LAPT Makes a Return with a Rio de Janeiro Stop in Early March

Live poker in Latin America has been on somewhat of a hold since 2016 when the last season of PokerStars LAPT was played, and now, the Tour is finally back in style.

The operator went all out on live poker this year across the globe, and the return of the LAPT is a major part of that plan, with thousands of players across the continent exhilarated by the news.

The first stop of this year’s PokerStars LAPT starts on Thursday, March 2, and will play out over five days of non-stop poker action in Brazil’s famous Carnival city of Rio de Janeiro.

Coincidently, Rio was also the home to the inaugural LAPT event back in 2008. Thus, it is only fitting for it to play host to the return of the Tour and the start to a new era in Latin American poker.

LAPT Rio de Janeiro Highlights

First LAPT event since 2016
Affordable events in local currency
Festival played between March 2 – 6
Win your LAPT seats at PokerStars

LAPT Rio de Janeiro Schedule Revealed

The LAPT Rio de Janeiro will take place at the Windsor Maripendi Hotel in Barra de Tijuca between March 2 and 6, with six major events scheduled for the period.

Much like LAPT events in the past, the buy-in range is adjusted to local standards, with buy-ins significantly lower than those of the EPT, but still some of the biggest on the continent.

The festival will kick off on Thursday with a preliminary Single-Day R$ 15,000 event, whose start will overlap with the launch of Day 1 of the LAPT Main Event.

The Main Event also starts on Thursday, featuring a R$ 7,500 buy-in. It is expected to draw in a significant number of players, potentially breaking previous participation records.

Other notable events at the LAPT Rio de Janeiro this year will include a Single-Day R$ 20,000 event, a R$ 25,000 High-Roller, and a R$ 15,000 Progressive KO High-Roller, all of which will be fit into the five day schedule.

Finally, a 6-handed Mystery KO event will complete the series and. With a modest R$ 4,000 buy-in, it will be the most accessible event on the festival calendar.

As usual, you can expect a whole lot of satellite and cash game action on the side, with thousands of poker players gathered in a Brazilian city after a six year hiatus.

lapt rio de janeiro

More to Come from LAPT in 2023

The return of LAPT to Rio de Janeiro is only the first step in a full re-launch of the biggest poker tour in this part of the world.

PokerStars has already announced further stops for 2023, with the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo playing host in April and two stops scheduled for Sao Paulo in July and November.

The exact dates for these and other LAPT stops in 2023 are yet to be announced. However, if the past is anything to go by, we can expect the Tour to visit quite a few other stops across Latin America in countries like Bolivia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Bahamas, and Panama.

It is worth noting that the 2023 LAPT stops in Sao Paulo will play out alongside a smaller but still significant BSOP event. This will make these festivals into true poker bonanzas accessible to everyone.

Sign into your PokerStars account right now to look at satellite options for LAPT tournaments, or sign up with the operator for the first time if you haven’t already and get a valuable poker bonus. You’ll qualify for a generous welcome bonus, valuable perks, and your shot at playing in Latin America’s biggest poker festivals.