From an enormous field of 851 entries within the Latin American Poker Tour Bahamas Main Event, just 10 players might be returning for today's final day of action, each with hopes of turning into the primary LAPT Main Event champion of Season 9.

As was the case finally year's inaugural LAPT Bahamas Main Event here on the PCA, the overall eight-handed table of this year's installment is absolute to be choked with top talent. There are four Americans a number of the final 10, with two Canadians in addition to players from Greece, Austria, Germany, and Brazil.

Before the action begins, let's get to grasp a little bit more about all the final 10 players. We'll go from the chip leader to the shortest stack.

1. Georgios Sotiropoulos (Greece) -- 3,975,000

Georgios Sotiropoulos

Chip leader Georgios Sotiropoulos is only one of many players bringing an excellent list of prior tournament triumphs to today's final day of play with greater than $1.6 million in career tournament winnings, all collected within the last five years.

The 25-year-old owns a WSOP Europe bracelet (won last fall in a €1,100 NLHE Turbo event), a few silver spades won in EPT side events (on the EPT10 Grand Final in Monte Carlo and at EPT11 Deauville), and came second within the EPT10 Prague Main Event for a career-high €700,000 score. He also owns a Sunday Million title, won earlier this year on PokerStars where he plays as "GeoManousos."

2. Joe Kuether (USA) -- 2,530,000

Joe Kuether

Joe Kuether of Wisconsin was the primary player to one million chips on this event and enjoyed the chip lead through the early evening yesterday before Sotiropoulos took excessive spot. Like Sotiropoulos, the 27-year-old has an extended list of deep runs and wins in tournaments, having amassed over $4.9 million in earnings over the process his career.

Among Kuether's career highlights was one who kicked off his 2015 in grand fashion here on the Atlantis when he finished runner-up within the $25,000 High Roller for a career-best $1,050,000 prize. Kuether has numerous six-figure scores and a pair of EPT side event trophies to his credit. Most recently he took third within the WPT Borgata Main Event in September (for $262,994) and second within the WSOP Circuit Hammond Main Event (for $220,848).

3. Darren Elias (USA) -- 2,040,000

Darren Elias

Darren Elias of Cherry Hill, New Jersey continues the theme, coming in with greater than $3.3 million in career tournament winnings highlighted by his winning two World Poker Tour Main Event titles within the space of 2 months in 2014 when he won the WPT Borgata Open (in mid-September) and the WPT St. Maarten here within the Caribbean (in November).

The 29-year-old Elias has also enjoyed success here on Paradise Island within the past, finishing 13th within the 2013 PCA Main Event, third within the $10,200 High Roller on the 2011 PCA, and various other cashes on the Atlantis.

4. Chad Eveslage (USA) -- 1,685,000

Chad Eveslage

Chad Eveslage of Indiana will begin the day fourth in chips, having previously collected $600,000-plus in tournament earnings including several WSOP cashes and a handful of previous PCA scores.

Eveslage's biggest score to this point was the $103,025 he earned for finishing 66th within the 2014 WSOP Main Event, which means that if the 24-year-old could make the highest three today he'll exceed that as a brand new career-high.

5. Will Molson (Canada) -- 1,350,000

Will Molson

The Canadian Will Molson is another of our final 10 who has done well on the Atlantis before, having won the $25,500 High Roller Event on the 2011 PCA for a career-best $1,072,850 cash -- a score is roughly 1/2 the just about $2.1 million Molson has earned in tournaments throughout his career.

Those who needless to say finish probably remember Molson had taken runner-up within the same $25,500 High Roller the year before on the 2010 PCA (for $322,075). The 28-year-old from Montreal also has made numerous deep runs in EPT events, including winning a silver spade in an aspect event at EPT8 Campione.

6. Knut Karnapp (Germany) -- 1,345,000

Knut Karnapp

The German Knut Karnapp involves today's final table in the course of the pack, chip-wise. Hailing not removed from the hometown Martin Finger (who took runner-up on this event last year), the 31-year-old Karnapp used to play more frequently -- mostly online -- but now only does so recreationally, taking just two or three poker trips a year.

