At about 6pm today in Costa Rica, the heavens opened and it rained. And when it rains during the rainy season in a country covered in rain forest, it really, really, really, really rains. Somewhere deep inside the Caliari Country Club, in the capital, San Jose, it had been raining...more

We're in level 24 of the LAPT event in San Jose, Costa Rica. Blinds are 15,000-30,000 (3,000). The tournament is heads up. Updates will appear in this post. Click Refresh on your browser for latest news. Valdemar Kwaysser, Hungary, PokerStars qualifier, wins LAPT San Jose, earning $274,103 6.20pm: Max Steinberg,...more

As they prepare for heads-up play, meaning loads of hand-shaking, strategy discussions, and photography, it seems like a good time to post the following. I'd intended to post it at the dinner break, but we might not make it that far. So, here it is.Throughout the first couple of days...more

A couple of weeks ago, two young Dutchmen left their homes in Amsterdam for a holiday in South America. When they return to Europe in a few days from now, one of them will be $228,000 richer, and will be known as the first ever champion of the PokerStars.net Latin...more

Julien Nuijten, from Amsterdam, Holland, wins LAPT Rio, earning $222,940 Vitaly Kovyazin, PokerStars qualifier from New York, is elimiminated in second place, earning $117,750 8.05pm -- This one is all over. Julien Nuijten, the 19-year-old from Amsterdam, takes it down. He finally gets a hand to stand up. Julien bets...more

Hello and welcome back to Rio for the final day of the first ever event on the PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT). We started on Friday with 314 players contesting a $785,000 prize pool and now, two days and 305 eliminations later, we're down to our final nine. The...more

All good things must come to an end, and now the first season of the Latin America Poker Tour (LAPT) is in the record books. After Julien Nuijten in Rio de Janeiro, Valdemar Kwaysser in San Jose, the third and final champion has also been decided. And he is also...more

11.40pm -- Jose Miguel Espinar, Spain, champion of LAPT Punta del Este, earning $241,735 Alex Brenes, Costa Rica, eliminated in second place, earning $127,675 It all goes in next hand and Brenes has A-10 against Espinar's king-five. But a king flops and it stay good, giving the title to the...more

11.10pm -- We have a ten minute break at the end of the level and white chips are coming into play. 11.05pm -- After a period of small-ball jousting, there's a raise and a re-raise pre-flop with Espinar repopping Brenes to the tune of about 250,000. Brenes thinks and thinks,...more