to broach the idea of a deal but not no takers with five players remaining.

Slow play, no pay. Harthor looked down at pocket aces [Ad][Ac] after mister aleks min-raised to 300 chips and decided to go for a smooth call as the rest of the table folded. [8s] [Qh] [Th] on the flop as mister aleks followed through with a 300 chip bet and Harthor min-raised to 600 as mister aleks made the call. [2s] on the turn mister aleks checked this time as Harthor pushed out 555 chips. A call, and both players saw the [6s] river as mister aleks this time led out for 900 chips and Harthor was forced to call with just 181 chips left and saw the spade on the river completed the nut flush for mister aleks' [Js][As]. 3,497 chips for mister aleks and $2,735.00 in real cash for Harthor's fifth place finish.

zhenya__S kept mostly silent by the aggressive play of mister aleks and jeanette_33 found a good spot as the blinds moved up to 100/200 opening all-in with pocket sevens [7s][7h] and jeanette_33 to the immediate left covered and made the call. Watch the hand play out below:

jeanette_33's [Ad][Qd] found an ace on the [8d] [As] [4c] [Js] [Td] board to win the coin flip and sent zhenya__S to the rail in fourth place ($3,350.00).

Again, a quick note about a deal was rebuffed or ignored and three handed play continued as jeanette_33 and mister aleks scraped for the blinds with Hexo4yxa was left to be the quiet kid in the corner who could only manage a shortstacked double-up until elimination. After another small blind raise by jeanette_33 to set the big blind all-in, Hexo4yxa with just 968 chips left after paying the big blind made the call holding [5d][9d]. Two live cards one would hope, but not to be as jeanette_33 flipped up [Qc][5s]. A Queen on the flop and a diamond-less [Qs] [7c] [2d] [Th] [Js] board meant Hexo4yxa secured third place ($4,500.00) as we moved on to heads-up play.

Seat 2: mister aleks (6366 in chips)
Seat 9: jeanette_33 (7134 in chips)

Fitting that the most aggressive players would battle it out for the $12,000.00 first prize and also fitting as how quickly it was over. Just fourteen hands into heads-up play we would have February's Battle of the Planets champion. Blinds raised to 125/250 ante 25, and mister aleks was blinded down to just 1,991 chips after jeanette_33 went on a tear winning 11 of 12 pots and was facing yet another push by the chip leader. This time a call was made as mister aleks' pocket deuces [2h][2s] were up against the [Js][Ah] of jeanette_33. Just like the many pots before, this one went jeanette_33's direction also after flopping the ace and dodging the two deuces on the [As] [3h] [7s] [Tc] [9c] board to win the final 3,982 chip pot and $12,000.00 first prize!

Congratulations to all 81 players who cashed and Supernova jeanette_33 who improved on the March 2009 5th place finish in this freeroll by winning the whole $12,000.00 today.

$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll
1. jeanette_33 (Stavanger) $12,000.00
2. mister aleks (Дедовск) $7,500.00
3. Hexo4yxa (Wolfratshausen) $4,500.00
4. zhenya__S (Loveland) $3,350.00
5. Harthor (Mendoza) $2,735.00
6. slideby (bradford) $2,200.00
7. rudzkinator (Neuss) $1,700.00
8. bolecc (Wrocław) $1,200.00
9. BEFO (sofia) $775.00

There is something out there called "constructive criticism." Most people have a hard time taking it. They like constructive, but they have a hard time with the critical part.

PokerStars isn't like that.

After releasing the 2010 Spring Championship of Online Poker schedule last week, PokerStars got a lot of feedback from its players. The people behind the scenes listened and, guess what?

There is now a brand new SCOOP schedule with more events and an even bigger guaranteed prize pool. We'll now be looking at 38 total events with a $45,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Satellites for SCOOP should begin within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, start clearing your schedule for the Spring Championship of Online Poker.

2010 Spring Championship of Online Poker

Sunday, 02 May 2010

13:00 ET
Event 01-L: $22 NL Hold'em [6-max], $250K guaranteed
Event 01-M: $215 NL Hold'em [6-max], $1M guaranteed
Event 01-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em [6-max], $1M guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 02-L: $22 NL Hold'em, $500K guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 02-M: $215 NL Hold'em, $2M guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 02-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em, $2M guaranteed (2-day event)

Monday, 03 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 03-L: $5.50 NL Hold'em [6-max, rebuys], $250K guaranteed
Event 03-M: $55 NL Hold'em [6-max, rebuys], $500K guaranteed
Event 03-H: $530 NL Hold'em [6-max, rebuys], $1M guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 04-L: $16.50 FL Badugi, $25K guaranteed
Event 04-M: $162 FL Badugi, $50K guaranteed
Event 04-H: $1,575 FL Badugi, $75K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 05-L: $11 PL Omaha [turbo, 1R1A], $50K guaranteed
Event 05-M: $109 PL Omaha [turbo, 1R1A], $100K guaranteed
Event 05-H: $1,050 PL Omaha [turbo, 1R1A], $150K guaranteed

Tuesday, 04 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 06-L: $11 PL 5-Card Draw, $25K guaranteed
Event 06-M: $109 PL 5-Card Draw, $50K guaranteed
Event 06-H: $1,050 PL 5-Card Draw, $75K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 07-L: $16.50 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $100K guaranteed
Event 07-M: $162 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $250K guaranteed
Event 07-H: $1,575 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $500K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 08-L: $11 NL Hold'em, $100K guaranteed
Event 08-M: $109 NL Hold'em, $200K guaranteed
Event 08-H: $1,050 NL Hold'em, $500K guaranteed

Wednesday, 05 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 09-L: $22 Mixed Hold'em [6-max], $100K guaranteed
Event 09-M: $215 Mixed Hold'em [6-max], $200K guaranteed
Event 09-H: $2,100 Mixed Hold'em [6-max], $400K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 10-L: $33 7-Card Stud High, $25K guaranteed
Event 10-M: $320 7-Card Stud High, $50K guaranteed
Event 10-H: $3,150 7-Card Stud High, $100K guaranteed

Thursday, 06 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 11-L: $22 PL Omaha [Heads-Up Match Play], $25K guaranteed
Event 11-M: $215 PL Omaha [Heads-Up Match Play], $100K guaranteed
Event 11-H: $2,100 PL Omaha [Heads-Up Match Play], $200K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 12-L: NL Hold'em (TBD), $100K guaranteed
Event 12-M: NL Hold'em (TBD), $200K guaranteed
Event 12-H: NL Hold'em (TBD), $300K guaranteed

Friday, 07 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 13-L: $16.50 NL Hold'em [Ante Up!], $50K guaranteed
Event 13-M: $162 NL Hold'em [Ante Up!], $100K guaranteed
Event 13-H: $1,575 NL Hold'em [Ante Up!], $200K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 14-L: $55 FL Omaha Hi/Lo, $50K guaranteed
Event 14-M: $530 FL Omaha Hi/Lo, $150K guaranteed
Event 14-H: $5,200 FL Omaha Hi/Lo, $250K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 15-L: $16.50 NL Hold'em [2X Chance, turbo], $250K guaranteed
Event 15-M: $162 NL Hold'em [2X Chance, turbo], $500K guaranteed
Event 15-H: $1,575 NL Hold'em [2X Chance, turbo], $750K guaranteed

