Martin Sansour Wins LAPT Rosario

Martin Sansour Credit: PokerStars

The tournament ran September 23-26 at the City Center Casino in Rosario, Argentina. Sansour, of Peru, was one of 254 entrants in the $5,000 buy-in Grand Final main event, making a prize pool of $1,176,220.

On the final day of the event, Sansour sat down with the third-largest chip stack. All eyes were on 19-year-old Austrian player Matthias Habernig, who was sitting at another final table just a month after he won the main event at LAPT Florianopolis (Brazil). However, Sansour quickly took over that spotlight when he personally busted every opponent at the final table except one. One of those eliminations was Habernia in sixth place, ending his opportunity of winning back-to-back LAPT titles.

Sansour continued his hot streak when play reached heads up. He needed only two hands to put away his opponent and claim his title.

Here’s a look at the final table results:

1. Martin Sansour – $322,280
2. Bolivar Palacios – $188,200
3. Daniel Ades – $115,270
4. William Ross – $84,690
5. Roberto Bianchi – $61,160
6. Matthias Habernig – $49,400
7. Ivan Saul – $37.640
8. Nicolas Fierro – $25,880

Here’s how the action played out:

Nicolas Fierro was among the chip leaders of the tournament during its first few days, but upon his arrival at the final table his pocket aces were unkind early. After Fierro raised to 50,000, leaving just 350,000 behind, Martin Sansour moved all in. Fierro quickly called and showed AA. Sansour showed KK and was in bad shape.
The flop came QJT, giving Sansour more outs. The 5 turn kept Fierro ahead, but the 9 river gave Sansour the straight and Fierro was eliminated in eight place for $25,880.

Ivan Saul came to the final table with the short stack and got all in against Sansour on a flop of 652 after essentially committing his chips preflop. Saul held A10 and Sansour had 88. Saul got no help on the turn or river and was eliminated in seventh place for $37,640.

Next to go was the reigning LAPT Brazil champion, Matthias Habernig. Short on chips, Habernig shoved with Q3 preflop and was called by Sansour with A7. The flop came AKK, pairing Sansour. The turn and river didn’t save Habernig and he was gone in sixth place for $49,400.

After three consecutive knockout blows, Sansour was the new chip leader, followed by Roberto Bianchi. That was, until the two collided on a flop of QJ8. Bianchi check-called Sansour’s bet of 70,000, and after the 6 fell on the turn he check-called another bet of 100,000. The Q landed on the river and Bianchi led out for the first time, moving all in. Sansour insta-called and showed 109 for the flopped straight. Just like that, Bianchi mucked and went from second in chips to being eliminated in fifth place for $61,160.

Having eliminated everyone at the final table to that point, Sansour held more than 3 million in chips. Play slowed down as the shorter stacks doubled and even tripled up, until William Ross moved all in again when he dropped to under 10 big blinds. Sansour called from the button holding A2. Ross showed Q4 and was trailing. The flop missed both players, coming K73, but the Q hit on the turn to put Ross in front. His excitement was short lived, as the A river completed the board and gave Sansour the best hand. Ross was gone in fourth place for $84,690.

Down to three players, Daniel Ades made a moved with J7 but Bolivar Palacios quickly called with AK. The board ran out 6424K, and Ades was the third place finisher, earning $115,270.

Sansour held more than a 2-1 chip lead over Palacios in heads up play, and on the second hand of play they got all in preflop. Palacios held AQ but Sansour showed AK. A king on the flop was all she wrote for Palacios, who busted in second place for $188,200.

Sansour took the Grand Final trophy and easily the largest win of his poker career, at $$322,280.

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