POKER ROOM REVIEW NEWSWIRE

LAPT Punta Del Este Title Goes to Jose Miguel Espinar

The inaugural season of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) wrapped up over the weekend in Punta del Este, Uruguay, when Jose Miguel Espinar captured the title, crystal trophy and $241,735 in prize money.

Heading into the final table, Espinar was in third place behind Canadian Gylbert Drolet and Brazilian Alexandre Gomes with his eventual heads-up opponent, Costa Rican Alex Brenes, sitting in fifth. After three quick eliminations, three of which were sent home courstesy of Espinar, the chip counts had changed dramatically. Gomes fell victim to Brenes, going home in fourth, putting the Tico's chip stack almost equal to the Spaniards. This almost equalit in chips led to a four-hour marathon long heads-up battle, which finally ended when Espinar flopped a pair of kings to take it down. Brenes won $126,625 for second.