Saturday, 08 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 16-L: $22 NL Hold'em - Quadruple Shootout [10-max], $150K guaranteed
Event 16-M: $215 NL Hold'em - Triple Shootout [10-max], $150K guaranteed
Event 16-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em - Double Shootout [10-max], $200K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 17-L: $16.50 PL Omaha - (6-max rebuys), $100K guaranteed
Event 17-M: $162 PL Omaha - (6-max rebuys), $250K guaranteed
Event 17-H: $1,575 PL Omaha - (6-max rebuys), $500K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 18-L: $22 FL Hold'em (turbo), $25K guaranteed
Event 18-M: $215 FL Hold'em (turbo), $100K guaranteed
Event 18-H: $2,100 FL Hold'em (turbo), $150K guaranteed

Sunday, 09 May 2010

13:00 ET
Event 19-L: $22 NL Hold'em [big antes], $250K guaranteed
Event 19-M: $215 NL Hold'em [big antes], $750K guaranteed
Event 19-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em [big antes], $750K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 20-L: $22 NL Hold'em, $500K guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 20-M: $215 NL Hold'em, $2M guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 20-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em, $2M guaranteed (2-day event)

Monday, 10 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 21-L: $16.50 PL Hold'em / PL Omaha, $75K guaranteed
Event 21-M: $162 PL Hold'em / PL Omaha, $200K guaranteed
Event 21-H: $1,575 PL Hold'em / PL Omaha, $300K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 22-L: $33 NL Hold'em [4-max], $150K guaranteed
Event 22-M: $320 NL Hold'em [4-max], $300K guaranteed
Event 22-H: $3,150 NL Hold'em [4-max], $500K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 23-L: $11 NL Hold'em [turbo, rebuys], $150K guaranteed
Event 23-M: $109 NL Hold'em [turbo, rebuys], $300K guaranteed
Event 23-H: $1,050 NL Hold'em [turbo, rebuys], $500K guaranteed

Tuesday, 11 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 24-L: $11 Triple Draw 2-7, $25K guaranteed
Event 24-M: $109 Triple Draw 2-7, $50K guaranteed
Event 24-H: $1,050 Triple Draw 2-7, $75K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 25-L: $22 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, $50K guaranteed
Event 25-M: $215 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, $100K guaranteed
Event 25-H: $2,100 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, $150K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 26-L: $11 NL Hold'em, $100K guaranteed
Event 26-M: $109 NL Hold'em, $200K guaranteed
Event 26-H: $1,050 NL Hold'em, $500K guaranteed

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 27-L: $22 Razz, $50K guaranteed
Event 27-M: $215 Razz, $100K guaranteed
Event 27-H: $2,100 Razz, $150K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 28-L: $11 NL Hold'em (rebuys), $200K guaranteed
Event 28-M: $109 NL Hold'em (rebuys), $400K guaranteed
Event 28-H: $1,050 NL Hold'em (rebuys), $600K guaranteed

Thursday, 13 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 29-L: $33 8-Game, $75K guaranteed
Event 29-M: $320 8-Game, $150K guaranteed
Event 29-H: $3,150 8-Game, $250K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 30-L: $11 PL Omaha Hi/Lo, $75K guaranteed
Event 30-M: $109 PL Omaha Hi/Lo, $150K guaranteed
Event 30-H: $1,050 PL Omaha Hi/Lo, $300K guaranteed

Friday, 14 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 31-L: $22 NL Hold'em [1 rebuy, 1 add-on], $250K guaranteed
Event 31-M: $215 NL Hold'em [1 rebuy, 1 add-on], $500K guaranteed
Event 31-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em [1 rebuy, 1 add-on], $1M guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 32-L: $55 FL Hold'em [6-max], $100K guaranteed
Event 32-M: $530 FL Hold'em [6-max], $200K guaranteed
Event 32-H: $5,200 FL Hold'em [6-max], $300K guaranteed

20:00 ET
Event 33-L: $22 NL Omaha Hi/Lo (turbo), $50K guaranteed
Event 33-M: $215 NL Omaha Hi/Lo (turbo), $100K guaranteed
Event 33-H: $2,100 NL Omaha Hi/Lo (turbo), $200K guaranteed

Saturday, 15 May 2010

14:00 ET
Event 34-L: $55 PL Omaha [6-max], $100K guaranteed
Event 34-M: $530 PL Omaha [6-max], $250K guaranteed
Event 34-H: $5,200 PL Omaha [6-max], $500K guaranteed

15:30 ET
Event 35-L: $270 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $250K guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 35-M: $2,600 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $500K guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 35-H: $25,500 NL Hold'em [Heads-Up Match Play], $750K guaranteed (2-day event)

17:00 ET
Event 36-L: $22 HORSE, $50K guaranteed
Event 36-M: $215 HORSE, $100K guaranteed
Event 36-H: $2,100 HORSE, $150K guaranteed

Sunday, 16 May 2010

13:00 ET
Event 37-L: $22 NL Hold'em, $200K guaranteed
Event 37-M: $215 NL Hold'em, $750K guaranteed
Event 37-H: $2,100 NL Hold'em, $750K guaranteed

17:00 ET
Event 38-L: $109 NLHE Main Event - L, $1M guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 38-M: $1,050 NLHE Main Event - M, $3M guaranteed (2-day event)
Event 38-H: $10,300 NLHE Main Event - H, $5M guaranteed, $1M guaranteed to 1st, (2-day event)

TOTAL GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL: $45,000,000

Irony. That's what you could call the fact that only one player hailing from Latin America has won an event (out of the first seven) on the Latin American Poker Tour. The previous events at Punta del Este were dominated by Europeans. In Season 1, a Spaniard named Jose Miguel Espinar won the event. Last year in Season 2, a Norwegian online pro named Karl "Houdini" Hevroy took down the title.

Going into this final table, the chances were extremely high that a Latin player will would the event. The deck was stacked against the Europeans, because only one player, Nicolas Cardyn, called Europe his home. Despite the overwhelming odds, Cardyn was hoping that history was on his side. However, standing in his way were three Argentinians, two Brazilians, one Colombian, and a local player from Uruguay named Norbert Ludger, who began the final table as the chip leader.

Uruguay has a European flair due to their roots dating back to the 1600s. The land mass nestled in between Brazil and Argentina was originally settled in the late 1600s by Spain and Portugal. In the 20th century, the country became a haven for European immigrants from Italy and Germany.

Over the last few decades, Punta del Este transformed into one of the glitziest vacation destinations in the world. The beaches are a popular hotspot for celebrities, models, and football players from neighboring Argentina and Brazil. In addition, some of the richest families in South America have summer homes in Punta del Este, making it one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the Southern hemisphere.

