Pokerstars has released its schedule for the 2015 eighth season of the Latin American Poker Tour, which will this year include two new stops, new game formats and a heavier main event buy-in.
In a press release Thursday, David Carrion, head of live operations at Pokerstars, advised that the new season has a number of innovations that include two new destinations and more diverse hard core poker formats. He said this should ensure that entry fields are larger and prize pools richer.
The LAPT main event buy-in is being increased to $2,500 while maintaining the unlimited re-entry format. In addition, Season 8 will feature new poker variants other than No-Limit Texas Hold’em. The line-up for each stop will boast a minimum of 13 tournaments including Pot-Limit Omaha, and mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E.
Carrion added: “PokerStars live events across the world offer the most diverse selection of different poker variants around. In Latin America, it is a challenge to cater for players fond of the less popular types, however this is something we are determined to do, and we are proud to introduce strong formats this season. With more variety available, we aim to attract more grinders, recreational and all-round players who can see higher EV with these options.”
It appears that Pokerstars has identified combined poker festivals as an attractive proposition for players; the recently concluded LAPT Bahamas main event ran in conjunction with the 12th annual Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure and attracted a massive field (see previous report)
The combined festival format has also achieved success on the European Poker Tour (EPT), where regional Pokerstars-sponsored tours partnered up with the EPT.
This year the LAPT returns to Punta del Este in Uruguay after a year away, in new surroundings at the Conrad Resort and Casino in mid-September. The highlight of the year will be the joint LAPT Grand Final and BSOP Millions in Sao Paulo – an event that Pokerstars hopes will become the biggest ever live poker festival in Central and South America.
Full details of the 2015 LAPT schedule are available on the Pokerstars website.