12:16pm: Shuffle up and deal!
Level 1 - Blinds 500-100

Most tables are playing short-handed to start play today as players continue to arrive at a rapid pace. LAPT4 Brazil Main Event champion is among the players already taking hands, while a couple of WSOP bracelet holders -- Ken Aldridge and Mike Leah -- are also readying to start.

Meanwhile seated at the same table are Shaun Deeb, Maurice Hawkins, and Daniel Weinman, currently joking with the tournament director about the coincidence. Weinman is fresh off a big WSOP Circuit victory at Cherokee, North Carolina, and in fact already has made a final table here at the PCA, taking fifth last night in Event #7, a $2,220 eight-handed turbo. --MH

12:02pm: Shuffle up and deal!
Level 1 - Blinds 500-100

With about 200 players registered so far and the number increasing rapidly, the first hands of the LAPT9 Bahamas Main Event are being dealt. Today calls for 12 levels, each lasting 50 minutes, with a 75-minute dinner break coming after Level 8.

Players are starting with 20,000 chips, and those busting before the start of Level 9 will have the option to reenter. Stay tuned as we start to take a look around to see who's here. --MH

11:30am: Season 9 of the LAPT about to begin

The Latin American Poker Tour is just a half-hour away from kicking off its ninth season with the $2,200 buy-in LAPT Bahamas Main Event. This marks the second time the LAPT has come to Paradise Island, and if this year's installment is anything like last year's, we expect a huge turnout for this early, popular side event option for PCA players.

A year ago the American Josh Kay topped a 736-entry field and a tough final table to earn a handsome $367,928 first prize in this event. Kay had to outlast Martin Finger (runner-up), Stefan Jedlicka (3rd), Jose Carlos Garcia (4th), Taylor Paur (5th), 2013 PCA Main Event champion Dimitar Danchev (6th), Jonathan Borenstein (7th), and Mustapha Kanit (8th) at the end to secure the first LAPT Main Event trophy of last year.

Day 1 gets going at 12 noon today, and we'll be here from start-to-finish for this three-day event with live updates, photos, and more. Back in a few for the start of LAPT Bahamas! --MH

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Take a look at the official website of the PCA, with tournament schedule, videos, news, blogs and accommodation details for the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas.

Also all of the schedule information is on the EPT App, which is available on both Android or IOS.

PokerStars Blog reporting team at Atlantis: Stephen Bartley, Martin Harris, Ross Jarvis, Alex Villegas, Brad Willis and Nick Wright.

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