More irony. The strip of land that makes up Punta del Este was originally a series of small fishing villages, before high-rise condos and resorts were constructed in recent years. I couldn't think of a more fitting locale for a poker tournament!

The final table kicked off inside the packed ballroom of the Mantra Casino. Every single seat in the bleachers was filled, mostly with supporters of Jose "Nacho" Barbero. The Brazilians were well-represented, rooting for Daniela Zapiello and Bernardo Dias.

The first two levels of the final table featured a lot of inaction until Roman Suarez found himself all-in against Nacho Barbero. Suarez trailed with [Ah][5s] versus Nacho's [Ad][7s]. Nacho flopped a seven and turned another seven for trips. His hand held up and Suarez was the first player to bust at the final table. Suarez collected $20,850 for 8th place. Nacho seized the chip lead with 1.46 million.

Bernardo Dias from Brazil was an all-in machine at the final table as a short-stack assassin. However, he finally got caught speeding when he shoved with [Ah][6s] and Andres Korn called him with pocket sevens. Korn's hand held up and Dias headed to the rail in 7th place. He collected $31,270. That hand propelled Korn to the chip lead with 1.7 million.

Marco Caicedo shoved with a short stack and Nacho Barbero called. Caicedo was ahead with [As][7h] against Nacho's [Ks][Qh]. Nacho took the lead on the flop of [As][Jd][9s] and never looked back. He even rivered trip Queens for a bit of an overkill. Caicedo, a resident of Colombia, busted out in 6th place. That hand pushed Nacho over 1.35 million in chips.

Daniela Zapiello busted out in 5th place after losing her stack in consecutive hands. On the first hand, she got it all in with [Ks][Qc] against Andres Korn's [As][Ad]. She was all-in on the next hand for her last 300,000 in chips with [Qs][5s] against Norbert Ludger's [Ad][8d]. She took the lead when she flopped a Queen and a flush draw, however Ludger flopped a gutshot straight draw. Norbert got there when the [10h] spiked on the river. Zapiello, the last woman standing n the tournament, collected $52,110 for her 5th place finish. Everyone inside the ballroom gave her a loud ovation for her remarkable feat as she made her exit.

The only final table player from Uruguay, Norbert Ludger, busted out in 4th place. On a board of [Qd][4s][2s][4d] with 1.5 million in the pot, Nicolas Cardyn checked and Ludger shoved for 910,000. Cardyn called with [Qh][10s]. He was ahead of Ludger's pocket fives. The river was the [8d] and Cardyn won the pot to push him over 3.6 million. Ludger won $72,960 for 4th place.

When action was three-handed, Andres Korn shoved all-in for 950,000. Nacho Barbero called with [Kc][Js]. Korn was dominated and held [Kd][10h]. The board ran out [Qd][5s][2d][6h][8h] and Nacho's hand held up. Korn hit the rail in 3rd place. He won $99,020.

A heads-up battle was set between Nacho Barbero and Nicolas Cardyn. Nacho was attempting to become only the second Latin player and first Team Pro to win an event on the LAPT. Nacho looked in good shape with the chip lead -- 4.3 million to 1.7 million stack. However, Cardyn's forte is heads-up cash games online at PokerStars. He was not about to give up without a fight.

Nacho failed to deliver a knock out blow and Cardyn doubled up with [Ad][7s] against [Qh][10d]. Cardyn pulled even in chips and the two continued to tango.

Just when it seemed that Cardyn was about to pull away with a sizable lead, Nacho scored a direct hit with a timely double-up. On a flop of [9c][8s][8d], Nacho fired out 500,000. Cardyn shoved all-in and Nacho quickly called. Nacho was ahead with [9h][5s] because Cardyn got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He sheepishly tabled [6c][4c]. However, Nacho had to sweat out the hand when Cardyn turned an open-ended straight draw. Cardyn whiffed on the river and Nacho won the hand. Cardyn slipped to 990,000, while Nacho pushed his stack to over 5.1 million.

The final hand of the tournament was lathered in drama. Cardyn shoved all-in for his last 990,000. Nacho Barbero snap-called with [As][10s], while Cardyn tabled [Ad][Ks]. Both players stood up to sweat the action. Barbero's friends from Argentina chanted, "Nacho! Nacho! Nacho!"

The flop was [8h][7c][2d]. Cardyn took a deep breath as a couple of Nacho's faithful followers shouted, "Diez! Diez!"

The turn was the [5c] and Nacho was down to three outs in the deck. The dealer slowly placed the burn card on the table and flipped over the river card.

The [10c] magically appeared.

Nacho thrust his arms in the air after he caught a miraculous card to chase down Cardyn's Big Slick. More chants of "Nacho! Nacho! Nacho!" ensued.

Nicolas Cardyn of France put forth a valiant effort and finished in second place. He collected $161,550 for his efforts.

Team PokerStars Pro Nacho Barbero won $279,330 for first place. Nacho also became only the second Latin player to win an event on the LAPT as he finally thwarted Europe's domination of the LAPT Punta del Este.

For a complete list of players who cashed in this event, check out our prize pool and payout info page.

If you prefer to read about the tournament in Spanish or perhaps Portuguese, then we recommend that you check out the PokerStars Spanish Blog or the PokerStars Brazilian Blog. And don't forget about or video team who was hard at work the last four days getting the inside scoop. Their video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv.

For a look back at our coverage today, click any of the links below.

LAPT Punta del Este: Day 4, Levels 28 and 29 (40,000-80,000, 10,000 ante)
LAPT Punta del Este: Day 4, Levels 26 and 27 (25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante)
LAPT Punta del Este: Day 4, Levels 24 and 25 (15,000-30,000, 3,000 ante)
LAPT Punta del Este: Final table player profiles

Congrats to Nacho Barbero for taking down his first ever LAPT title. That's it from the LAPT Punta del Este. Good night! Ciao! Boa noite! Buenas noches!

9:39pm: Nicolas Cardyn eliminated in 2nd place ($161,550); Jose "Nacho" Barbero wins the 2010 LAPT Punte del Este In a hand for the ages... Nicolas Cardyn shoved all in for his last 990,000. Nacho Barbero snap-called with [As][10s]. Cardyn tabled [Ad][Ks]. Both players stood up to sweat the action. The crowd rose to its feet and Barbero's friends chanted, "Nacho! Nacho! Nacho!"

The flop was [8h][7c][2d]. Cardyn took a deep breath as a couple of Nacho's faithful followers shouted, "Diez! Diez!"

The turn was the [5c] and Nacho was down to three outs in the entire deck. The dealer slowly placed the burn card on the table and flipped over the river card.

The [10c] magically appeared.

Nacho thrust his arms in the air. He caught a miraculous card to chase down Cardyn's Big Slick. More chants of "Nacho! Nacho! Nacho!" ensued.

