Jonathan Monsalves

Jonathan Monsalves made his mark on the international poker scene in October 2011 when he finished second in the inaugural PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Colombia main event. The tournament, held in Medellín, attracted a record field of 681 entries, each paying a $1,100 buy-in. Monsalves navigated through the massive field and reached heads-up play against Julian Menendez. After a deal was made among the final six players, Monsalves ultimately lost a crucial all-in confrontation with A♠5♣ against Menendez’s 4♠4♥, finishing in second place for $55,256 (approximately 105,490,000 COP).

During the final table, Monsalves engaged in several key hands with Menendez. In one hand, Monsalves doubled up when his A♥Q♠ held against Menendez’s A♠J♠, hitting a straight draw and flush draw on the flop and turning a queen. In another hand, Monsalves three-bet to 450,000 from the big blind and called Menendez’s four-bet shove with K♠Q♥, which held against A♠J♦ to double up again. These hands demonstrated his willingness to gamble and his ability to recover from short stacks.

Based on available hand histories, Monsalves employs an aggressive, high-variance style, often willing to commit his stack with drawing hands or marginal holdings when necessary. In the LAPT Colombia final table, he frequently raised and re-raised, and was not afraid to call all-ins with hands like K♠Q♥ or A♥Q♠. This aggression, coupled with timely doubles, made him a formidable opponent, though it also led to his eventual elimination when his A♠5♣ failed to improve against Menendez’s pocket fours.

While Monsalves has not achieved widespread fame outside this deep run, his performance at the LAPT Colombia remains a notable accomplishment in the early 2010s Latin American poker scene. The event was the largest LAPT tournament at that time, and Monsalves’ heads-up battle with Menendez is remembered as a thrilling conclusion to a historic tournament. He represents the contingent of British players who have found success on the international circuit.