LAPT Punta Del Este Won By Alex Komaromi

Uruguay’s Alex Komaromi has triumphed at the 2011 Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Punta del Este Main Event, after outlasting a field of 422 players to lift the title, and collect the $244,720 top prize.
In addition to winning the prestigious event, Komaromi also became the first Uruguayan to take down a LAPT title and commenting later on his remarkable victory, said:
“There’s a lot of good players from Uruguay. Sadly, we never win anything, but this is a start. Hopefully we will have many more winners at big events in the future.”
Alex Komaromi entered the final table of eight as the chip leader, and found himself competing against four Brazilians, one Argentinian, one Venezuelan and one player from Peru.
Komaromi massive chip lead then allowed him to sit back and allow second big stack Engelberth Varela to eliminate Rafael Monteiro in 8th ($18,360) and Fernando Arauja in 7th ($27,770), before entering the fray himself.
Alex Komaromi with pocket eights then dispatched Nelson Trad Neto (A-Q) in 6th ($37,190), and Felipe Pasini in 5th ($46,600), before Engelberth Varela notched-up yet another elimination, this time Carlos Watanabe in 4th ($65,430).
However, Varela himself was the next to fall in 3rd place ($88,970) after holding A-6 and having his all-in on the river called by Alex Komaromi (A-8) on a A-7-3-Q-5 board.
As the heads-up phase of the competition got underway, Alex Komaromi held a massive 9 to 1 chip lead over Argentinian Claudio Piedrabuena. Amazingly, Piedrabuena then doubled up twice to take the lead before Komaromi took it right back with both players all-in pre-flop holding A-K and A-10 respectively.
The final hand then occurred after Piedrabuena was dealt K-10 to Komaromi’s J-4 with both player all-in on the 4-7-K-J board. The 2 on the river proved no help to the Argentinian who then had to settle for a runner-up finish worth $141,220.
Meanwhile, Alex Komaromiwi was crowned the 2011 LAPT Punta Del Este champion, and commenting on his largest ever career win, said:
“I feel great. I haven’t played many tournaments, so to play my first big event, the LAPT, and have this performance, it’s great. I’m really, really happy.”