Nicolas Cardyn of France put forth a valiant effort and finished in second place. He collected $161,550 for his efforts. Nacho Barbero won $279,330 for first place. He also became only the second Latin player to win an event on the LAPT as he finally thwarted Europe's domination of the LAPT Punta del Este.

Congrats to Team PokerStars Pro Jose "Nacho" Barbero. Stay tuned for a full wrap-up.

9:37pm: Action resumes

9:20pm: Action paused We're on an unscheduled ten-minute break.

9:10pm: Barbero doubles up, Cardyn under 1 million Nicolas Cardyn opened for 220,000 from the button, and Nacho Barbero made his first three-bet of the heads-up match, reraising to 600,000. Cardyn called and they saw a [9c][8d][8s] flop. Barbero led out for 500,000 and after a minute in the tank, Cardyn moved all-in. Barbero made the call for his tournament life, turning up [5s][9h] for two pair, nines and eights. Cardyn had nothing but air, with [4c][6c], and was drawing to running cards.

One of them, the [7s] fell on the turn, giving everybody pause. Cardyn now needed a five or a ten to make a straight and eliminate Barbero. However, the river blanked out with the [2c] and Barbero took down the nearly 5.1 million chip pot, leaving Cardyn with only 990,000.

8:47pm: Blinds up The official LAPT structure sheet ran out of levels a long time ago, but nevertheless, we've moved into Level 29, with blinds of 50,000-100,000 and a 10,000 ante.

8:45pm: Third pair good for Nacho Nacho Barbero completed the small blind and Nicolas Cardyn checked his option. Both players passed on the [Kc][Js][8h] flop. Cardyn checked the [7h] on the turn, Barbero bet 80,000 and Cardyn called. Cardyn check-called another 160,000 on the river, Barbero turning up [8s][9s] to take down the pot.

8:38pm: Andres Korn eliminated in 3rd place ($99,020) Andres Korn shoved all in for 950,000. Nacho Barbero called with [Kc][Js]. Korn was dominated and held [Kd][10h]. The board ran out [Qd][5s][2d][6h][8h] and Nacho's hand held up. Korn hit the rail in 3rd place. We're now heads up between Nacho Barbero and Nicolas Cardyn.

Approximate chip counts are as follows.... Nacho is ahead with 4.3 million and Cardyn has a 1.7 million stack.

8:30pm: Nacho doubles Nicolas Cardyn opened for 230,000. Nacho Barbero shoved for 1.65 million. Cardyn called with [9s][9h]. Barbero showed [Ac][10d]. The flop was [Js][10c][3d] and Nacho took the lead. His pair of tens held up and he doubled up to around 3.4 million. Cardyn slipped to around 1.2 million.

8:24pm: Nacho Barbero doubles through Nicolas Cardyn Nacho Barbero moved all-in before the flop and Nicolas Cardyn made the call. Barbero's [Qh][8s] trailed Cardyn's [Ad][7s] and stayed that way on the [5h][3c][2d] flop, but the [8h] fell on the turn to give him the lead with a pair of eights. The river was the [9h] and Barbero doubled up to 1.8 million.

8:19pm: Norbert Ludger eliminated in 4th place ($72,960) Nicolas Cardyn min-raised to 160,000, Norbert Ludger called and Andres Korn called as well. Cardyn led out for 400,000 on the [Qd][4s][2s] flop and only Ludger called. The turn paired the board with the [4d]. Cardyn checked, Ludger moved all-in for 910,000 and Cardyn called.

Ludger turned up [5h][5d] for fives and fours, but Cardyn had the better two pair with [Qh][Ts] for queens up. Only a five could save Ludger, but the [8d] hit the river, ending his tournament with a fourth-place finish.

8:08pm: Cardyn chips up Norbert Ludger, Andres Korn, and Nicolas Cardyn all limped in and saw a [Jd][5d][5c] flop. Korn checked from the small blind, Cardyn bet 110,000, Ludger called and Korn folded. The turn fell the [Tc], Cardyn leading out for 330,000. After a long think, Ludger called. The river was the [6s] and Cardyn moved all-in. Ludger folded and Cardyn took down the sizeable pot.

7:42 pm: Daniela de Lima Zapiello eliminated in 5th place ($52,110) On the next hand, Zapiello moved all in for her remaining 300,000 with [Qs][5s] and Norbert Ludger called with [Ad][8d]. The [Ks][Qc][Js] flop was boffo for Zapiello, giving her middle pair and a flush draw. The turn was a safe card for her, the [9h], but her [Th] on the river made Ludger a broadway straight, ending her dreams of becoming the first female LAPT champion.

Nevertheless, Zapiello turned her PokerStars satellite win into $52,110, an excellent return on her investment indeed.

7:38pm: Andres Korn doubles through Daniela Zapiello Daniela Zapiello moved all-in on the first hand of the level and Andres Korn snap-called, turning over [Ad][As] while Zapiello showed [Kc][Qs]. The [Qh][Jh][Jc] flop elicited a chorus of "oooooohs" from the rail, as Zapiello picked up a few outs with a pair of queens. The turn was the [Kd]. More "oooohs" but then silence as everyone realized her two pair were inferior to Korn's aces up. The river was the [Tc] and Korn doubled up to 2 million in chips. Zapiello was left with 300,000.

7:37pm: Action resumes...And for real this time. Cards are in the air.

6:23pm: Ooooops.... Still on a break Sorry for the disinformation with the last update. Due to "technical difficulties" action has been paused. Stay tuned. In the meantime, check our video team's interview with Daniela Zapiello...

6:11pm: We're back Our fifteen minute break turned out to be more like a forty-minute break, but the players are returning to the stage now and taking their seats. Action will resume momentarily.

Here's a look at the chip counts:

Norbert Ludger-- 1,970,000
Daniela Zapiello-- 1,255,000
Nicolas Cardyn-- 1,000,000
Jose "Nacho" Barbero-- 950,000
Andres Korn-- 925,000

LAPT Punta del Este reporting comes courtesy of bloggers Change100 and Paul "DrPauly" McGuire and photographer Carlos Monti.

6:28pm... Break time The last five players are heading out on a scheduled 15-minute break. See you in twenty-three minutes.

6:16pm... Nicolas Cardyn likes Nacho's chips Nacho Barbero opened for 200,000. Nicolas Cardyn shoved all in for 550,000. Nacho called. Cardyn was ahead with [9d][9c]. Barbero tabled [Qs][10c]. The flop was [Kd][9h][4c]. Cardyn improved his hand with a set of nines, but nacho picked up a gutshot. The turn was the [5s] and the river was the [3d]. Cardyn increased his stack to over 1.2 million. Nacho slipped to under 1 million.

5:55pm: Daniela doubles With the action folded around to him in the small blind, Nicolas Cardyn moved all-in and Daniela Zapiello made the call from the big blind. Zapiello was ahead with [As][8c] against Cardyn's [Qs][6s]. The crowd rose to their feet, their tiny Brazilian heroine at risk of elimination.

