Lopez Takes Control in UDSO Marrakech Main Event with 31 Remaining
The record-breaking Unibet DeepStack Open Marrakech Main Event at is down to its final 31 players after a endurance-testing Day 2 at Casino de Marrakech. The tournament attracted 937 entries, smashing the previous attendance mark and building a prize pool of 4,768,000 MAD.
The remaining players are all guaranteed 24,500 MAD, but everyone has their eyes on the 765,000 MAD top prize and the UDSO championship belt.
Spain’s Manuel Lopez leads the charge into the finale, bagging 3,885,000 (97 big blinds).
Snapping at his heels are a trio of Frenchmen — Quentin Laugt (3,745,000), Samir Sebii (3,155,000), and Frederic Popot (3,100,000) — ensuring a tightly packed leaderboard heading into Day 3.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Lopez | Spain | 3,885,000 | 97 |
| 2 | Quentin Laugt | France | 3,745,000 | 94 |
| 3 | Samir Sebii | France | 3,155,000 | 79 |
| 4 | Frederic Popot | France | 3,100,000 | 78 |
| 5 | Tristan Forge | France | 2,900,000 | 73 |
| 6 | Patrick Rudau | Germany | 2,730,000 | 68 |
| 7 | Sylvain Barca | France | 2,270,000 | 57 |
| 8 | Hassan Atigh | Mauritania | 2,200,000 | 55 |
| 9 | Malik Corbin | France | 1,950,000 | 49 |
| 10 | Kamel Rachedi | France | 1,715,000 | 43 |
Race to the Money
The day began with 233 players chasing a share of the prize pool, with 125 spots paid. After a tense bubble period, it was Anas Tadani who fell agonisingly short when his queen-four failed to crack pocket aces.
Among the players who missed out entirely were Unibet ambassadors Alexandre and Aurélie Réard, as well as WPT champion Guillaume Darcourt, all eliminated before the bubble burst.
Day 1 chip leaders experienced mixed fortunes. Sebastien Guinand and Hassan Atigh survived to Day 3, while Thierry Oldak busted before the payouts and Mustapha Berraho went out in 74th for just above the min-cash.
There was also a family subplot. Georges Forge couldn’t make it through Day 1, while Mehdi Hsissen reached the money before bowing out on Day 2. That leaves their sons, Tristan Forge and Ghali Hsissen, to carry the torch. The younger Hsissen in particular will be flying the flag for the family on Day 3, with his father watching on from the rail as he battled his way into the final 31.
What’s Next
The original plan was to play down to 16, but with the pace slowing deep in the tournament, play was halted after the thirteenth level of the day. Action will resume at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday, September 22, with the final day set to crown a new UDSO Marrakech champion.
PokerNews will be back on the tournament floor with full coverage as the Main Event plays down to a winner.