LAPT8 Peru: From 21 to 12 as Ramirez surges to the top

We’ve reached the end of Level 21, with many more knockouts to pass along as the field in the Latin American Poker Tour Peru Main Event has swiftly been reduced from 21 players to just 12.

We had lost one LAPT champion already today, two-time winner Fabian Ortiz (in 25th). Another has now fallen in 21st ($7,180) in Martin Sansour, the Peruvian who picked up his Main Event trophy during Season 3 in Rosario, Argentina.

Martin SansourSansour’s demise came in a big hand versus Argentina’s Leon Cordoba in which Sansour had pocket kings and appeared in great shape versus Cordoba’s pair of nines. But a third nine came on the board, knocking out Sansour and pushing Cordoba up over 700,000 and into the chip lead with 20 left.

An Argentinian was next on the sour side of an all-in as Ramiro Patrone also lost with a premium holding in a hand versus Daniel Ramirez.

Petrone had the best starter in hold ’em — A♣A♥ — while Ramirez showed K♠J♣. All was fine for Petrone through the 10♦9♥4♠ flop and 2♣ turn, but the Q♣ river added up to a straight for Ramirez, ending Petrone’s run in 20th ($8,000).

Ramiro PatroneFollowing the day’s first break, they returned to Level 21, where four more fell within the first 30 minutes.

Henry Ez-Kher went down in 19th ($8,000) after taking K♠Q♣ up against Patricio Rojas’s A♠10♥, then watching the board come A♦10♠3♦J♥10♣ to give Rojas a full house and end Ez-Kher’s run. Maximiliano Gallardo soon followed in 18th ($8,000) after his pocket tens failed him against Cristian Aceiton’s K♠5♠ when a king came among the community cards.

Alejandro Reyes was the next out the door in 17th ($8,800), pocket treys not working for him against Daniel Ramirez’s queen-nine after Reyes hit a set on the turn, but Ramirez filled a king-high straight on the river. Then Daniel Bizoza of Uruguay went down in 16th ($8,800) with Q♣6♣ versus Helio Neves’s pocket treys, a third trey on board helping assure Bizoza’s end.

While all of that was happening, former leader Andres Herrera slipped back in the counts, then found himself all in with ace-ten versus the king-jack of a surging Daniel Ramirez. The flop was clean for Herrera, but a king on the turn helped Ramirez, and after the river failed to bring an ace Herrera was out in 15th ($9,760).

That one pushed Ramirez way up over 1.3 million, giving him the clear lead as the knockouts continued to come.

Daniel RamirezIt was just a few minutes later that Patricio Rojas had a short-stacked Diego Dos Santos of Argentina all in and on the ropes, with the latter showing 4♣4♥ while Rojas had K♠K♥. A king on the flop made things worse for Dos Santos, who by the turn was drawing dead to go out in 14th ($9,760).

Finally, just before the level concluded, the Norwegian Liev Kare Johannessen was felted in 13th ($11,060) after putting in his last 95,000 with J♦8♦, running up against Aceiton’s A♥Q♠, and watching the board come an unhelpful 3♠7♣6♥10♦5♣.

Liev Kare JohannessenWith just a dozen players left to start Level 22, it’s Ramirez on top — for now, anyway, given the rapid pace of play.

Photography from LAPT8 Peru by Carlos Monti. You can also follow the action in Spanish here and in Portuguese here.

Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.