March 25 2012, Chad Holloway

Day 4 of the 2012 PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour Chile concluded on Sunday by crowning the first champion of Season 5. The final eight players of a 651-player field returned to the Enjoy Casino & Resort in Viña del Mar to play down to a winner, which took approximately five hours to determine. At the end of the day, Aliro Diaz hoisted the trophy and took home $76,560 in prize money.

2012 LAPT Chile Final Table Payouts

At the start of the final table, which included three Chileans, two players from Colombia, two Brazilians and one Argentinian, the big question was whether of not a local would capture the LAPT Chile National Poker Championship title.

Here’s a look at how the final table stacked up at the start of the day.

2012 LAPT Chile Final Table

It took about 40 minutes for the first elimination of the day to occur, and it happened right after Nicholas Batt doubled Javier Venegas. It began when Felipe Velasquez opened for 90,000 and was met with an all-in shove by Batt, for around 725,000. Velasquez made the call with and was off to the races against Batt’s .

The railbirds were on their feet as the dealer put down the flop of . The Velasquez contingent erupted in cheers as their man had hit an ace to take the lead. The turn was of no consequence, and neither was the river. Velasquez chipped up to 2.8 million on the hand, while Batt became the eighth-place finisher worth $13,040.

Not long after, action folded to Diaz in the cutoff and he opened for 95,000. After the button got out of the way, Halysson Sala moved all in from the small blind for 505,000 total holding . The big blind got out of the way, and Diaz called with .

It was a classic race, but Sala needed to improve to stay alive. The flop was not what he was looking for, and neither was the turn, though it gave him some extra outs. Unfortunately for Sala, salvation would not be delivered on the river as the bricked, and he was eliminated in seventh place for $17,470.

It was at that point that a six-handed deal that was struck. Chip leader Velasquez guaranteed himself $60,000, while each of the other five players locked up $40,000. Per the terms, each would add to their respective totals depending on their finish as follows: first – $36,560; second – $26,000; third – $18,000; fourth – $14,000; fifth – $10,000; and sixth – $7,000.

It took some time for the next elimination to develop, but it came when Velasquez opened to 140,000 in the hijack and was called by Diaz in the cutoff. From the small blind, Sergio Escobar, who began the day as chip leader, shoved for about 475,000, and Velasquez isolated with an all-in re-raise.

Showdown
Velasquez:
Escobar:

The flop paired Velasquez and left Escobar in a world of hurt. Neither the turn nor river offered help, and Escobar’s Main Event run ended in sixth place for $47,000.

A few hands later, action folded to Venegas on the button and he wasted little time in moving all in for 710,000. Leonardo Olivares was in the big blind and thought for a solid minute before making the call. Venegas turned over , and seemed excited his cards we live against the of Olivares.

When the flop came down and Venegas hit his king, his supporters erupted with cheers from the rail; however, it was short lived as the peeled off on the turn. This time it was Olivares’s rail that erupted. During the commotion, the harmless was put out on the river, and Venegas shook hands with the victor before taking his leave in fifth place for $50,000.

In a blind-versus-blind battle of Chileans, Velasquez moved all in from the small for around 1.4 million and Diaz snap-called from the big blind. Velasquez flipped over and was in trouble against Diaz’s , especially after the flop delivered the latter a set. Velasquez picked up a gut-shot straight draw to a three, but it was not meant to be as the hit the turn followed by the on the river. Velasquez was eliminated in fourth place for $74,000.

A short time later, Joao Lopes opened to 300,000 on the button and Olivares folded his small blind. Diaz, though, re-raised all in from the big blind with the big stack. Lopes called all in for about 1.3 million.

Showdown
Lopes:
Diaz:

Lopes’ cries for a three failed to materialize as the board came down to end his Main Event in third place.

On the seventh hand of heads-up play, Diaz opened for 185,000 and then called Olivares’s three-bet to 500,000. When the flop fell , Olivares thought for a moment before announcing all in for around 2.5 million. Diaz thought long and hard, approximately two minutes, before announcing a call.

