Julio Belluscio - Courtesy of Carlos Monti/PokerStars
The final table of the PokerStars Festival Main Event has been reached and after 24 levels it's Julio Belluscio who leads the way by a wide margin. Belluscio bagged up almost twice what his nearest competitor has. During level 23, Belluscio had a down level, losing almost 700,000 chips, but he recovered in a big way after hitting some flops and pulling off some well time bets. In one of the last hands of the day he bullied out Ernesto Panno from a massive pot to extend his lead over the field.
Belluscio is definitely the most accomplished player left in the field with almost $300,000 in live tournament earnings, with results from both the EPT, and the WSOP. Belluscio's largest cash to date is a win in an EPT side event for $56,743 so a win here in Uruguay would be his largest cash ever. He'll look to carry his chip lead to a victory here on Friday.
The day began with 24 players and several players dropped off fairly quickly, including Jose Moure, Mathias Duarte, and Brazilian poker phenom Hugo Marcelo. Marcelo came into the day fairly short and on his last hand he shoved all in with a pair, straight, and flush draws, but he found himself up against Renan Toniolo's flopped straight. Marcelo couldn't catch up and he hit the rail in 22nd place.
Also failing to make it through the day were Carlos Curi, Roberto Piazza, Carlos Segarra, Nicolas Malandre and PokerStars Cup Urugauy Winner Gustavo Prato. Prato found himself on a short stack and moved all in with king-jack against Osvaldo Naves' king-queen. He couldn't catch up and was sent home in 18th place.
It didn't take long to reach the unofficial final table, but once it was reached it took nearly four levels for players to cut the field down from nine to eight, with players doubling up and trading pots left and right. Eventually, Juan Guillenea was the one to fall. He shoved all in with and was called by Ernesto Panno's . Guillenea turned a pair of kings, but Panno rivered a flush to eliminate Guillenea from the tournament.
The final eight players will return Friday at 12 p.m. local time where the plan is to play down to a winner. Players will continue at level 24 with blinds of 15,000/30,000 and an ante of 5,000. PokerNews will be here to cover the entirety of the event and we'll be right back with them, so make sure to stay tuned for updates from throughout the day.
Juan Guillenea had lost a few pots to blinds and without showdowns, and he found himself on a short stack. Action folded to him and he moved all in for 180,000. Ernesto Panno was in the small blind and he moved all in over the top with a slightly larger stack. The big blind folded and that brought the players to a showdown.
Guillenea:
Panno:
The flop brought some extra outs to Panno when it came giving him outs to a jack or ten now. The turn was the which put him in the lead as well, but now Panno was the one who picked up extra outs. He could catch a heart for the elimination. The river was the which gave Guillenea two-pair, but it also completed Panno's flush and that was it for Guillenea who hit the rail in 9th place, brining the field down to eight players and finishing play for the day.
Action folded around to Alfredo Panta on the button and he shoved for what looked like about 280,000. Juan Guillenea, who was in the small blind, had him covered by a narrow margin and shoved on top. The big blind got out of the way and the two live players tabled their hands.
Panta:
Guillenea:
Guillenea had the preflop advantage with his pocket kings and Panta needed help from the deck in order to survive. The board ran out which improved Panta to a pair of eights on the river, but it wasn't enough to crack his opponent's kings, so Guillenea took the pot to end Panta's run in this tournament.
The remaining nine players are now redrawing for seats at the final table.
Roberly Felicio moved all-in from under the gun for what looked like 100,000 and Julio Belluscio, who was on the button and had him covered by a wide margin, called to put Felicio at risk.
Felicio:
Belluscio:
Felicio had the preflop advantage but found himself racing for his tournament life. Belluscio needed to improve in order to win the pot and eliminate his opponent. The board ran out to give Belluscio two pair, so he took the pot to end Felicio's run in this event.
With about 65,000 chips already in the middle and the board reading , Juan Perez was in the small blind and facing a decision for 40,000 from Edinson Martinez, who was in the big blind. Perez called.
The fell on the river and Perez checked. Martinez moved all-in for 145,000, and after a bit of thought, Perez called with the larger of the two stacks. Martinez had already started standing up when he rolled over for queen high, while Perez tabled for a pair of eights to take the pot and end Martinez's run in this tournament.
Andres Viola moved all in from the button for roughly 110,000. Alejandro Garcia called his shove from the big blind.
Viola:
Garcia:
The board came which gave Viola a pair of kings on the river, but unfortunately, that same king made Garcia a straight and that would do it for Viola who hit the rail in 13th place.
Francisco Araujo shoved for what looked like about 130,000 and Renan Toniolo, who had him covered by a wide margin, called to put the accomplished Argentinian player at risk.
Araujo:
Toniolo:
Toniolo had the preflop advantage with his pocket pair and Araujo needed help from the deck in order to preserve his tournament life. After the board ran out Toniolo's hand was still best, so he took the pot to end Araujo's run in this tournament.
Alejandro Lopez shoved from early position for what looked like about 55,000 and Juan Guillenea, who was on the button and had him covered by a fair margin, shoved on top. The blinds both got out of the way and the two live players tabled their hands.
Lopez:
Guillenea:
Guillenea was ahead with his pocket jacks and Lopez needed help in order to preserve his tournament life. The board ran out which further improved Guillenea to a set of jacks, so he took the pot to end Lopez's run in this event.
Nicholas Malandre moved all in preflop after a raise from Ernesto Panno. Action folded around back to Panno who tanked for a couple of minutes before pushing out the 175,000 to call.
Panno:
Malandre:
The board ran out keeping Panno's pocket sevens as the best hand and Malandre was sent to the rail in 16th place.
Carlos Segarra got his last 78,000 chips in the middle before the flop from the button against Renan Toniolo, who had him covered by a wide margin.
Segarra:
Toniolo:
Segarra was way behind with the smaller of the two pocket pairs and needed a lot of help from the deck in order to preserve his tournament life. The board ran out which changed nothing and Toniolo took the pot with his pocket queens to end Segarra's run in this event.
and was called by Ernesto Panno's 
. Guillenea turned a pair of kings, but Panno rivered a flush to eliminate Guillenea from the tournament. 
giving him outs to a jack or ten now. The turn was the 
which put him in the lead as well, but now Panno was the one who picked up extra outs. He could catch a heart for the elimination. The river was the 
which gave Guillenea two-pair, but it also completed Panno's flush and that was it for Guillenea who hit the rail in 9th place, brining the field down to eight players and finishing play for the day.
![[user339870]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
to give Belluscio two pair, so he took the pot to end Felicio's run in this event.
, Juan Perez was in the small blind and facing a decision for 40,000 from Edinson Martinez, who was in the big blind. Perez called.
fell on the river and Perez checked. Martinez moved all-in for 145,000, and after a bit of thought, Perez called with the larger of the two stacks. Martinez had already started standing up when he rolled over 
for queen high, while Perez tabled 
Toniolo's hand was still best, so he took the pot to end Araujo's run in this tournament.
keeping Panno's pocket sevens as the best hand and Malandre was sent to the rail in 16th place.