He's the exception to the rule of thumb at this final table, not bringing a protracted list of live tournament successes just like the others. But with greater than $300K up top for the winner, a win today may lead off this sort of poker résumé in grand fashion.

7. Andre Akkari (Brazil)-- 1,275,000

Andre Akkari

The lone Team PokerStars Pro remaining may be the lone representative of Latin America a few of the final 10. Andre Akkari is naturally an excessively familiar face for those folks who follow the LAPT. He's also a large a part of the Brazilian "boom" in poker that was occurring over the past decade, a subject he discussed at a "Breakfast with the professionals" session previous to the beginning of Day 1 of this event.

Akkari has over $1.4 million in live tournament earnings, including winning a WSOP bracelet in a $1,500 NLHE event in 2011. His best previous finish in a LAPT Main Event was in 2013 at LAPT6 Brazil in São Paulo where he finished fifth.

8. Luc Greenwood (Canada) -- 1,175,000

Luc Greenwood

Canadian Luc Greenwood of Toronto has greater than $320,000 in live tournament winnings, together with his best live cash being for $75,000 here within the Bahamas when he took 21st within the 2010 PCA Main Event.

One of 3 poker-playing brothers along side Max and Sam, Luc has collected several cashes within the WSOP, at the EPT, and on other tours as well.

9. Taylor Von Kriegenbergh (USA) -- 1,020,000

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh

With greater than $1.8 million in tournament earnings, 27-year-old Taylor Von Kriegenbergh of Massachussets is also returning to 1 of the quick stacks today, but he's got one of the most longer lists of previous successes including many deep runs and a pair of wins.

His career highlight previous to this week was winning the $10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown in 2011 where he topped a 433-entry field to earn a handsome $1,122,340 payday.

10. Ismael Bojang (Austria) -- 710,000

Ismael Bojang

Ismael Bojang -- of Germany, though listed with Austria -- is another familiar face from a few of the international tours, having earned greater than $1.8 million in tournaments through the years while showing a proficiency in lots of different games besides no-limit hold'em.

Bojang has a few EPT side event titles to his credit, including one in a €10,300 PLO event at EPT9 Deauville. The 27-year-old's largest career cashes came at final tables during last summer's WSOP where he finished third within the $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw event (for $130,851) and sixth within the $25,000 PLO High Roller (for $187,571).

Here is how the general 10 players could be seated when the primary hands of Day 3 are dealt:

Table 9Seat 2: Taylor Von Kriegenbergh (USA) -- 1,020,000Seat 3: Andre Akkari (Brazil)-- 1,275,000Seat 4: Darren Elias (USA) -- 2,040,000Seat 5: Joe Kuether (USA) -- 2,530,000Seat 7: Georgios Sotiropoulos (Greece) -- 3,975,000

Table 10Seat 1: Luc Greenwood (Canada) -- 1,175,000Seat 3: Chad Eveslage (USA) -- 1,685,000Seat 4: Knut Karnapp (Germany) -- 1,345,000Seat 6: Will Molson (Canada) -- 1,350,000Seat 7: Ismael Bojang (Austria) -- 710,000

And here's how the payouts are scheduled for the overall 10 finishers -- note the massive difference between finishing 10th and taking the highest prize:

1st: $308,2202nd: $187,2203rd: $132,0804th: $99,0605th: $78,0806th: $58,4407th: $41,1008th: $28,9009th: $22,92010th: $18,900

After the primary bustout today, the 2 short-handed tables will combine into one nine-handed table, then after the following knockout they'll reach the official eight-handed LAPT final table.

Play begins at 12 noon ET with the beginning of Level 27 (blinds 25,000/50,000, ante 5,000), with levels for this final day lasting one hour each.

Join us then to look who from this formidable group emerges to take the primary LAPT trophy of the season in addition to one of the most bigger PCA side event titles from this year's festival.

Addendum: Here is a shot of the general eight players -- i.e., the official final table -- taken after the eliminations of Andre Akkari (10th) and Luc Greenwood (9th):

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Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Latin American Poker Tour]