MrCleverFox
Leo Fernandez Searching for a Win in the PokerStars Festival Uruguay High Roller
It is the penultimate day of the PokerStars Festival Uruguay with the High Roller finishing up today. Last night the Main Event finished up with Julio Belluscio taking it down for $66,748. Today there is a different beast to conquer. The High Roller only has 13 players remaining and leading them all is Hugo Spangenberg.
Spangenberg bagged up 420,000 chips to end the night but he was trailed by some very noteworthy players as well. Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez is hot on his heels after bagging up 329,000 chips, as is Christopher Franco (359,000) who is looking for revenge after bubbling the Main Event just a few days ago. Also in the field are two of Argentina's top poker pros; World Series of Poker bracelet winner Andres Korn (224,000) and Maria Lampropulos (49,000).
Everyone is trying to lock up the first place prize that is worth $54,480 for this event, but that being said only nine of the final 13 will even make it into the money. A min-cash in this event is worth $5,400 and every prize from that point on will increase since nine players marks the start of the unofficial final table.
Play will continue from level 17 with blinds at 3,000/6,000 and a running ante of 1,000 and the plan for today is to play all the down to a champion. After that players can meet up for the PokerStars Festival Uruguay Players' Party which kicks off tonight as well. Action is set to beging at 12 p.m. local time and PokerNews will be here with all the action so make sure to stay tuned.
Hugo Spangenberg opened with a raise to 15,000 from middle position. Leo Fernandez called on the button before Cristian Fernández called from the big blind.
The flop came and Cristian checked to Spangenberg who bet 30,000. Leo called before Cristian made it 100,000 to go. Spangenberg thought for a long time, then folded before Leo moved all in. Cristian quickly called for less than the shove, about 250,000, and their cards were turned up.
Leo:
Cristian:
The board completed with the and and that secured the doubled for Cristian Fernández with his set over set while Leo Fernandez was left with just about 10 big blinds.
The Day 2 chip leader Hugo Spangenberg had a rough first couple of levels. He lost nearly half his stack in small pots and now his day has come to an end at the hands of Ernesto "Flacco" Panno, who just recently finished 4th in the PokerStars Festival Uruguay Main Event.
We caught his final hand on the flop with the board showing and roughly 40,000 already in the pot. Action was on Spangenberg first and he checked over to Panno. Panno put out a bet of 22,000. Spangenberg reraised, making it 100,000 to go. Panno quickly moved all in and Spangenberg called off the rest of his stack which was about 240,000.
Panno:
Spangenberg:
The turn was the giving Panno the unbeatable full house and that would be the end for Spangenberg who hit his flush on the river anyways. With that the Day 2 chip leader hit the rail leaving the field with just 11 players.
Leo Fernandez moved all in from under the gun for 106,000. Next to act was Ernesto Panno and he called the shove. Action folded around and the two turned up their cards.
Fernandez:
Panno:
The flop came down putting Fernandez in a big hole. The on the turn brought him some life though with a flush draw. Unfortunately, the river was the giving Panno a full house and eliminating Fernandez from the tournament.
The final 10 players are now on the bubble and the next player eliminated will be the last to walk away without a payday.
Andres Korn opened with a raise to 26,000 from the hijack and Francisco Garcia called from the button.
The flop came and both players checked.
The turn brought the and they checked again.
The fell on the river and Korn bet 22,000. Garcia shoved, putting Korn to a decision for the remainder of his stack. After some consideration, Korn called and tabled for a king-high flush, but Garcia flipped over for the ace-high flush and took the pot to eliminate Korn and end the bubble.
The remaining nine players are now redrawing for seats at the unofficial final table.
From under the gun, Cristian Fernandez moved all in for a little over 150,000. Two seats over Christopher Franco called. In the hijack seat, Matias Scaffo then moved all in with a stack a bit more than Fernandez. Action folded back to Franco and he called, putting two players all in and at risk.
Franco:
Scaffo:
Fernandez:
The board ran out giving Franco a better two pair than what was on the board and he scored the double elimination while Scaffo hit the rail in 8th collecting $7,080 and Fernadez took home 9th place money with the shorter stack.
Andres Viola had lost several pots without showdown and had been blinded down to right around two big blinds. He shoved his last 35,000 all in from under the gun. Action folded around and Francisco Garcia, who had been the beneficiary of most of Viola's chips, called from the big blind.
Garcia:
Viola:
The board ran out and that kept Garcia in the lead the whole way, securing him the elimination with his king kicker to the board. Viola will collect $9,120 for his seventh place finish.
Martin Crosa thought for a bit before raising to 65,000 from early position. Action folded around to the button where Christopher Franco moved all in with a covering stack. Action folded back to Crosa who called the shove quicky.
Crosa:
Franco:
The flop and turn were safe for Crosa, coming but the river was just what Franco needed when it fell the . It was the ace from space that sent Crosa to the rail. He will collect $11,540 for his sixth place finish.
Action folded to Alejandro Lopez on the button and he moved all-in for his last 159,000. After a few moments of consideration, Francisco Garcia called from the big blind to put Lopez at risk.
Garcia:
Lopez:
Garcia had the preflop advantage and Lopez needed to improve in order to preserve his tournament life. The flop was no help to Lopez and the turn paired Garcia's king to leave Lopez drawing dead. After the meaningless fell on the river, Garcia took the pot to end Lopez's deep run in this event.
Ernesto Panno got all of his short stack in the middle before the flop against Christopher Franco who had him covered by a wide margin.
Panno:
Franco:
Panno had the preflop advantage and Franco needed help from the deck in order to send him home. The board ran out giving Franco a pair of kings to win the pot and eliminate Panno in fourth place. This is the second time the Argentinian player has made a final table at PokerStars Festival Uruguay and the second time he has been the fourth-place finisher. In the Main Event earlier this week, he banked $29,880 payday for his efforts.
and Cristian checked to Spangenberg who bet 30,000. Leo called before Cristian made it 100,000 to go. Spangenberg thought for a long time, then folded before Leo moved all in. Cristian quickly called for less than the shove, about 250,000, and their cards were turned up. 
and 
and that secured the doubled for Cristian Fernández with his set over set while Leo Fernandez was left with just about 10 big blinds.
and roughly 40,000 already in the pot. Action was on Spangenberg first and he checked over to Panno. Panno put out a bet of 22,000. Spangenberg reraised, making it 100,000 to go. Panno quickly moved all in and Spangenberg called off the rest of his stack which was about 240,000. 
giving Panno the unbeatable full house and that would be the end for Spangenberg who hit his flush on the 
river anyways. With that the Day 2 chip leader hit the rail leaving the field with just 11 players.
putting Fernandez in a big hole. The 
fell on the river and Korn bet 22,000. Garcia shoved, putting Korn to a decision for the remainder of his stack. After some consideration, Korn called and tabled 
for the ace-high flush and took the pot to eliminate Korn and end the bubble. 
and that kept Garcia in the lead the whole way, securing him the elimination with his king kicker to the board. Viola will collect $9,120 for his seventh place finish.
flop was no help to Lopez and the 