The flop certainly made it interesting, coming down [9s][4s][3h]. Zapiello was still ahead with ace-high, but Cardyn picked up a flush draw. The turn was the [2h], but Cardyn could still win with a queen, a six, a five, or a spade on the river. Zapiello's fans, however, erupted into cheers as the [Jc] hit the river, earning her the double-up.

Zapiello is now on 1,380,000 in chips while Cardyn was left with 495,000.

5:43pm: Nicolas Cardyn doubles through Andres Korn Nicolas Cardyn moved his last 525,000 into the middle before the flop holding [As][Qc]. The action was folded around to Andres Korn in the big blind, who made the call with [5s][6s]. Cardyn flopped top pair, the board running out [Ad][Td][2d][Jd][5h] to double him up to 1,160,000. Korn is down to about a million in chips.

5:38pm... Marco Caicedo eliminated in 6th place ($41,690) Marco Caicedo shoved for 350,000 and Nacho Barbero called. Caicedo was ahead with [As][7h] against Nacho's [Ks][Qh]. However, this final table supposed to be the "Nacho Show" which means that Nacho was going to come from behind to win the pot. That was evident when he took the lead on the flop of [As][Jd][9s]. The turn was the [6h]. The river was the [Qc]. Nacho won the pot with trip Queens. Marco Caicedo from Colombia headed to the rail in 6th place. We're down to 5 players and Nacho is up to 1.35 million in chips.

5:20pm... Blinds up! We're on Level 27 30,000-60,000 with a 5,000.

5:18pm... Chop it up! Marco Caicedo shoved and Norbert Ludger called. Caicedo held [Ah][Qd] versus Ludger's [Ac][Qc]. Neither could flush out the other, so they chopped the pot.

4:54pm: Bernardo Dias eliminated in 7th place ($31,270) As the saying goes, an all-in works every time... except once. For the fifth time in a row, Bernardo Dias moved all-in, this time for 700,000 and Andres Korn made the call. Dias' [Ah][6s], however, was up against pocket sevens and he could not improve on the [Jd][6c][4c][Kh][9c] board.

Dias exited the stage in seventh place, while Korn took over the chip lead with 1.7 million.

4:45pm... Dias eats some of Nacho's chips Bernardo Dias has been speeding ever since we returned from the break. The young Brazilian has one gear it seems -- all in. As expected, he shoved for 310,000. Nacho Barbero called from his big blind with [Qc][6s]. Dias was ahead with [Ac][8s]. The flop was [Kd][10c][8d]. The turn was the [Ah] and although Dias turned two pair, Nacho picked up outs with a gutshot Broadway draw. The river was the [Qh] and Dias' hand held up. Dias jumped up to over 700,000. Nacho still has over 1 million in chips.

4:30pm... Cardyn gets it back from Dias Bernardo Dias moved all in and Nicolas Cardyn called all in. Dias held [Ac][8s] but he trailed Cardyn's [Ah][9h]. The flop was [10h][7c][2h]. The turn was the [4c]. The river was the [Ad]. Cardyn's hand held up and he doubled up. Dias is down to 215,000. Cardyn is back up to 670,000.

4:20pm... Bernardo "Bedias" Dias doubles Action folded to Bernardo Dias on the button. He shoved all in for 220K. Nicolas Cardyn called. Dias was ahead with [Kd][10s] against [Kc][4d]. The board ran out [Ac][Qc][Qs][5s][6h]. Dias doubled and the Brazilians in the crowd went... nuts. Cardyn is now under 300,000.

4:16pm: Roman Suarez eliminated in 8th place ($20,850) On the first hand of the new level, Roman Suarez opened for 140,000, Nacho Barbero three-bet all-in and Suarez made the call. Barbero had him covered.

It was the [Ad][7s] for Barbero and the [Ah][5s] for Suarez. The [Qc][Jc][7h] flop paired Barbero's kicker and the [7c] on the turn made him trips. Suarez was drawing dead, the meaningless [6h] hitting the river as he departed in eighth place.

With that hand, Barbero moved into the chip lead with 1,460,000.

4:10pm: Back in action We're back and the blinds are up to 25,000-50,000 with a 5,000 ante. All eight final table players are still standing after nearly two full levels of play.

Here's a look at the current chip count:

Norbert Ludger-- 1,425,000
Andres Korn-- 1,000,000
Marco Caicedo-- 865,000
Nacho Barbero-- 740,000
Daniela de Lima Zapiello-- 680,000
Roman Suarez-- 605,000
Nicolas Cardyn-- 525,000
Bernardo da Silveira Dias-- 315,000

LAPT Punta del Este reporting comes courtesy of bloggers Change100 and Paul "DrPauly" McGuire and photographer Carlos Monti.

3:44pm: Another tight laydown On the last hand of the level, Nacho Barbero opened for 100,000. Andres Korn came in with a three-bet to 250,000, sending Barbero into the tank for several minutes. Most of the table had already left for the break by the time Barbero folded his [Ac][Qc] face-up.

The aforementioned break is in progress. We'll be back in about 10 minutes.

3:32pm: Tight laydown Daniela Zapiello opened for 90,000 and was met with a shove from Nacho Barbero. After a moment in the tank, she open-folded [9h][9d], conceding the pot to Barbero.

3:15pm: Nacho chips away at Norbert Nacho Barbero and Norbert Ludger both limped in and saw a [9s][7d][5c] flop. Both players checked to the turn, which fell the [Jc]. Ludger checked, Barbero bet 60,000 and Ludger called. The river was the [6d] and Ludger checked a third time. Barbero made it 160,000 to go and Ludger couldn't make the call, folding a jack face-up.

Thus far, Ludger has been the tightest player at the table. This was only the second hand he's been involved in.

2:54pm: Roman Suarez doubles through Nicolas Cardyn Nicolas Cardyn is down to 750,000 in chips after doubling up Roman Suarez. Cardyn opened for 90,000, Suarez shoved for 256,000 total and Cardyn made the call, turning up [Ks][Qh] to Suarez's [As][Th]. The board ran out [7d][6d][3d][3h][7h] and Suarez increased his stack to 604,000.

2:45pm... Nacho takes two out of five The last five hands have been... well... not very exciting unless you're a Nacho Barbero fan.

- Hand #1: Nacho raised 75K and everyone folded.

- Hand #2: Andres Korn opened for 100K and everyone folded. He showed pocket sevens.

- Hand #3: Roman Suarez open-shoved and everyone folded.

- Hand #4: Nacho min-raised. Marco Caicedo called. On a flop of [As][9h][5c], Nacho bet and Caicedo folded.

- Hand #5: Action folded to the blinds. Marco Caicedo limped from the small blind. Roman Saurez raised 115,000 from the big blind and Caicedo called. The flop was [Qd][5d][4d]. Marco fired out 100K and Saurez folded.

2:32pm: Blinds up We've moved into Level 25 with 20,000-40,000 blinds and a 4,000 ante.

