High Roller Final Table Day 2 | 2017 Marrakech Poker Open

03-24-2017 03:53 UTC

Fadhil Farag Leads Final Three as Marrakech Poker Open High Roller Enters Third Day

Will Shillibier

Level 24 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante

With 37 players starting Day 2 of the Marrakech Poker Open High Roller, it took until around eight p.m. local time until play was down to the money bubble. Coincidentally the tournament went on break on the exact bubble, but it wasn’t long until it burst shortly afterwards, when Christophe Chaudey shoved his into the of Fadhil Farag.

The remaining 11 players had all locked up €2,815, but play would continue until someone was able to take home the €27,878 first-place prize as well as the trophy and a rather large bottle of Chivas Regal.

And so play did continue, Abdelhadi Kondah and Houssein El Otmani, Morocco’s last remaining home representatives were eliminated in 11th and 10th place respectively. Play was tight at the top, with the top three chip leaders separated by just 3,000 in chips.

The final table started with Sebastien Compte (ninth – €2,531), Arthur Conan (eighth – €4,460) and Fernando (seventh – €5,668) all leaving proceedings. Paul Guichard was unlucky to get his chips in and be dominated in two successive hands to leave in sixth place (€7,155), but not as unlucky as Jerome Sgorrano who first ran sixes into the eights of Said El Yousfi.

Sgorrano was left crippled but managed to find a few hands later and looked set to get back into the action against El Yousfi’s . However, a ten on the turn and the river ended that dream and he exited in fifth.

The four flirted with the idea of making a deal which would have seen each player walk home with 180,000 Dirham each, with 99,000 remaining to be played for, but it was turned down.

A short while later, and 15 minutes into the final level of the day, [Removed:432]’s pocket deuces clashed with Farag’s queens and [Removed:433] exited in fourth (€11,800).

There was still time for a cooler as Phu Truong's flopped two pair clashed against Farag's turned set, meaning Truong will return with the shortest stack, but there is still all to play for among the three players when they return tomorrow evening at around 9 p.m.

Position	Name	Country	Chips	BB
1	Phu Truong	France	775,000	15.5
2	Said El Yousfi	France	1,200,000	24
3	Fadhil Farag	Lebanon	1,830,000	36.6

03-24-2017 03:25 UTC

[Removed:432] Eliminated in 4th Place (€11,800)

Will Shillibier

Level 24 : 20,000/40,000, 5,000 ante

Fadhil Farag limped from the cutoff. [Removed:432] moved all in for around 225,000. The remaining players folded and Farag called.

[Removed:433] showed but was crushed against Farag's . The board ran out and [Removed:433] was eliminated in 4th place, collecting €11,800 for his efforts.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fadhil Farag	1,300,000	230,000
[Removed:432]	Busted

03-24-2017 03:09 UTC

Said El Yousfi Scoops Biggest Pot of the Tournament

Will Shillibier

Level 23 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

With the board reading and 200,000 in the pot already, Said El Yousfi checked to his opponent [Removed:432] who bet 175,000. El Yousfi called.

The river was the and El Yousfi checked again and [Removed:433] bet 315,000. El Yousfi counted out his chips, asked for how much the bet was, rechecked his stack before asking again. Eventually he slid the chips forward saying a little "Good luck" almost to himself as he did so.

His opponent tapped the table with his knuckles, flinging across the board. El Yousfi let out a shout of joy as he showed to scoop the nearly 1.1 million chip pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Said El Yousfi	1,600,000	455,000
[Removed:432]	225,000	-485,000

03-24-2017 02:49 UTC

Jerome Sgorrano Eliminated in 5th Place (€9,014)

Will Shillibier

Level 23 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Fadhil Farag limped under the gun. It folded to Jerome Sgorrano in the small blind who moved all in for his remaining 150,000 chips. Said El Yousfi called in the big blind and Farag folded.

Sgoranno showed and El Yousfi meekly turned over .

The flop was . The on the turn raised a few eyebrows, and the on the river caused Sgorrano to get to his feet and finish his drink swiftly and head straight to the payout desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Said El Yousfi	1,000,000	130,000
Jerome Sgorrano	Busted

03-24-2017 01:45 UTC

Paul Guichard Eliminated in 6th Place (€7,155)

Will Shillibier

Level 22 : 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante

Jerome Sgorrano moved all in from under the gun for his remaining 295,000. It folded to Paul Guichard on the button who enquired as to Sgorrano's stack before calling. The remaining players folded. Sgorrano was at risk and he showed while Guichard held . The board ran out and Guichard was left with 55,000.

That 55,000 went in the very next hand when it folded to Guichard on the button. Phu Truong called in the small blind and the cards were turned over.

Guichard:
Truong:

Guichard was all in and dominated for the second hand in a row, and there was no help for him as the board ran out eliminating the Frenchman in 6th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Phu Truong	1,100,000	120,000
Jerome Sgorrano	600,000	410,000
Paul Guichard	Busted

03-24-2017 01:25 UTC

Fernando Eliminated in 7th Place (€5,668)

Will Shillibier

Level 20 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

[Removed:432] raised to 45,000. It folded to Phu Truong who three-bet. Fernando then four-bet all in. [Removed:433] folded and Truong made the call.

Truong:
Fernando:

The board ran out and Fernando was eliminated in 7th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Phu Truong	980,000	373,000
Fernando	Busted

03-24-2017 00:23 UTC

Arthur Conan Eliminated in 8th Place (€4,460)

Will Shillibier

Level 19 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

[Removed:432] raised to 35,000 from button. Arthur Conan three-bet all in for around 250,000 and Phu Truong four-bet all in himself from the big blind. [Removed:433] threw his hands in the air before folding.

Conan:
[Removed:433]:

Conan shook his head as the flop came . "Nine of spades," he asked for in French, but the turn was the .

Apparently it was Truong's turn to call for a card: "Five of spades," he said, and the river came the , eliminating Conan.

Player	Chips	Progress
Phu Truong	650,000	219,000
Arthur Conan	Busted

03-24-2017 00:00 UTC

Sebastien Compte Eliminated in 9th Place (€2,531)

Will Shillibier

Level 19 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

In the last hand before the break, Sebastien Compte moved all in for his last 125,000 chips. It folded to Paul Guichard in the big blind, who hadn't looked.

"Allez!" he said, pumping his arms as if psyching himself up for the sweat.

"Allez Paul," replied Sebastien.

"The first isn't bad," said Guichard in French to his opponent. He looked at the second card. He paused. He then pushed chips forwards to indicate a call.

Compte:
Guichard:

The board ran out and Compte was eliminated. All but three of the remaining eight players had left their seats for the 15-minute break, and perhaps will be wondering where Compte has gone when they return.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Guichard	520,000	220,000
Sebastien Compte	Busted

03-23-2017 23:23 UTC

Houssein El Otmani Eliminated in 10th Place (€2,815)

Will Shillibier

Level 19 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

Houssein El Otmani - 10th Place (€2,815)

Houssein El Otmani moved all in from under the gun for his last 104,000. It folded around to [Removed:432] in the big blind who thought before throwing in the chips for a call.

El Otmani:
[Removed:433]:

The board ran out and El Otmani was eliminated. Afterwards [Removed:433] told our French colleagues that he only called because he needed a stack for the final table. The redraw for the final table is happening currently.