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* CHIP COUNTS | PRIZE POOL AND PAYOUTS
* Day 3 will play down to the eight-handed final table
* Prize pool: $721,665; 1st place: $138,225
* 27 players of 553 entries remain
1:07pm: Tuthill cut down, eliminated
Level 21 – Blinds 6,000/12,000 (ante 2,000)
Nathan Tuthill got one double and he was in a great position to get another, until he was out-flopped by Rafael Escobedo with both players more or less in a pot for their tournament lives. That hand was picked up with Tuthill open shoving the button for 233,000 and after some thought, and a count of his stack, Escobedo called for less in the small blind.
Aaron Mermelstein got out of the way in the big blind and Escobedo needed to hit to stay alive. He held [Ks][Qs] to Tuthill’s [As][ts] and after asking the dealer for help, that’s exactly what Escobedo got on the [Qc][tc][8d] flop.
He stood from his chair in anticipation of the final two cards and after the turn and river bricked out with the [2d] and [3h], he gave himself a quick fist pump before re-taking his seat. When his stack was cut down, weighing in at 216,000, Tuthill got a small 17,000 chip rebate.
He was all-in and at risk on the very next hand and Armando Collado sent him to the rail in 28th place. While Tuthill headed to the payout table, Escobedo, who led the second Day 1B flight, was stacking up over a half-million chips for the first time in this event. — WOC
1:02pm: Baliner doubles through Schwecht
Level 21 – Blinds 6,000/12,000 (ante 2,000)
Most of the reports we’ve done throughout this Day 3 session have been short stacked eliminations but after Austin Peck doubled on Table 1, Nicolas Baliner did the same. His double came through the big stacked Tobias Schwecht, with action being picked up on a board of [3c][3s][2h].
Baliner checked from the big blind and Schwecht continued for 17,000. The Argentine then check-raised to 41,000 and Schwecht called to see the [td] fall on the turn. Baliner bet 85,000, leading himself just under 170,000 behind and the Austrian called.
The [6d] fell to complete the board and quickly, Baliner’s chips were in the middle. Schwecht got a count and the flicked a chip into the middle for a call, only to see his opponent table [Ac][3h]. Baliner’s trips were good for the double and when the dust settled, he was playing the better part of 625,000. Schwecth, on the other hand, is now below average with 260,000. — WOC
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 6,000 | 12,000 | 2,000 |
12:57pm: Mermelstein ships another small double
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
Aaron Mermelstein came into this Day 3 session second in chips, meaning he had the ability to take some hits but still be well stacked. Unfortunately, that’s what happened so far, as Mermelstein just shipped another small double to Nathan Tuthill.
Action was picked up with Tuthill open shoving from the cutoff for 108,000. Mermelstein, who was in the small blind, asked for a count and then called to put the short stack at risk. He held [Kc][Js] and had to hit to score the knockout, as Tuthill held [Ah][6h].
The [8h][3c][2c][2s][4h] runout confirmed the double and Tuthill is now back up and over 200,000 with play about to head into Level 21. Mermelstein meanwhile is still very well stacked with close to 550,000. — WOC
12:52pm: Peck picks up big pot from Gutierrez
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
With the board showing [As][2d][Ad][9c] and about 150,000 already in the middle, Austin Peck checked, Fernando Gutierrez bet 66,000, then Peck check-raised all-in.
Gutierrez tanked for a while before finally emerging to call, then dropped his head slightly when he saw Peck table [Ah][Kc] for trips with a king-kicker. Gutierrez had [Ac][Jc] for the same trips with a lesser jack, and after the [6h] turn, Peck had doubled to around 650,000. Gutierrez still has about 265,000. –MH
12:41pm: Zacconi hits rail in 29th; Blanco over a milly
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
Marcio Daniel Zacconi of Argentina has become the 29th-place finisher after losing an all-in versus start-of-day chip leader Anderson Blanco.
After a Blanco button open, Zacconi had shoved his last 150,000 or so from the big blind and the Colombian called him, turning over [5s][5c]. Zacconi had a fighting chance with [Ad][Jd], and for the briefest of moments things looked promising when the flop revealed an ace in the window.
But underneath was an ugly five for Zacconi, the full flop arriving [Td][5d][As]. The [6h] turn meant Zacconi needed a non-pairing diamond to escape, but the river was the [4c] and Zacconi is out.
