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Last year’s PokerStars.net LAPT tournament series in Chile was cancelled due to the horrific earthquake that ravaged the country, but the LAPT is set to return to Vina del Mar, Chile on Thursday, with the $1,100 Chile Poker Championship tournament series that will be headlined by the tour’s most recent winner, and Chilean native, Alex Manzano.

Manzano captured the inaugural LAPT Brazil tournament in February, booking a massive $370,000 win in what was the largest tournament in the tour’s four year history. The country of Chile is getting back on its feet after the 2010 Earthquake, as well as the shocking mining accident that gripped the entire world last year and is looking for the publicity from the poker tournament to aid in their efforts.

The Chilean Regional Director of Tourism, Milos Miskovich, had this to say in a press release issued by the PokerStars LAPT: “To us, supporting events like the LAPT has become a priority. Today, the Valparaiso region has diversified its touristic offer beyond beach and sun, but is also a place of company encounters and activities focused in all kind of participants. We are very happy to host this event and we are looking forward to more than 400 people visiting, hoping that they will be delighted with our region,”

Miskovich’s sentiments were echoed by Juan Pablo Covacevich, the Gaming Marketing Manager of the Enjoy Group where the tournament will be held, who added: “This will be the second LAPT to take place in Viña del Mar, and we are very proud to bring this type of event to Chile. We believe this is a great opportunity to give our players a chance to take place in a tournament of high calibre and worldwide recognition, providing a significant push to the development of tourism within the region.”