2:26pm: Andres Korn doubles through Nicolas Cardyn Andres Korn opened for 90,000 from under-the-gun and Nicolas Cardyn made the call. Korn moved all-in for 344,000 on the [6h][5h][4h] flop and Cardyn looked him up. Cardyn led with [Jh][Jd], but Korn had 14 outs to a win with [As][Qh]. The turn favored Cardyn with the [Ks], but the [Qs] hit the river, Korn earning a double-up to 845,000.

2:18pm: On a slow boat The pace of play thus far has been glacial at best. We've played five hands and nearly forty minutes have ticked off the clock.

2:09pm... Daniella takes a bite out of Nacho Nacho Barbero opened for 75,000. Action folded to Daniella Zapiello in the small blind. She moved all in. Nacho tanked for a couple of minutes and tried to get a read on the stoic Brazilian. Zapiello confidently sat back in her chair with her arms crossed. Nacho folded and the Brazilians in the crowd cheered jubilantly. Daniello flashed a smile as she dragged the pot.

1:59pm: Just the nuts The second hand of the final table was a biggie, Bernardo Dias leading off the action with a raise to 91,000 from the button and Nicolas Cardyn making the call from the big blind. Both players checked the [Qh][Tc][3c] flop. The turn came the [7c] and after some careful deliberation, Cardyn settled on a bet of 136,000. Dias called. The river fell the [4h] and Cardyn led out again, this time for 267,000. Dias called, only to watch his opponent turn over [Ac][Jc] for the nut flush.

Dias lost more than half his stack and was left with 343,000 while Cardyn jumped to 1,548,000.

1:45pm... Cards in the air! We're in the middle of Level 24 with 44 minutes remaining.

1:40pm... Player introductions The final table players have taken their seats and unbagged their chips. LAPT President David Carrion took the stage and introduced each player. Team PokerStars Pro Nacho Barbero received the loudest applause from the contingency of Argentinians in the audience. The bleachers are jam packed with spectators and the area surrounding the final table is "standing room only." Action will begin shortly.

LAPT Punta del Este reporting comes courtesy of bloggers Change100 and Paul "DrPauly" McGuire and photographer Carlos Monti.

The Elite 8. That's what we're calling the final table of the LAPT Punta del Este. One of the Elite 8 is going to be crowned the next LAPT champion. There's a seven to one chance that we'll have only the second Latin champion ever since the inception of the LAPT. Nicolas Cardyn, a Frenchman via London, U.K., is attempting to become the third straight European to win the LAPT Punta del Este. Standing in his way are three Argentineans, two Brazilians, one Colombian, and a local player from Uruguay.

Final Table Seating Assignments:
Seat 1: Roman Suarez (Argentina) - 403,000
Seat 2: Norbert Ludger (Uruguay) - 1,596,000
Seat 3: Jose "Nacho" Barbero (Argentina) - 548,000
Seat 4: Bernardo Dias (Brazil) - 840,000
Seat 5: Andres Korn (Argentina) - 503,000
Seat 6: Nicolas Cardyn (France) - 988,000
Seat 7: Daniela Zapiello (Brazil) - 560,000
Seat 8: Marco Caicedo (Colombia) - 666,000

LAPT Punta del Este final table player profiles

Seat 1: Roman Suarez, Argentina--403,000 chips

25 year-old Roman Suarez holds a degree in Electronics and is currently studying Public Relations. Originally from Palomar, Argentina, he turned pro two years ago and now plays all the big tournaments in his home country. He started playing freerolls online, eventually stepping up to play for real money, Now he plays the most expensive tournaments in South America and recently won the largest event ever held in the province of Corrientes, Argentina. He starts off today as the short stack with 403,000 in chips.

Seat 2: Norbert Ludger, Uruguay--1,595,000 chips

A man of dual nationalities, Norbert Ludger is half-German, half-Uruguayan and splits his time between the two countries. He works for the German government and took up poker about two years ago. When asked about his greatest poker accomplishment, he thought long and hard before recalling a $300 tournament at the Conrad Casino in Punta del Este where he cashed for about $2,000. He comes into play today as the dominant chip leader, a role he assumed on Day 3.

Seat 3: Jose "Nacho" Barbero, Buenos Aires, Argentina--548,000 chips

One of the top pros from Argentina, Nacho Barbero is the last member of Team PokerStars Pro standing in this event. A former Magic: The Gathering player, Barbero learned poker from some of his friends on the Magic circuit and began playing online. Most recently, Barbero finished in ninth place at the Season 2 LAPT Grand Final in Mar del Plata and won a $925 no-limit hold'em side event at the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. He has six World Series of Poker cashes on his resume including a final table in last year's $1,500 limit hold'em shootout and two cashes in the Main Event.

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Seat 4: Bernardo Dias, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - 840,000 chips

Bernardo "Bedias" Dias is a 20-year old marketing student from Southern Brazil. He's been spotted hobbling around the tournament area on crutches. Dias hurt his knee playing football with his friends. "I'm not very good," he joked. Where Dias lacks skills on the football field, he's an ace on the tennis court and played semi-professionally for ten years. Dias is also a frequent online player. He won his seat to the LAPT Punta del Este through an online qualifier. He has a fourth-place finish at the Sunday Million and finished 106th place on the 2009 TLB.

Seat 5: Andres Korn, Buenos Aires, Argentina--503,000 chips

40-year old Andres Korn took up poker about five years ago and now plays regularly in casinos around Buenos Aires, where he works as a real estate broker and lives with his wife and their new baby. Primarily a no-limit hold'em cash game player, this is his first time playing on the LAPT. He cites his cash finish in the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event as his biggest poker accomplishment, although a win today could certainly change that.

Seat 6: Nicolas Cardyn, London, U.K.--988,000 chips

Nicolas Cardyn is originally from France but has lived in England for the last 12 years. He graduated from Warwick University with a degree in business management. During his time at university, Cardyn support himself through poker. The 22-year old is a heads-up no-limit hold'em cash game specialist and doesn't play too many MTTs. After graudation, he moved to Peru to work an internship, but he didn't like the situation, so he quit shortly after his arrival. His friends from London were coming down to play in the LAPT Punta del Este, so Cardyn decided to try to win his seat online -- and he did. Cardyn starts the final table second in chips.

Seat 7: Daniela De Lima Zapiello, 23, Sao Paulo, Brazil--560,000 chips

Daniela Zapiello emerged as a contender in this event on Day 2, when she took the chip lead and began wielding her big stack like a lethal weapon. Zapiello dropped out of high school as a teenager, not to travel the world or play poker professionally, but to provide for her family. After working at a supermarket, in a shoe store and as a telemarketer, a friend helped her find a job as a poker dealer. Zapiello caught on to the game quickly during her 2 1/2 years in the box and now supports her family with her poker winnings. Playing as "Zapiello" on PokerStars, she made her largest cash ever last fall, winning over $10,000 for a third-place finish in the Daily Eighty Grand. She earned her seat here in a PokerStars satellite and hopes to become the first woman to win an LAPT title.