Showdown

The crowd was on its feet as the dealer burned and turned the . In order to survive, Olivares needed either an ace or queen on the river. The dealer burned one more time and put out the . With that, LAPT Chile was over as Olivares shook hands with his opponent and made his way to the payout desk to collect $66,000.

The next stop on the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour will be in May at the Mantra Resort, Spa and Casino in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and of course PokerNews will be there to bring you all the action straight from the felt.

Remaining LAPT Season 5 Schedule

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March 14 2012, Lynn Gilmartin

The fourth season of the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour finished up last month during Carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and now the tour is already set for a return! Next week, an influx of poker players will arrive in Chile’s fashionable beach resort town, Viña del Mar, for the first stop on LAPT Season 5.

Viña del Mar, which is Spanish for “vineyard by the sea,” is referred to by the locals as simply “Viña.” It’s located approximately 90 minutes west of Santiago, and is one of the biggest resort beach towns on the South American Pacific coast, making it a popular stop for American and Canadian cruisers.

Some call Viña del Mar the Chilean version of California’s Laguna Beach thanks to its popularity amongst surfers, or Florida’s Miami thanks to the beachside nightlife. It’s also known as the “Garden City” with its spring-like climate all year round, along with 13 sandy beaches offering crystal-clear Pacific Ocean waters.

• Language: Spanish
• Weather: average high of 71°F (22°C)
• Currency: Peso (CLP). USD $1 = CLP 493 (approx)
• Voltage: 220 volts

Getting There & Around

All international flights arrive at Santiago Airport. Viña del Mar is a 90-minute drive from there, costing approximately $200 USD each way for a taxi. If you aren’t arriving with people to share the taxi, a cheaper option is to catch the TurBus from Santiago Central Station for approximately 3,000 pesos (less than $10 USD). The cheapest option from Viña del Mar from the airport appears to be taking the CentroPuerto bus for 1,400 pesos to Santiago Central Station, and then take the aforementioned route to Viña del Mar.

Once you’re in Viña del Mar, many places are within walking distance of the casino. There are also small cars available, known as “Colectivo,” that you can take throughout the city for around 500 pesos (just $1 USD) per ride.

The LAPT

The PokerStars.net LAPT Chile National Poker Championship will be held from March 21 through 25 at the Enjoy Casino & Resort which is ranked the No. 1 hotel in all of Viña del Mar on Trip Advisor.

Enjoy Casino & Resort 

Av. San Martín 199,
Viña del Mar
Región de Valparaíso

Tel: + 56 (32) 284 6100


If you’re lucky enough to have secured a room at the Enjoy Hotel, thanks to qualifying on PokerStars, then you will do exactly that – enjoy! The décor has a 1920s feel with spacious and well-appointed rooms that all offer fantastic views from your private balcony. If you did not qualify on PokerStars and are seeking accommodation then check out LAPT Travel for nearby hotels with excellent group prices.

Things to Do

Playing poker and chilling out on the beach are the obvious tasks to check off your to-do list when in Viña del Mar, but there are several attractions worth visiting if you’re left with a little extra time than planned.

Casablanca Wineries

Chile’s harvest season lands in March, which is the best time to visit the Casablanca Valley. If you love a good drop of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, the 45-minute trip to this world-renowned wine region is well worth the time.

Nightlife

The casino is said to be the center of Viña del Mar’s social life. As you would expect from a resort town, Viña offers plenty of nightlife options, no matter what day of the week it is. If you want to venture outside of the casino, then according to a NY Times article, there’s a rock bar called Bar Spartako on Avenida Valparaíso 90, which is a great place to enjoy a few beers. Just a few blocks away from there is Café Journal on Variante Agua Santa, a quiet café by day, and a ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s disco by night.

Reñaca

This is Chile’s most famous beach thanks to its luxury shopping, dining, entertainment, and nightlife. This is known as the place “to be seen.” Reñaca is located just five kilometers from Viña del Mar, and after doing a quick search on YouTube, to me it almost looks like the Cancun of Chile. The video below may not show off the views of the town, but it certainly shows some other “views of Chile” that you may appreciate.

The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand in Chile to bring all of the LAPT Grand Final action. Follow @PokerNews_Live on Twitter so we can keep you posted!

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