By
Dan |
Published
Mar 27 2009, 01:11 PM
The second installment of the PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour's (LAPT) Punta del Este event just wrapped up from sunny Uruguay. The $3,700 buy-in Main Event attracted 327 players and outlasting much of the competition was PocketFiver Bolivar Ramux Palacios, who took seventh place for $37,000. The five-figure cash came just a few days after Palacios grabbed seventh in the LAPT Mexico final table, which was resumed in Uruguay after a disruption of the tournament. PocketFives.com sat down with the Panamanian poker player to learn about his career.
The LAPT Mexico festivities ended abruptly with local police storming the tournament floor. Players were dismissed and the event was resumed online. The cause was cited as “unforeseen circumstances” and PokerStars officials were quick to schedule the final table for just before the start of the LAPT's Punta del Este event. The tournament series, which makes stops in Argentina, Costa Rica, and other Latin and South American countries, has a different flair to it, according to Palacios. He told PocketFives.com, “The atmosphere in an LAPT event is different from a regular tournament such as the World Series of Poker because of the emotions shown by the Latin players. I think that's a cultural aspect that characterizes the LAPT.”
Taking part in one final table is difficult enough, but to be back under the hot lights again only a few days later is quite a feat. Palacios noted, “The field by itself was really tough because you have all of the online qualifiers from PokerStars, which brings out the aggressive players. You also have the locals who are passionate abut the game and want to take a shot.” In his final hand in the Punta del Este tournament, Palacios came out on the short end of a race with pocket queens against A-K. The event was ultimately won by 20-year-old Norwegian poker player Karl Hevroy, who took home $283,000 for his efforts.
With 89 players left, the LAPT Mexico event was halted and then continued online. Palacios commented, “Who would have thought that I would make the Uruguay final table as well?” As to whether he was exhausted after two high-pressure final tables in close proximity to each other, he admitted to PocketFives.com, “Of course, I was really tired. I could not sleep well for three days, but the adrenaline was flowing really fast, so I didn't feel tired until the end.” In the final hand of the LAPT Mexico event, he pushed with K-Q, but trailed the A-5 of Steven Thompson. Palacios' hand could not catch up and he exited the tournament area $2,000 richer for his wear.
He was exposed to poker at a young age and hasn't looked back since. Palacios told PocketFives.com, “Since I was a child, I was always attracted to casinos and gambling in general. I remember playing Bingo when I was eight years-old with my mom and aunts.” In 2003, he was studying Industrial Engineering at Florida State University and began to take poker seriously with his friends Jose Raul head2782 Severino and Jose Miguel papadelpoker de la Guardia (pictured at right). All three graduated and promptly decided to become professional poker players. Palacios explained, “I think we have done okay.”
Panama is a bustling country. High rises are being constructed left and right and tourists flock there with regularity to catch a glimpse of a massive vessel going through the narrow locks of the Panama Canal. There are also several casinos, many of which you can find in area hotels. Palacios described the poker scene in his home country: “Poker in Panama has been growing since 2005. I remember, back then, people didn't have a clue of the game, but now they are reading books and learning from us since we were the first ones in the business.”
His online poker endeavors have also been productive. He earned $17,000 for taking second in the Full Tilt Poker $65,000 Guaranteed in February, one month after finishing third in the same tournament for $12,000. On March 7th, he took down the Turbo Hundo on Full Tilt for $6,700. At the time of writing, he sits in third on the PocketFives.com Sliding Leader Board behind his two aforementioned Seminole graduates. They are the only three PocketFivers from Panama to rack up more than 2,000 points on the Sliding PLB.
Congratulations from all of us here at PocketFives.com to Bolivar Ramux Palacios, the seventh place finisher in both the LAPT Punta del Este and Mexico events.
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