Juan Bolivar

Bolivar Palacios first emerged on the international poker scene in 2012 with a dominant victory at the Veneto Poker Classic in Panama. The $2,000 buy-in main event attracted 314 entries, building a $502,400 prize pool. Palacios outlasted the field to claim the $140,700 first-place prize, his first major live tournament score. Earlier that year, he also cashed in the PokerStars.net LAPT Punta del Este main event, where he was noted for a hand with second pair.

Palacios recorded his first WSOP cash in 2023 during WSOP Paradise, finishing 121st in a $1,230 event for $2,800. He returned in 2025 with a breakout series, making four cashes including a third-place finish in a $500 WSOP Circuit Mini Main Event at Hilton Panama, earning $15,600. His other 2025 results include a 50th place ($4,300), 96th place ($4,100 in a bounty event), and 909th place ($2,239) in the WSOP Main Event. In total, he has 5 WSOP cashes for $29,000 across two years.

Based on available hand histories, Palacios displays a patient, position-oriented approach. In a 2012 LAPT hand, he called a pot-sized bet with second pair and won, suggesting a willingness to make thin calls against aggressive opponents. His WSOP results show consistency in both small-field Circuit events and large-field main events, indicating adaptability to different tournament structures.