Days 1a and 1b of the inaugural PokerStars Festival Uruguay $1,650 buy-in Main Event drew a combined total of 261 entries, but only 86 players will take to the felt at noon local time on Wednesday when Day 2 play begins. Leading the way is Halysson Sala, who will take a 240,000-chip stack out of the bag, and just behind him are Francisco Araujo (226,000) and Day 1b chip leader Julio Arocena (223,000). Other than the top three, the only other player to bag a stack in excess of 200,000 chips was Chile's Juan Parra, who will begin Day 2 with 211,200. PokerStars Team Pro Leo Fernandez will also return for Day 2 play with a stack of 131,900.
Play on Day 2 is scheduled to continue until the end of level 20 (which would be 10 one-hour levels, like on both Day 1s) or until 24 players remain at the discretion of tournament staff. There will be a 20-minute break every two levels and an 80-minute dinner break following the end of level 16.
Keep it here to follow the updates on the action in the PokerStars Festival Uruguay Main Event, as well as the $3,300 High Roller which kicks off on Thursday, brought to you by the PokerNews live reporting team.
The Eventual Winner's Trophy as well as the High Roller Trophy
Prizepool information has been posted. The winner of this event will eventually take home $76,155. With 260 total players, the total prize pool for the event amassed $379,755. A min-cash for this event is worth $2,620 and a total of 39 players will be paid, which means about half of the remaining field will need to drop before payday. A final table appearance will be worth $7,940 with nine players making the official final table.
A full list of payouts will be posted in the payouts section briefly.
On a board of with roughly 7,000 chips in the middle, Carlos Segarra had a bet of 25,100 in front of him. Action was back to Andre Hajjar and he moved all in for about twice the size of the bet. Segarra was in the tank when we approached. Eventually, he decided to call and their hands were turned up.
Segarra:
Hajjar:
Hajjar was behind but he had outs to any king or any spade, since a nine would make Segarra a straight and a seven would make him a full house. The river thought was the not completing any of Hajjars outs and he was eliminated from the tournament while Segarra collected the pot.
Catching the action on the flop, with a board of Gustavo Prato, the winner the PokerStars Festival Uruguay PokerStars Cup for $9,600, was facing off against Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez. Prato checked over to Fernandez who put out a bet of 5,000. Prato then moved all in with a covering stack. Fernandez tanked for a while then called all in for less with his stack of roughly 50,000 chips.
Prato:
Fernandez:
The turn was the putting Fernandez in a deep hole, but keeping him live with a draw to the same straight, but the river was the and that was it for the Team PokerStars Pro who hits the rail early here on Day 2 well before the money.
It's a been a good day so far for the Brazilian poker star Hugo Marcelo. He started the day with 121,000 chips, but he's nearly doubled that already within the first two levels.
In a recent hand, Marcelo opened with a raise to 4,500 from under the gun. He found a call from the player to his left, the player on the button, Francisco Araujo in the small blind and Ramiro Petrone in the big blind.
The flop came down and action checked around to the player under the gun +1. He moved all in and action folded back to Marcelo who called.
Marcello:
Under The Gun +1:
The board bricked out for the early position player when it came making Marcelo's queens and fives best. He collected the players roughly 40,000 chip stack and was able to climb well over 200,000 chips.
Hugo Marcelo - Courtesy of Carlos Monti/PokerStars
Ramiro Petrone opened with a raise to 5,000 from early position. He found resistance from Hugo Marcelo in the hijack seat. Action folded to Jesse Rosen in the big blind and he reraised, making it 16,000 to play. Petrone called as did Marcelo bringing them three ways to the flop.
On the flop, action checked to Marcelo who put out a bet of 35,000. Rosen quickly got out of the way. Petrone dropped into the tank, then finally decided to move all in after a couple minutes of thought. The shove was for 122,500 total, or 87,500 more for Marcelo to call. Marcelo asked for a count, then eventually announced a call, creating a massive pot worth more than 300,000 chips.
Marcelo:
Petrone:
Petrone was in the lead with his flopped two pair, but Marcelo could catch any diamond to win outright. The turn was the giving Marcelo numerous extra outs to with a three, jack, or ace. The river was the and that gave Marcelo a better two pair to earn him the massive pot and the clear chip lead in the tournament while Petrone hit the rail busting just a bit short of the money.
We didn't see the entirety of the preflop action but Marcelo Cudos was all in and at rish for roughly 30,000 chips holding . He had been called by Hector Barua who was holding .
The board was safe for Barua all the way through when it came keeping his king kicker as the best hand.
Just several days ago Barua final tabled the PokerStars Cup here in Uruguay, taking home $5,000 after a five way deal. Barua is on the verge of another deep run here today in the Main Event as he as already started to amass a big stack.
Christopher Franco moved all-in for his last 26,000 from early position and Roberly Felicio called from the big blind to put him at risk.
Franco:
Felicio:
Franco found himself racing for his tournament life and needed help from the deck in order to double up against his opponent's pocket pair. The board ran out which was no help to Franco and Felicio took the pot to end the bubble.
Deigo Aro moved his short stack all in from under the gun. He was all in for roughly 30,000. Action folded around to the button where Hugo Marcelo called. Both blinds folded so the two headed to a showdown.
Aro:
Marcelo:
The board rolled out flopping Aro some extra outs to a straight that never materialized. Aro becomes the first player paid from the tournament, collecting $2,620 for his efforts.
![[user339870]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
with roughly 7,000 chips in the middle, Carlos Segarra had a bet of 25,100 in front of him. Action was back to Andre Hajjar and he moved all in for about twice the size of the bet. Segarra was in the tank when we approached. Eventually, he decided to call and their hands were turned up.
not completing any of Hajjars outs and he was eliminated from the tournament while Segarra collected the pot.
Gustavo Prato, the winner the PokerStars Festival Uruguay PokerStars Cup for $9,600, was facing off against Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez. Prato checked over to Fernandez who put out a bet of 5,000. Prato then moved all in with a covering stack. Fernandez tanked for a while then called all in for less with his stack of roughly 50,000 chips. 
and that was it for the Team PokerStars Pro who hits the rail early here on Day 2 well before the money.
and action checked around to the player under the gun +1. He moved all in and action folded back to Marcelo who called. 
making Marcelo's queens and fives best. He collected the players roughly 40,000 chip stack and was able to climb well over 200,000 chips.
flop, action checked to Marcelo who put out a bet of 35,000. Rosen quickly got out of the way. Petrone dropped into the tank, then finally decided to move all in after a couple minutes of thought. The shove was for 122,500 total, or 87,500 more for Marcelo to call. Marcelo asked for a count, then eventually announced a call, creating a massive pot worth more than 300,000 chips. 
. 
which was no help to Franco and Felicio took the pot to end the bubble.
