Mario Lopez Takes Out LAPT Uruguay

Argentinian poker shark Mario Lopez had the chip lead after Day 2 of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Uruguay Main Event. He continued to hold it when the event was down to its final 16 players.

While Lopez lost the chip lead when the final table first got underway (he was second to Day 1 leader Chadi Moustapha), he was always one of the few players in the running to leave with the top spot. It almost seemed like a dream run for the poker professional who makes a living as a doctor, as he won his second LAPT Main Event and US$155,730 for first place.

The first contestant to be eliminated from the final was Ruben Barros, who was knocked out from the event by eventual runner up Hilario Quijada, whose Pocket Nines were able to crack the Pocket Aces of Barros.

Next to go was short stack Jorge Alberto Cantos, who was eliminated by Moustapha, who was able to hit a Two Pair on the turn to put the final table down to its last six players.

Former LAPT Peru Main Event winner Patricio Rojas had to settled for sixth place after he was eliminated by Ariel Eghli. Rojas had a good hand in Ace King, but it wasn't good enough to beat Eghi's Pocket Aces.

The elimination did not do all that much to help Eghi, however, as he wound up being the player who exited the tournament in fifth spot. The Argentinian went all-in with Ace Jack, but Quijada was waiting in the wings with Pocket Queens, which held on the board to give Quijada his second final table scalp.

Quijada then made it two from two as he knocked Moustapha out of the event in fourth place. After a slowdown in final table action, Moustapha went all-in pre flop with Pocket Sixes and was called by the eventual runner up, who was in front with Pocket Jacks. Quijada further cemented his lead when another Jack came on the flop, and before long the event was down to just three.

As if that wasn’t enough, Quijada claimed his third straight final table scalp after he eliminated German Christiansen from the event. The hand was very similar to the one which claimed Moustapha’s place in the tournament, as Christansen moved all-in pre flop with Pocket Sevens. Quijada, however, once again had a bigger hand as he called with Pocket Kings, which held on the board to put him and Lopez in heads-up play.

Despite his long list of eliminations, Quijada actually trailed Lopez in the chip count when heads-up play began, as his 2.1 million chips were no match for Lopez’s stack of 3.2 million. The Argentinian knock out artist would not give up quickly, however, and he eventually snapped the chip lead from Lopez.

Lopez simply would not be denied, though, and he reclaimed the chip lead before claiming long awaited victory in the event. In the final hand of the tournament, Quijada moved all-in with Pocket Sixes, and was promptly called by Lopez, who was ahead with Pocket Jacks before the board was shown.

Lopez remained ahead on the flop and turn, and put an exclamation mark on his performance when the Jack of Diamonds came on the river, which gave him Trips. Just like that, Quijada was eliminated and Lopez was crowned the winner of the LAPT Uruguay.