Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2020 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2020 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech
Buy-in
15,000 MAD
Prize Pool
8,156,000 MAD
Entries
625
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
227
Players Left
61
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Day 1a of the 2020 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Marrakech 15,000 MAD (€1,400) Main Event at the Casino de Marrakech, located in the heart of the Es Saadi Resort after 12 blind levels of 45-minutes each.
A total of 227 entries including 35 re-entries came out in full force with 61 players surviving. This crushed the 166 entries with 47 players surviving the last time the WSOP Circuit was in Marrakech in June.
After nine hours of action-packed poker, Ayman Jarrar bagged a chip leading stack of 351,000 for nearly 12-times the opening stack of 30,000 in chips.
Although the field was mostly French and Morrocan, the top five in chips counts was an international affair. Following Jarrar on the Day 1a leaderboard was Germany's Henrik Brockmann (235,000), France's Gael Dirig (224,000), Spain's Willy Wonka (210,000), and United Kingdom's Phillip Huxley (204,000).
Spain's Willy Wonka was not the person that owned the famous fictional chocolate factory but one of the handful of players that entered today's action using a nickname. He held the chip lead for almost the entire day before giving away more than a third of his stack near the end of Day 1a.
Meanwhile, Huxley entered Day 1a as the defending champion after shipping the WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event for 947,780 MAD ($99,632) the last time the event was held at Casino de Marrakech in June. Huxley was off to a slow start and headed to the dinner break after Level 9 with less than a starting stack.
The defending champion shared during the break that if he wasn't able to bag a stack today he wasn't planning to re-enter tomorrow with many juicy side events on the schedule.
He won't have to worry about that as he chipped up to 50,000 in chips just after the dinner break before he doubled up with big slick against the ace-queen held by Stefan Bittger to 100,000.
Near the end of the day, he doubled up again to around 200,000. He three-bet jammed his stack with king-jack suited with a flush draw on the flop only to run into the two pair held by Anas Tadini with six-three. The flush draw completed on the turn and the river blanked for Tadini to give Huxley the double-up.
PMU.fr is the online sponsor of the Main Event and in addition to the more than 20 qualifiers in attendance for the Main Event, a handful of Team PMU.fr Pros entered the field with both Paul Guichard (130,000) and Erwann Pecheux (65,500) finding a bag to Saturday's Day 2.
PokerNews will be on the tournament floor to provide updates for tomorrow's Day 1b starting at 1 p.m. CET. Stay tuned as we provide coverage from beginning to end of the 2020 WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event.
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
351,000
309,000
|
309,000 |
|
||
|
235,500
205,500
|
205,500 |
|
224,000 | |
|
210,000
-115,000
|
-115,000 |
|
204,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
||
|
203,000 | |
|
197,500 | |
|
197,500 | |
|
174,000 | |
|
164,000 | |
|
|
163,000 | |
|
162,500
-188,500
|
-188,500 |
|
|
160,500 | |
|
155,000 | |
|
148,000
-2,000
|
-2,000 |
|
||
|
146,500
76,500
|
76,500 |
|
|
143,500
78,500
|
78,500 |
|
|
143,500 | |
|
138,500
108,500
|
108,500 |
|
|
137,500 | |
|
130,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
|
126,500
-133,500
|
-133,500 |
|
125,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
122,500 | |
|
122,500 | |
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Willy Wonka had the chip lead most of the day but gave away some chips during the final few hands. At the same time, Ayman Jarrar soared up to 351,000 and ended the day with the chip lead.
Players are still bagging chips and PokerNews will provide a full update as soon as all of the chip counts are in.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
351,000
309,000
|
309,000 |
|
|
||
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Players are bagging chips at more than half the tables. Stay tuned for the final chip counts and recap of Day 1a of the 2020 WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event.
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The last WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event Champion Phillip Huxley had a slow start but is having a strong finish to Day 1a.
In a recent hand, Huxley bet 6,700 into a pot of around 10,000 after the 
came on the flop. Anas Tadani three-bet to 20,000 before Huxley jammed for 96,800.
Tadani made the call and turned over 
for two pair. Huxley turned over 
for a flush draw.
The 
on the turn gave Huxley the flush but he still had to sweat the hand with Tadani still drawing to a full house. The 
completed the board on the river and Huxley not only avoided elimination but doubled up his stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The tournament director announced five more hands before surviving players will bag chips.
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Yossi Eluz open-jammed for 20,900 from middle position and was called by Igna Poker in the big blind.
Yossi Eluz: 
Igna Poker: 
Eluz was ahead before the flop but it became more of a coin-flip situation after the 
flop gave Igna Poker a flush draw.
The 
was a safe card for Eluz but the 
completed Igna Poker's flush and Eluz was eliminated just before the end of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
WSOP bracelet winner Vangelis Kaimakamis opened for 5,000 from early position. Two players called before Pierre Sinnig jammed for about 24,000. Kaimakamis four-bet jammed for 62,000 and the remaining players folded.
Pierre Sinnig: 
Vangelis Kaimakamis: 
The 
ran out on the board to give Kaimakamis a full house and to send Sinnig to the rail despite him starting the hand with the strongest hole cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The final blind level of the night has just kicked off with blinds at 1,000/2,000 with a big blind ante of 2,000. There were 77 players remaining to start the level.
After the blind level is completed, the remaining players will bag chips and advance to Saturday's Day 2 along with those that find a bag tomorrow on Day 1b.