Plans for a fourth season of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) are in action, as PokerStars announced the initial details on Thursday. LAPT Season IV, set to begin in February, has five events on the schedule so far, including tournaments in Brazil, Peru, and Argentina along with two National Championships in Chile and Colombia.
The first stop of Season IV will be in Sao Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere at an estimated 11 million residents. The LAPT Sao Paulo Poker Festival will feature an R$5,000 buy-in (approximately $3,000 USD) Main Event as well as several side events. The series will be played at the World Trade Center, the city’s biggest and most luxurious convention space.
“During Season 4 of the LAPT, we will introduce new venues, such as Sao Paulo and Bogota, create two new National Poker Championship events in Chile and Colombia, and start searching for the best player in the region through our new Player of the Year awards,” said LAPT President David Carrion. “These changes have been made as a result of extensive feedback during Season 3 and we are proud to be making many player-friendly improvements that will take the LAPT to new heights, with larger fields and richer prize pools.”
The new LAPT Player of the Year awards will recognize excellent performances throughout the season. The awards, much like the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) awards, will be handed out at the end of the season based on results in not only Main Events, but also most of the side events. Awards will be presented in several categories; the EPT gives trophies yearly to the top overall player, as well as the top Omaha player, Mixed Games player, heads-up player, and qualifier. There is also an award given to the country that performs the best during the season.
“I am looking forward to the new season; bigger events with more players and bigger prize pools are what all players look for,” said Team PokerStars pro Nacho Barbero, who won back-to-back LAPT events in Season 3. “I am sure that next season will be a success like the past one and I am looking forward to competing for the Player of the Year award.”
Players from Brazil, South America, and around the world will have many opportunities to participate in the upcoming season of the LAPT, either buying in directly or qualifying via live and online satellites. The easiest way to play in the new LAPT events is by winning a seat on PokerStars through freerolls, where winners will be awarded an LAPT prize package that includes a Main Event buy-in, hotel, and money for expenses. LAPT Sao Paulo Main Event satellites will begin running on PokerStars on January 5th; don’t miss your chance to play at the inaugural event.
“Through the Secretary of Sports and on behalf of the Prefeitura do Sao Paulo, we would like to confirm our commitment to putting all of our efforts to the success of the Latin American Poker Tour to take place in Sao Paulo in the upcoming year,” said Walter Feldman, Secretary of Sports, Leisure, and Recreation in Sao Paulo. “We understand that a sporting event such as this will contribute in a significant way to the promotion of the City of Sao Paulo as a big event organizer and will have a positive impact on the touristic activity of the city.”
Here’s a look at the tentative PokerStars LAPT Season IV Schedule:
February 16-20: Sao Paulo, Brazil (R$5,000 buy-in)
March 17-20: Vina Del Mar, Chile ($1,100 buy-in)
April 12-17: Lima, Peru ($2,500 buy-in)
June 1-5: Rosario, Argentina ($2,500 buy-in)
August 3-7: Bogota, Colombia ($1,100 buy-in)
LAPT Grand Final date is TBD
For more information, visit PokerStars.
