Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2016 Marrakech Poker Open
Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 Marrakech Poker Open
Buy-in
€900
Prize Pool
€176,088
Entries
220
Level
29
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
The second and penultimate day of the 2016 Marrakech Poker Open Main Event saw a total of 55 hopefuls from a 220-entry field return to the tables of Casino de Marrakech. Only the top 27 spots were paid, and after almost nine levels of one hour each, the final table of eight was determined. Leading the way was Abdenbi Abida, who bagged up 1.499 million in chips and slightly edged out Henrique Pinho.
Among those to bust early on Day 2 were Romain Paon, Thierry Gogniat, Barny Boatman, and 2016 LAPT Vina del Mar champion Rodrigo Strong. Boatman flopped a set of fours, but Masbah Ben Baba turned the nut straight with king-jack suited to bust the World Series of Poker bracelet winner.
WSOP Marrakech Main Event runner-up Anthony Rodrigues followed soon after, and then Isabel Baltazar, Carlos Lopes, and Said El Yousfi also missed out on the money.
El Yousfi then fell shortly after his aces were cracked by Abdenbi Abida.
The bubble burst without hand-for-hand play being active, as Marcel Vadella hit the rail at the same time as Mohamed Ali Houssam was bounced on another table. For Houssam, the 2011 WPT Marrakech champion, he flopped top set only to run into the straight of Saverio Cocozza. Houssam failed to pair up and the field had been reduced to the last 27, all guaranteed at least 18,000 Dirhams for their efforts.
The usual rush of eliminations after getting into the money didn't take place, but Riccardo Giacalone, Arthur Conan, and Jean Pierre Supiot all settled for a min-cash.
As the eliminations piled up, Henrique Pinho dominated his opponents and busted Tsunamy in a flip with ace-king suited versus pocket sixes.
Philippe Ktorza then ran queen-jack into the queens of Mechiche, and Saverio Cocozza's pocket tens were no good against the jacks of Abida. Abida also busted Andre Fonseca with ace-eight suited after flopping top pair and the nut flush draw. Fonseca check-raised all in with an inferior ace-four and found no miracle.
The unofficial final table of nine saw just one hand played. That hand involved Dominique Terzian's shove with kings ending in dramatic fashion, as Abida woke up with pocket aces behind to deal the final blow for Day 2.
Groppi (1.08 million) and Mechiche (1.029 million) also bagged up seven figures, while Mathieu Papineau is in the middle of the pack with 886,000. Marrakech Poker Open High Roller runner-up Fahd (456,000), Mathieu Biague (126,000), and Michael van der Ghinst (94,000) complete the lineup for Sunday, and action will resume with six minutes left at blinds of 8,000/16,000 and a running ante of 2,000.
2016 Marrakech Poker Open Main Event Final Table
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fahd | Morocco | 456,000 |
| 2 | Michael van der Ghinst | Belgium | 94,000 |
| 3 | [Removed:215] | France | 1,080,000 |
| 4 | Mathieu Papineau | France | 886,000 |
| 5 | Mathieu Biague | France | 126,000 |
| 6 | Henrique Pinho | Portugal | 1,425,000 |
| 7 | Ali Mechiche | Morocco | 1,027,000 |
| 8 | Abdenbi Abida | France | 1,499,000 |
All players have 55,000 Dirhams (approx. $5,700 or €5,050) locked up for their efforts, but all eyes are set on the first-place payout of 440,000 Dirhams (approx. $45,600 or €40,500).
Make sure to tune back in to PokerNews.com on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. local time to find out who will be crowned champion of the 2016 Marrakech Poker Open from Casino de Marrakech.
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,499,000
190,000
|
190,000 |
|
1,425,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
![Profile photo of [Removed:215]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
|
1,080,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
1,027,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
886,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
456,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
126,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
|
94,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
In the very first hand of the unofficial final table, Dominique Terzian shoved for 140,000. Abdenbi Abida asked for a count to induce further action behind him, then raised to isolate and have everyone else out of the way. "First hand and aces," Abida said and Terzian could not believe his bad luck as he held pocket kings!
Terzian: 
Abida: 
The board ran out 
and Abida made a full house to determine the official final table! Everyone is bagging up now and action resumes tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time. Chip Counts are to follow shortly, as well as a recap of today's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fahd | Morocco | 458,000 |
| 2 | Michael van der Ghinst | Belgium | 96,000 |
| 3 | [Removed:215] | France | 1,082,000 |
| 4 | Mathieu Papineau | France | 896,000 |
| 5 | Mathieu Biague | France | 144,000 |
| 6 | Dominique Terzian | France | 142,000 |
| 7 | Henrique Pinho | Portugal | 1,427,000 |
| 8 | Ali Mechiche | Morocco | 1,029,000 |
| 9 | Abdenbi Abida | France | 1,309,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,427,000
173,000
|
173,000 |
|
|
1,309,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
|
1,082,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
|
1,029,000
129,000
|
129,000 |
|
|
896,000
236,000
|
236,000 |
|
|
458,000
142,000
|
142,000 |
|
|
144,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
142,000
138,000
|
138,000 |
|
|
96,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
The clock has been stopped with 06:41 left for level 22 and the unofficial final table of the last nine has been determined. The official final table will restart eight-handed tomorrow and after an quick 10-minute break, the tournament resumes.
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Andre Fonseca opened to 35,000 from the hijack and Abdenbi Abida flat-called from the button to see a flop of 
. Fonseca check-raised all in for 210,000 and Abida snap-called after having bet 55,000.
Fonseca: 
Abida: 
The 
turn changed nothing much and the Portuguese was gone in 10th place when the 
appeared on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,300,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Michael van der Ghinst shoved for 30,000 from the button and Henrique Pinho called from the small blind, then folded to the squeeze to 100,000 by Ali Mechiche in the big blind.
Van der Ghinst: 
Mechiche: 
The board ran out 
and the Belgian tripled.
Then, Mathieu Biague shoved for 64,000 from under the gun and Henrique Pinho flat-called.
Biague: 
Pinho: 
The board kept the second super short stack in as well.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
120,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Saverio Cocozza open-shoved for 179,000 and Abdenbi Abida called out of the big blind.
Cocozza: 
Abida: 
The patience of the Italian didn't pay out, as he ran with a big pocket pair into an even bigger one. After the board 
, Cocozza was eliminated in 11th place for a payday of 35,000 Dirhams.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 22
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Over on table 33, Henrique Pinho has increased his lead further whereas two opponents are on life support right now.
Mathieu Biague has found no spot or hand at all and the stack has all but melted whereas Michael van der Ghinst also lost some. The Belgian then limped in from the small blind and called a raise to 41,000 by Pinho.
On the 
flop, van der Ghinst check-called a bet worth 30,000 before both checked the turn. On the 
river, the Belgian checked and Pinho bet 50,000. Van der Ghinst asked the dealer twice for the amount and then called to get shown by Pinho for the nut straight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,600,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
|
70,000
251,000
|
251,000 |
|
|
60,000
116,000
|
116,000 |
