After a one year hiatus due to the devastating earthquake in 2010, which cause the LAPT to cancel its Chilean stop last season, PokerStars.net's Latin American Poker Tour is back in the Chilean seaside city of Viña del Mar. Thursday's first Day 1 flight of the $1,100 buy-in LAPT Chile National Poker Championship drew 351 entrants. With Friday's second Day 1 flight, that should smash through the record field of 536 for the last LAPT in Sao Paulo.
Only 99 player will move on from the 351 who entered, to be joined Saturday by the second Day 1 survivors.
Heriberto Carvajal ended Day 1A with a stack of 153,000.
Notables who didn't make it through the first Day 1 included Nacho Barbero, Humberto Brenes, Gualter Salles and Alex Gomes.
In another positive sign for the growth of the LAPT, people from 20 different countries showed up for the event.
Last year, when the event was canceled, PokerStars.net sponsored a special Poker for Chile charity event that helped raise $200,000 for earthquake aid.