Blanco chips up over 1 million on that one, passing Mermelstein again to reclaim first position with 28 left. –MH
12:26pm: Alzaga doubles, then busts
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
Gonzalo Alzaga came back with the shortest stack of our 32 remaining players and while he was able to score an early double, he was then quickly sent out in 30th place. The first hand he was involved in was with chip leader Aaron Mermelstein.
The American opened and Alzaga three-bet shoved for just over 65,000. Mermelstein called to try to score the knockout with [Jh][9h] but after the [Kh][8s][4c] flop, Alzaga’s [Ac][Kd] was in good shape. The turn and river bricked out and confirmed the double but Alzaga was still short.
That short stack got in the middle again a few hands later, after Memelstein opened the button for 21,000. Alzaga three-bet shoved for 120,000 from the small blind and Jose Annaloro called in the big blind. Mermelstein got out of the way and he was glad he did, as Annaloro held [Ad][Ah].
Alzaga was drawing thin with [3d][3s] and after the [8s][6h][2c][2s][4d] runout, he was on the rail in 30th. When the dust settled, Annaloro was stacking up close to 400,000, good for the second biggest stack at Table 2. — WOC
12:20pm: Bennet bounced by Thompson
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
Steven Thompson opened for 23,000 from middle position and after it folded around to Renny Benjomin Bennet in the blinds he announced he was pushing all-in for his remaining 160,000 or so. Thompson swiftly called, tabling [Ah][Qh], and Bennet showed his [Ac][Kd].
The flop was bad news for the Jamaican, coming [8s][Qd][7h], and Bennet’s shoulders slumped as he grimly grinned. The turn was the [5c] and river the [5d], and Bennet wished the table luck before departing to pick up 31st-place prize money.
Thompson has around 530,000 now. –MH
12:11pm: Jeckeln out early; Mermelstein new leader
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
Early action here on Day 3 saw the Argentinian Andres Jeckeln all-in and at risk with [Qd][9s] versus the [Jd][Tc] of Aaron Mermelstein of Philadelphia.
We arrived only after the community cards had been dealt, although given Mermelstein’s short stack the chips likely went in early. In any event, the board of [3s][Qs][Ah][Ts][4h] added up to a pair on the flop for Jeckeln, but an unbeatable straight on the turn for Mermelstein, and Jeckeln is out in 32nd.
Mermelstein is now up to 975,000 and has taken the early lead on Day 3. –MH
12:03pm: Day 3 begins
Level 20 – Blinds 5,000/10,000 (ante 1,000)
The third day of the LAPT Panama Main Event is underway. There is almost 45 minutes left in Level 20. –MH
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 1,000 |
11:00am: Blanco, Mermelstein final 32 into Day 3
Bienvenido, friends, to our coverage of Day 3 of the Latin American Poker Tour Panama Main Event where just 32 players are left, led by Anderson Blanco who enjoyed a late night rush on Saturday to finish with a stack of 896,000 to start play today.
The Colombian has earned a few cashes before, most notably finishing 19th in the LAPT5 Colombia Main Event in Medellin. He’s in good position to better than finish here, although like everyone else still with chips he hopes to do much more than that and earn the $138,225 first prize awaiting the winner.
Close behind Blanco to begin will be Aaron Mermelstein in second position with 836,000. The Philadelphian owns two World Poker Tour titles — both won in 2015 — and has earned over $1.5 million in tournaments in the last five years.
Speaking of two-time champs, another storyline worth keeping an eye on today will be how Oscar Alache fares. Alache is currently tied with the three Argentinians — Nacho Barbero, Fabian Ortiz, and Mario Lopez — for the most LAPT Main Event titles with two, meaning the Chilean would have the record all to himself should he manage to win a third here.
Alache returns to a below average stack today, but an early double would get him back close to the average moving forward, and he’s shown before an ability to perform well during the endgame.
Others returning to big stacks will be Blanco’s fellow countryman Fernando Gutierrez (716,000), the young Austrian Tobias Schwecht (679,000), and Ruben Suarez of Venezuela (657,000). Here are the complete chip counts of all 32 players to start play today, and check out as well the “Prize Pool and Payouts” page to see who earned part of the $721,665 prize pool thus far.
Play will pick back up in the middle of Level 20 (blinds 5,000/10,000, ante 1,000), which makes the average stack (341,187) worth just over 34 big blinds when play begins. Come back at 12 noon Central time and we’ll continue to bring you live updates, hand reports, bustouts, photos, chip counts, and more as we find out together who will be the next LAPT Main Event champion. –MH
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PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at LAPT9 Chile: Will O’Connor and Martin Harris. Photos by Carlos Monti. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog