Rakesh Lalwani Bags Top Stack on Day 1b of MPNPT Morocco Main Event

January 13, 2018

PokerNews Staff

The second flight in the MPN Poker Tour Morocco Main Event attracted nearly double the entries of Day 1a last night (216 to its 115), comfortably surpassing the MAD 1,500,000 guarantee before players went on their dinner break. With late registration still open until the start of play on Day 2 (2 p.m. today), the total entries in the MAD 6,000 (€550) Main Event currently stand at 331.

Joining the 33 players to bag chips on Day 1a are 71 Day 1b survivors, including last night’s chip leader Rakesh Lalwani (245,600) and other big stacks Mehdi Hsissen (213,300) and Tobias Andersen (188,100). Experienced, globe-trotting Irish tournament player Chris Dowling finished the day with 158,900 chips, and the MPN-crowned Greatest Poker Player in the Universe Simon Jones made it through with 36,800.

Leading the 104 combined survivors from both flights is still Day 1a chip leader Said El-Yousfi with 272,000 chips; visit the MPN Poker Tour blog for an end-of-day recap and full chip counts.

The total prize money and payouts will be published after close of registration later today; for now, Main Event players still in the running can be confident that their prize pool will exceed that of the inaugural MPNPT Morocco event in November 2016, where the winner, Sebastien Compte, took home MAD 280,000 (€26,000).

With the weekend’s arrival, side events are now in full swing, with last night’s MAD 1,100 Win the Button attracting 51 entrants and the MAD 22,000 High Roller set to commence at 8 p.m. tonight; a last-chance MAD 1,100 Super Turbo Satellite to the latter begins at 3 p.m.

Attractions off the felt have included Thursday’s Players’ Party at Alias nightclub, featuring performances by Moroccan entertainers including musicians and a belly dancer, whose performance with a candelabrum supported on her head was a first for most poker players.

This afternoon, 32Red, who brought 13 qualifiers to MPNPT Morocco, will provide a quad bike excursion on the beach, guaranteed to bring participants back to the cardroom wide awake.

Live reporting from the Main Event continues from the start of play, with videos and galleries from the event available on the MPN Poker Tour Facebook page.