LAPT -- Nuevo Vallarta Poker Event Cancelled After Starting

Local gaming officials decided to stop day 1 of the PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour Nuevo Vallarta event during the ninth level of play at 10:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. The officials were present at the tournament observing things for most of the day before they decided to stop the proceedings. When the officials stopped the tournament, 89 of the original 242 entrants who had bought into the $2,500 no-limit hold’em main event remained, and all of them were forced to leave the room, along with the tournament staff, dealers, and media. At midnight, the players were told to return at noon on Saturday, Dec. 6 for a final decision about the tournament. Attorneys for the LAPT were negotiating with the local gaming officials during that time, but in the end, the tournament was officially cancelled on Saturday.

Here is the official press release from PokerStars regarding the cancellation of the LAPT Nuevo Vallarta event:

The Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) confirms that it is cancelling the poker tournament in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, due to an indefinite suspension served on one of its local partners.

The LAPT states it has cooperated fully and in good faith with the requirements outlined by the Mexican government. The LAPT respects and abides by local regulations in each market.

LAPT's partner in Mexico obtained a formal ruling from the Mexican Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) allowing the event to take place. As the LAPT compiled with every rule stipulated by the Code of the Mexican Federal Law of Games and Raffles, the reasons for suspension are being reviewed by lawyers of all parties.

The remaining 89 players will receive $5,000 in prize money, and then the remaining money will be distributed to players as a percentage of the chip count that they held when play was suspended, according to reports from PokerStars. Team PokerStars pros Greg Raymer and Victor Ramdin were among the players remaining in the final 89, and Ramdin was one of the chip leaders at the time when play stopped. PokerStars also awarded the remaining players an additional $500 that did not come from the prize pool for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of the tournament.

The next LAPT poker tournament is scheduled for Jan. 20-22 in Vina Del Mar, Chile, at the Vina del Mar Casino and Resort. As of press time, this event is still scheduled in full. The Nuevo Vallarta stop was the LAPT’s first attempt to host a tournament in Mexico, and it remains unclear if the tour will return to the country in future seasons.

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