The Unibet DeepStack Open Marrakech Main Event resumes today at Casino de Marrakech with the second of four opening flights. Players will sit down at 1 p.m. with a 50,000 starting stack and 50-minute levels.
Registration stays open through the first nine levels, with unlimited re-entries available. As with all opening sessions, play will continue until just 25% of the field remains, who will then return for Day 2 on Saturday.
Day 1b comes on the back of a lively opening flight that set a strong pace for the festival. A total of 210 entries on Wednesday created a prize pool contribution of 1,113,000 MAD (approx €104,856), with 53 players advancing before Bernard Guigon made the choice to surrender his bag, leaving 52 survivors.
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Sept 17 | 1 p.m. | UDSO MAIN EVENT - Day 1a | 6,000 MAD (€531) | 210 | 1,113,000 MAD |
| Thu, Sept 18 | 1 p.m. | UDSO MAIN EVENT - Day 1b | 6,000 MAD (€531) | ||
| Fri, Sept 19 | 1 p.m. | UDSO MAIN EVENT - Day 1c | 6,000 MAD (€531) | ||
| Fri, Sept 19 | 9 p.m. | UDSO MAIN EVENT - 1d Turbo | 6,000 MAD (€531) | ||
| Sat, Sept 20 | 1 p.m. | UDSO MAIN EVENT - Day 2 | - | ||
| Sun, Sept 21 | 1 p.m. | UDSO MAIN EVENT - Final |
Day 1a Recap
Thierry Oldak ended Day 1a at the top of the counts with 545,000. Compatriot Salah Eddine Taleb also caught the eye. Taleb, a familiar face on the Unibet circuit, bagged 517,500 and is well positioned for another deep run after strong performances earlier this year in Barcelona, including a final table in the Mystery Bounty. With over $20,000 in live earnings, Taleb is chasing what could be the biggest result of his career here in Marrakech.
Rounding out the top stacks were “Pot and pot” (479,500), Juan McGregor (407,500), Belghiti Smail (407,000), and Ghali Hsissen, who eliminated RSM on the last hand of the night to bring play to a close.
There were other familiar names in the mix as well. Poker media’s Fausto Munz swapped his reporter’s notebook for chips and bagged 342,500, while Unibet Ambassador Alexandre Reard secured 95,000 thanks to a last minute double up. His colleague Arnaud Enselme fired multiple bullets but fell short of advancing.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Oldak | France | 545,000 |
| 2 | Salah Eddine Taleb | France | 517,500 |
| 3 | Pot and pot | - | 479,500 |
| 4 | Juan McGregor | - | 407,500 |
| 5 | Belghiti Smail | Morocco | 407,000 |
| 6 | Bo Cruz | - | 401,500 |
| 7 | Belmehdi | Morocco | 387,000 |
| 8 | Aubin De Kermadec | France | 359,000 |
| 9 | Fausto Munz | France | 342,500 |
| 10 | Ricardo Spencer | Spain | 341,000 |
With three more flights still to come, today’s action is expected to draw another strong turnout. PokerNews will be on site throughout the day to provide live updates from the Main Event.
