American Patrick Mahoney and Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez hold half the chips in the play as Latin American Poker Tour's first event gets underway. Consider that for one moment. There are eight people sitting around the table. Half the wealth is concentrated in two stacks.
There is probably something to be said about revolution. There is probably something to be said about the working class rising up. There is probably something to be said about the elite class trying to maintain its hold on power. But this is going to be a long day, and there will be time for that before we go to bed tonight.
Let's just deal with the facts for now. There is more than $170,000 going to first place today. All the remaining players are guaranteed at least $18,000. The difference between eighth place and first place is evident. Here are the advantages and disadvantages as the players take their seats.
Seat 1 - Sam Razavi (UK) 323,000
Seat 2 - Walid Mubarak (Peru) 243,000
Seat 3 - Leo Fernandez (Argentina) 1,692,000
Seat 4 - Diego Sanchez (Mexico) 277,000
Seat 5 - Marco Cheida (Brazil) 1,170,000
Seat 6 - Johnny Sandoval (Costa Rica) 768,000
Seat 7 - Isaac Malca (Panama) 698,000
Seat 8 - Patrick Mahoney (Mexico) 1,714,000
LAPT President David Carrion is introducing the players now. It's an international slate: a UKIPT and APPT champion from the UK, a high stakes Peruvian cash game grinder, the Argentinian Team PokerStars Pro, a tourney pro from Mexico, a Brazilian tourney regular, the Costa Rican playing in his first LAPT, businessman from Panama who splits his time between work and poker, and American expat online tourney grinder.
With that finished, play is getting underway. By the time we're finished tonight, we'll know our next LAPT champion.
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Brad Willis is the PokerStars Head of Blogging