Alex Manzano Beats Largest Ever LAPT Field

What was the largest tournament field in PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour field history has played its way down to a champion. On the fourth and final day of the event, Chile’s Alex Manzano bested local favorite Joao ‘joao bauer’ Neto heads up to become the LAPT Sao Paulo champion, taking home the trophy and R $615,840 top prize.

The R $5,000 buy-in main event drew 536 entrants, easily surpassing the tour’s previous record of 394 players. Each of the top 64 players earned at least R $9,570 of the R $2,391,630 prize pool. A staggering 325 of the tournament entrants were natives of Brazil, but it was Manzano who took the first place payout of R $615,840 ($370,586), which is the second-largest top prize ever for the LAPT. Manzano is Chile’s first ever LAPT champion. For his runner-up finish, Neto earned R $352,760.

Team PokerStars pro Humberto Brenes had a deep run but ultimately fell short of the final table, finishing in 15th place.

Here are the final table results:

1. Alex Manzano, Chile — R $615,840
2. Joao Neto, Brazil — R $352,760
3. Marcelo Fonseca, Brazil — R $ 224,800
4. Marcio Motta, Brazil — R $165,000
5. Leandro Csome, Argentina — R $117,190
6. Santiago Nadal, Mexico — R $93,270
7. Henrique Bernardes, Brazil — R $69,350
8. Bruno Politano, Brazil — R $45,440

Here’s a rundown of the elimination hands:

Bruno Politano was involved in big pots early, but less than twenty minutes after doubling up he was the final table’s first victim when his pocket tens fell to to the AK of Alex Manzano on a board of KQ4A5. He earned R $45,440 for his eighth-place finish.

Manzano again used big slick to record the next elimination of the final table. His AK crushed Henrique Bernardes’ QJ, sending the amateur player to the rail in seventh place for R $69,350.

Next to go was Santiago Nadal, when he ran his AJ into the KK of Leandro Csome. The board ran 1084Q7, eliminating Nadal in sixth place with R $93,270.

Following his elimination of Nadal, Csome took a big hit to his stack and met his end when his short stack got all in with K5 against Joao Neto’s pocket nines. The board ran Q73103 and Csome was gone in fifth place, earning R $117,190.

Neto knocked out the next player when he called Marcio Motta’s all-in preflop bet. Neto held 66 and was in a race against Motta’s A10. The board ran Q7482 and Motta was gone in fourth place, R $165,000 richer.

With only three player remaining, Alex Manzano and Joao Neto called short-stacked Marcelo Fonseca’s all-in bet and checked through a 10727J board. On the river, Manzano bet small and Neto fooled. Fonseca showed AK but Manzano showed 108 to take the pot and eliminate Fonseca in third place, earning R $224,800.

Manzano entered heads up play against Neto with a 6.8 million to 3.9 million chip lead. On the final hand, Manzano opened with a raise to 270,000 and Neto called from the big blind. On a 322 flop Neto check-called Manzano’s bet of 275,000. On the 7 turn Neto again checked and Manzano bet 615,000. Neto again called and checked for the final time on the 4 river. Manzano took his time then announced he was all in. Neto paused before the silent onlookers and eventually called. Manzano showed 56 for the nut straight. Neto held only A8 and was the tournament’s runner-up, earning R $352,760.

With that, Manzano was the 2011 LAPT Sao Paulo champion, earning the trophy and the R $615,840 ($370,586) top prize.

Season 4 of the tour continues with the LAPT Chile National Poker Championship in Viña del Mar March 17-20.

Manzano qualified for his championship run on PokerStars. You can also earn your seat into PokerStars-sponsored events around the globe by signing up and playing on PokerStars.

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