Seat 8: Marco Caicedo, Colombia--666,000 chips

Originally from Cali, Colombia, Marco Caicedo is a 39 year-old entrepreneur. Married with two sons, he started playing poker five years ago in home games. Caicedo bought in directly to the LAPT Punta del Este after coming in fourth in a tournament in Panama a few weeks ago.

A little over one year ago, we were in Vina del Mar, Chile, sitting in a ballroom not unlike this one, as Fabian Ortiz became the first-ever Latin American champion on the LAPT. We had seen a Spaniard, a Hungarian, a Dutchman and two Americans claim victory, but until Ortiz made his now-legendary comeback from half a small blind to the title, the trophy had always been shipped overseas. Here in Punta del Este, the situation is shaping up quite differently, with seven players of South American lineage vying for the title, the only potential spoiler a likable Frenchman who lives in London.

24 players returned to the Mantra Hotel & Casino this afternoon, all of them guaranteed at least a $7,300 payday for their three days of work. Almost immediately, Norbert Ludger transformed from an average stack into a one-man wrecking ball. First, he snapped off Stevie Chidwick's top two pair when he rivered a straight, then finished him off on a coinflip one hand later. He knocked out Daniel Kowalski in 20th place when his straight draw came in again against top pair, then cracked aces with king-jack to take the chip lead.

Oliver Rowe was trying to make back-to-back final tables in this event and came into play third in chips, but the young Canadian was eliminated in 18th place when he ran his pocket nines into pocket kings. Looking for his first LAPT final table was Team PokerStars Pro and shark enthusiast Humberto Brenes, but he succumbed in 16th place, after losing most of his chips with pocket jacks against pocket kings.

Daniela De Lima Zapiello emerged as a real contender on Day 2, taking the chip lead on several occasions. She regained it when she took out Pascual D'alessio in 14th place, her stack soaring past the 1 million mark. The petite Brazilian kept her foot on the gas for the rest of the day, squeeze-raising and three-betting her way to the final table, where she'll start off in the middle of the pack with 560,000 in chips.

Day 2 chip leader Cesar Mostafa ended his run in 10th place, sending us to a nine-handed "not-so-final" table. It took us more than two hours to lose another player, everyone doing their best to avoid bubbling the final table. Jose "Nacho" Barbero knows that feeling well-- he finished in ninth place at last season's Grand Final in Mar del Plata, Argentina-- but he survived to the final table today, the lone Team PokerStars Pro to do so.

Ernesto Panno also understands the pain of the bubble. He missed the money by one spot last year in Mar del Plata, and tonight he finished one place short of the final table, shipping the last of his chips in with [Ah][2c] and earning a call from Barbero with [As][Tc]. Panno could not catch a deuce and ended his run in ninth place.

Our final eight players will return at 1 pm tomorrow (EST+3). One of them will head home with an extra $279,330, a shiny silver trophy, and an LAPT title. Here's how they stack up:

Norbert Ludger-- Uruguay--1,596,000
Nicolas Cardyn-- France-- PokerStars Qualifier-- 997,000
Marco A. Caicedo-- Colombia-- 666,000
Ernesto Panno--Argentina-- 520,000
Daniela de Lima Zapiello--Brazil-- PokerStars Qualifier-- 519,000
Andres Korn-- Argentina-- 512,000
Bernardo da Silveira Dias-- Brazil-- PokerStars Qualifier-- 414,000
Roman Suarez -- Argentina-- 412,000
Jose 'Nacho' Barbero-- Argentina-- PokerStars Team Pro-- 404,000

Full chip counts for the final table players can also be found on the LAPT Punta del Este chip count page. Everyone is still chasing Norbert Ludger, who will come into play as the chip leader.

If your Spanish or Portuguese is as terrible as ours, check out the PokerStars Spanish Blog or the PokerStars Brazilian Blog. And don't forget about or video team who has been hard at work getting the inside scoop. Their video blogs can be found on PokerStars.tv.

For a look back at our coverage today, click any of the links below.

Level 23 and 24 updates
Level 21 and 22 updates
Level 19 and 20 updates
Level 17 and 18 updates
Day 3 Preview

10:30p: Day 3 complete; Final table set That's it for Day 3 of the LAPT Punta del Este. Norbert Ludger, a local player from Uruguay, ended today as the chip leader with 1,596,000. We're finally down to 8 players. One of them will win $279,330 for first place. Which one will it be? Tune in tomorrow at 1pm local time (EST +3) to find out.

Official chip counts will be available shortly. Visit our chip count page. For a list of players who cashed today, visit the prize pool and payouts section.

10:22pm: Ernesto Panno eliminated in 9th place ($14,590) Ernesto Panno shoved and Nacho Barbero called with [As][10c]. Panno tabled [Ah][2c]. The board ran out [Kh][Jd][7h][Ad][8h]. Nacho won the pot and Panno was out. With his elimination, the final table is set.

10:16pm: Bernadrdo Dias doubles through Ernesto Panno Bernardo Dias shoved all in for 308K. Ernest Panno called with [Ac][Qs]. Dias happily turned over [Ks][Kd]. The board ran out [8s][5d][3h][8c][Kh]. Dias won the hand to avoid elimination. Dias doubled up while Panno slipped to around 300K.

10:06pm: Cards Back in the Air

9:44pm: Break Time Players are on a 15-minute break.

9:30pm: Marco Caicedo doubles through Bernardo Dias We experienced the loudest hand of the tournament... thus far. Bernardo Dias opened for a 55,000 raise. Marco Caicedo three-bet shoved for 327,000. Dias paused for few minutes before he made the call. Everyone in the ballroom jumped to their feet anticipating an elimination to set the final table. Dias was ahead with [6d][6c] against Caicedo's [Ad][Qs]. Both players stood up, even Dias who has been hobbling around the tournament area with crutches due to an injured knee. The flop came down [Kh][Jd][10h] and Caicedo's friends went berserk because he flopped a Broadway straight. Dias picked up a few outs when the [Ks] fell on the turn. However, the river was the [Qd] and Caicedo faded the boat to win the pot.

9:10pm: Nicolas Cardyn Picks Off Daniella Nicolas Cardyn raised 60,000 and Daniella Zapiello called. They both checked the flop of [Qh][Qd][9h]. They both checked the turn when the [2s] fell. When the [Ks] spiked on the river, Nicolas Cardyn bet out 70,000. Daniella Zapiello raised to 170,000. Cardyn headed into the tank again. And once again, someone at the table called the clock on him to make a decision. At the last possible second, he called Zapiello's bet with pocket treys. Cardyn's instincts were correct because Zapiello only had A-J for ace-high. Cardyn dragged the pot.

