Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2018 WPTDeepStacks Marrakech
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 WPTDeepStacks Marrakech
Buy-in
13,200 MAD
Entries
431
Level
31
Blinds
75,000 / 125,000
Ante
125,000
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
On the second starting day of the 2018 WPTDeepStacks Marrakech Main Event, Karim Atoui made a name for himself by running a massive bluff during the final portion of the night to claim the overnight — and overall — chip lead with 334,000, far more than his nearest challengers.
Holding ace-queen of clubs in a three-bet pot, Atoui check-raised an eight-high flop with two spades and no clubs, then check-raised again when a king landed on the turn before shoving all in when the ace of spades landed on the river. Krijn Broskij, opponent in the hand, laid down ace-king and got shown the inferior hand in the biggest hand of the day.
While the ballsy play by Atoui was certainly the poker highlight of the day, Day 1b showed once again that players are able to find their way — and enjoy themselves — in the luxurious Casino de Marrakech, part of the five star Es Saadi Resort in the vibrant Moroccan city of Marrakech. Last year, the field attracted 433 players and with 431 players in 2018, nearly the same amount of entries was made. The total prize pool and payouts will be finalized and published at the start of Day 2.
In the wake of Atoui, players like Mathieu Chevalier (193,000), Jean-François Bertrand (182,000), and Frederic Delval (172,500) also amassed sizable stacks on the second starting day. Notables such as Mehdi Hsissen (160,500), Imad Derwiche (160,000), Tsunamy (122,000), and Jean Montury (80,000) also punched their tickets to the second day. Broskij, who played over 200k not long before the end, survived Atoui's onslaught but will have to work himself back up from 46,000.
A total of 147 out of 431 entries overall will be back on Day 2, which means over half the field has already been shed. Hopefuls such as Isabel Baltazar, Abdelhadi Kondah, Selim Oulmekki, Paul Tedeschi, and Anas Tadini fell along the way. The survivors return on Saturday at noon local time to play on as the money stages will be reached.
PokerNews covers this event start to finish until a winner has been crowned on Sunday night, so make sure to check back regularly who will lift the WPTDeepStacks trophy in Casino de Marrakech.
Click here for Day 2 seating and chip counts.
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
334,000 | |
|
232,500
232,500
|
232,500 |
|
212,000 | |
|
200,000 | |
|
193,000
193,000
|
193,000 |
|
|
190,500 | |
|
190,000 | |
|
|
182,000
182,000
|
182,000 |
|
|
178,000 | |
|
174,500
174,500
|
174,500 |
|
|
173,500
63,500
|
63,500 |
|
172,500
-27,500
|
-27,500 |
|
|
169,500
19,500
|
19,500 |
|
|
168,500 | |
|
|
166,000
166,000
|
166,000 |
|
160,500
15,500
|
15,500 |
|
160,000
-2,000
|
-2,000 |
|
|
159,500
81,500
|
81,500 |
|
|
148,000 | |
|
147,500
22,500
|
22,500 |
|
146,000 | |
|
|
144,000
144,000
|
144,000 |
|
142,500 | |
|
|
142,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
136,000
71,000
|
71,000 |
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
All the chips are being bagged and the clock shows 94 survivors have made it through on Day 1b. Kamel Atoui is the chipleader with a massive 334,000 in chips after the brutal final hand stretch. All chip counts and an end of day recap.
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Kamel Atoui waited until the last possible moment to leave his mark on Day 1b and boy, leaving his mark he did. The biggest hand during the final stretch happened against his left-hand neighbor Krijn Brosky. Atoui opened the action with a raise to 3,500 and a three-bet from Broskij to 8,000, which the Frenchman called.
On the 
flop. Atoui checked, Broskij bet 6,000, Atoui check-raised to 15,000, and Broskij called.
The turn was the 
and after check-raising the flop, Atoui now checked. Broskij bet 23,000, but Atoui had a trick up his sleeve as he put in a second check-raise, this time to 59,000. Broskij gave it some thought before calling another check-raise.
The 
fell on the river and Atoui wasted no time before moving all in, putting Broskij to the test for his remaining 70,000. Broskij thought long and hard before open-folding 
. Atoui flashed 
for a complete airball on both the flop and turn to make the jaws drop at his table.
If that wasn't enough, Atoui collected even more in the subsequent hands. First, he took more chips off Brosky on a 
board. After Broksij had opened from under the gun, Atoui had three-bet from the big blind. Broskij had called before both players checked it to the river, where Atoui picked it up with a bet of 6,000.
In the final hand of the night, Atoui defended the small blind against a 3,500 raise from Alexandre De Zutter. The 
flop got checked, Atoui bet 7,000 on the turn and 11,000 on the 
river and De Zutter called it off.
Atoui showed the winner with 
and ended the day with 334,000, more than enough to bag the overnight chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
334,000
304,000
|
304,000 |
|
|
46,000
-174,000
|
-174,000 |
|
22,100
-72,900
|
-72,900 |
Photos by Tomas Stacha/WPT.
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
The clock has been paused with about 13 minutes left in the level. Five more hands will be played until Day 1b is done.
Level 12
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
On a completed board of 
, Dominique Dissewiscourt bet 20,000 and Jon Ander Martinez shoved all in for 45,500 after some thought. Dissewiscourt, who played 45,400 total, didn't seem keen on calling at first but flicked in a chip after ten seconds.
Martinez showed 
for the whiffed king-high but wasn't able to shake Dissewiscourt's 
with the bold bluff.
Here's where things get interesting: Martinez, left with just a single chip worth 100, was the small blind next. The big blind ante of 1,600 was posted in the middle and the blinds, with Martinez posting the small blind, were set as well. Five players saw a flop, creating a main pot of 2,100 which Martinez could win.
On a 
flop, Frederic Rizzo bet to get all other players out of the way.
Jon Ander Martinez: 
Frederic Rizzo: 
The dealer put out the 
on the turn and 
on the river, improving Martinez to a miracle straight. Despite having a little over a big blind after the hand, at least Martinez will always have a story to tell about that one time he unvigintupled his stack in a single hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
|
2,100
2,100
|
2,100 |
Photos by Tomas Stacha/WPT.
Level: 12
Blinds: 800/1,600
Ante: 1,600