On Friday, the first day of play began at the Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico stop of the PokerStars sponsored Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT). However, within 48 hours, the tournament had been unexpectedly broken up by local authorities, according to eyewitness accounts from those on the scene. Specific details of the cancellation were not released by PokerStars at the time of writing.
The $2,700 buy-in Main Event attracted 242 players to the Marival Resort at Nuevo Vallarta. In celebration of the high-stakes live tournament in Latin America, a bevy of stars from the area turned out, including Humberto Brenes (who hails from Costa Rica) and Andre Akkari and Alex Gomes, both natives of Brazil. However, with 89 players remaining in the LAPT event, play was abruptly suspended. Accounts from those who were reporting on the tournament in Mexico stated that local authorities asked everyone to leave.
The future of the tournament was up in the air until Sunday, when PokerStars released a statement that read, “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.” Poker News, which was on hand covering the Nuevo Vallarta tournament, stated that the 89 players who were left in it when play was halted will receive $5,000 each, effectively doubling their buy-in. The remainder of the prize pool would then be divided up based on chip counts. PokerStars also plans to give each player $500 into their online poker account as a token of appreciation.
It is conceivable that the tournament did not comply with the laws and regulations of the country of Mexico. The statement by PokerStars continued, “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.” The online poker room added that it was currently consulting with its lawyers on the reasons for the suspension. However, the tournament would not resume.
A thread on popular internet forum Two Plus Two speculated that the suspension of play may have been due to the presence of cash games, which were running on the side. Ring games routinely occur during some of the largest live events, including the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (which is now a European Poker Tour event held annually in January in The Bahamas) and World Series of Poker, which occurs at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. However, no link between the cash games present in Mexico and the ultimate cancellation of the tournament was given by its sponsor.
The LAPT’s local organizer received permission from the Mexican Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) to allow the tournament to take place. It was the first stop for the LAPT in Mexico, as the Season 1 slate of events included tournaments in Rio de Janeiro, San Jose, and Punta del Este. Two more events are still scheduled to take place during Season 2 of the LAPT:
LAPT Viña de Mar (Chile): January 20-22, 2009
Enjoy Viña del Mar Casino and Resort
$2,500 + $200 buy-in
LAPT Punta del Este (Uruguay): March 18-20, 2009
Mantra Resort, Spa, and Casino
$3,500 + $200 buy-in
The Main Event of the Viña del Mar tournament is capped at 400 players. The Uruguay tournament will reach its maximum when 500 players sign up. PokerStars just announced the launch of its Russian Poker Tour, which will bring the online poker room’s branded tournaments to St. Petersburg and Moscow. Interested players are encouraged to check on visa requirements to visit Russia, which vary based on country of origin.
Another joke by an already corrupt country. You can’t have any fun down there without someone getting killed or worse if you forget to pay off their government.