8:50pm: Norbert Ludges dents Nicolas Cardyn's stack After fifteen minutes of passive play, we had the first sizable pot since the final nine players consolidated to one table. Four players were in this pot. The flop was [Jc][9c][4d]. Nicolas bet 200,000 and only Norbet Ludges called. The turn was the [7s]. Nicolas checked. Ludges bet 270,000. Cardyn headed into the tank for several minutes as he pondered his decision. Someone at the table called the clock on him and as time ticked down, Cardyn made the laydown. Ludges won the pot and showed the [Jd]. Cardyn lost around 300K on that hand and slipped to around 500K in chips. Ludges increased his stack to over 1.5 million.

8:34pm: Action resumes

8:28pm: Holding pattern What we thought was going to be a quick pause to move the final nine to the TV table has now turned into nearly a half-hour break. The players, however, were just called back to their seats and we should be back underway shortly.

7:55pm: Re-Draw! The final 9 players are redrawing for seats at the "almost" final table. We're one more elimination away before our final table is set.

7:50pm: Cesar Mostafa eliminated in 10th place ($14,590) Cesar Mostafa was crippled by Andres Korn and two hands later he shoved with [Qd][10c]. Roman Suarez called with [Kh][Kd]. Mostafa could not come from behind to win the hand. Suarez's Kings held up and Mostafa headed to the rail in 10th place. Mostafa began Day 3 as the chipleader, but he could not maintain the lead and fizzled out before the final table.

7:48pm: Jose Capdevila eliminated in 11th place ($12,500) Over at the featured TV table, Jose Capdevila found himself all in with [5c][5h] against Bernardo Dias' [Ad][Jh]. The flop was [Ah][6s][3h] and Dias took the lead. The turn was the [9c] and the river was the [Kc]. Dias' hand held up. Capdevila, the last standing player from Chile, busted out in 11th place.

7:47pm: Blinds up! We've moved into Level 23, with blinds of 12,000-24,000 and a 3,000 ante. 11 players remain.

LAPT Punta del Este reporting comes courtesy of bloggers Change100 and Paul "DrPauly" McGuire and photographer Carlos Monti.

7:35pm: Nacho speaks Earlier today, our video blog crew caught up with Jose "Nacho" Barbero, now the last Team Pro standing in the LAPT Punta del Este. See what he thinks of his opponents and how he'll spend the money if he wins.

7:15pm: Clas Thorsell eliminated in 12th place ($12,500) Clas Thorsell's tournament just concluded on quite a strange hand. Bernardo Da Silvera opened for 45,000, Ernesto Panno flat-called, and Thorsell called as well, leaving himself only 14,000 behind. Thorsell put those last few chips in the pot on the [9c][3s][2d] flop and since it was less than a minimum bet, the floor ruled that both Da Silvera and Panno had to put in 20,000 apiece to call (we raised our eyebrows too). Both men checked down the [7c] on the turn and the [Ac] on the river.

Panno slapped the [Jc][6c] on the table for a runner-runner flush, and that was it for Thorsell, who departed in 12th place.

With Thorsell's elimination, Frenchman Nicolas Cardyn is now the only non-Latin player remaining in the field. His ten remaining opponents all hail from South American countries.

7:07pm: Marco Caicedo cripples Clas Thorsell If you ever what happens when a Colombian and a Swede rumble... well you're in the right place. Up at the featured TV Table Marco Caicedo (Colombia) and Clas Thorsell (Sweden) got it all in with a coin flip. Caicedo's [Ad][Kd] prevailed over Thorsell's [6h][6d]. Caicedo flopped a King to take the lead and then rivered a King (for a bit of an overkill). The Colombian doubled up and left the Swede with 50K.

7:00pm: Martin Sansour eliminated in 13th place ($10,420) Martin Sansour raised 65,000 and Norbert Ludges called. The flop was [8s][4d][2d]. Sansour checked. Ludges bet 107,000. Sansour check-raised 200,000 more. Ludges called. The turn was the [2c] and Sansour shoved all in. Ludges snap-called and showed [4c][4s]. Sansour sheepishly tabled [Ac][Qs] and knew that he picked the wrong time to bluff at the pot. A dejected Sansour headed to the rail in 13th place. Down to 12.

6:40pm: Players return from break We're now on Level 22. Blinds are currently 10,000-20,000 with a 2,000 ante. Yes, the big blind is currently worth the original starting stack! 13 players still remain.

6:25pm: Break time We'll be back in action in 15 minutes.

6:20 pm: Andres Korn drops the Hammer Martin Sansour opened for 41,000, Norbert Ledges called on the button, and Andres Korn put the squeeze on, making it 150,000 to go from the small blind. Cesar Mostafa tanked for an eternity from the big blind, making what looked like a very reluctant fold before Sansour and Ledges pitched in their cards.

Korn rolled over [2d][7d] with a smile and took down the pot.

6:10pm: Cardyn chipping away at Zapiello Daniela Zapiello has a new nemesis in Nicolas Cardyn. She opened for 41,000 from the cutoff, Cardyn called on the button and both blinds called. The action was checked around to Zapiello, who bet 65,000. Cardyn smooth-called and both blinds folded. When the [9c] fell on the turn, Zapiello slowed down and checked, opening the door for Cardyn to move all-in for about 400,000. Zapiello gave up her hand, conceding the pot to Cardyn.

6:00pm: Le double for Nicolas Cardyn Daniella Zapiello opened for 45K. Frenchman Nicolas Cardyn shoved for 230K. Daniella Zapiello called with [Ah][Kh]. Cardyn was ahead with [Qd][Qc]. The board ran out [10d][7c][5d][Jd][10s]. Cardyn's queens held up and he doubled up, while Zapiello slipped to under 1 million in chips.

5:45pm: Daniela Zapiello reclaims chip lead, eliminates Pascual D'alessio in 14th place The chip infusion Pascual D'alessio received by eliminating Helio Chreem proved to be short-lived. After Cesar Mostafa opened for 45,000 and Daniela Zapiello three-bet to 115,000, D'alessio moved all-in from the small blind for about 250,000 holding [Js][Jd]. Mostafa folded, but Zapiello called, turning over [Kh][Kd]. D'alessio did not improve and he exited in 14th place.

With that pot, Zapiello took over the chip lead with 1.1 million and is the first player to cross the seven-figure mark.

5:42pm: Helio Chreem eliminated in 15th place ($8,350) Helio Chreem opened for 45,000 from the small blind, Cesar Mostafa shoved for 262,000 from the big blind and Chreem snap-called with pocket tens. Mostafa sheepishly turned over [Jc][9s] as Chreem pumped his fist and stood up from his chair. The [8d][Qs][4d] flop looked good, so did the [2s] on the turn, but the [Tc] spiked on the river, making Mostafa a queen-high straight. Now it was his turn to fist-pump as Chreem shook his head in disbelief.

Left with 75,000 in chips, Chreem moved all in with [Qs][Ts] on the next hand, but could not improve against Pascual D'alessio's [Kd][Jd].

5:25pm: Blinds Up We're now on level 21. Blinds are 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante. 15 players remain.

LAPT Punta del Este reporting comes courtesy of bloggers Change100 and Paul "DrPauly" McGuire and photographer Carlos Monti.