Main Event Day 1 | 2016 PMU.fr WPT National Marrakech

09-30-2016 09:50 UTC

The Main Event Starts Today

Webjoker

The PMU.fr World Poker Tour National Marrakech has kicked off and yesterday the High Roller crowned its champion with Spaniard Nabil Cardoso lifting the throphy.

The Main Event is a three-day 13,200 MAD (approximately €1,200/$1,350) single reentry event and it starts today! Boasting a guaranteed €300,000 prize pool; it promises to be once again be very busy. Players will start with a 30,000-starting stack, first level: 50/100. Players have the option to reenter once within the first eight levels of play.

The World Poker Tour has had a presence in the famous Moroccan city since 2009. After three regular World Poker Tour Main Events and a one-year hiatus, the tour returned as World Poker Tour National Event in 2013. The tournament attracts huge numbers, with a lot of local poker fanatics and French players competing in the event. We expect the likes of Tony Dunst, Roberto Romanello, Natalia Breviglieri and Barny Boatman to participate.

Former Champions

Year	Entries	Tour	Buy-In	Champion	Country	Prize
2015	462	WPTN	€1,200	Rodolphe Rey	France	$102,714
2014	502	WPTN	€1,200	Mostafa Boukri	Morocco	$131,058
2013	465	WPTN	€1,500	Alain Manquant	France	$171,921

2011	274	WPT	€3,000	Mohamed Ali Houssam	Morocco	$214,983
2010	222	WPT	€5,000	Sebastian Homann	Germany	$341,798
2009	416	WPT	€4,500	Christophe Savary	France	$558,515

09-30-2016 12:29 UTC

Merlin Doubles With Kings

Webjoker

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

On the 5-handed table 18, the first player to act made it 400. His neighbor Alexandre Reard three-bet to 1,125 from the cutoff and Pierre Merlin in the small blind cold four-bet to 2,800. The big blind and initial-raiser both folded. Reard glanced at Merlin's stack, and moved all in. Merlin called for 8,775.

Pierre Merlin:
Alexandre Reard:

The board ran out and Merlin doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexandre Reard	25,450 -4,550	-4,550

Pierre Merlin	17,700 8,925	8,925

Tags: Pierre Merlin Alexandre Reard

09-30-2016 13:50 UTC

Two Birds, One Stone

Webjoker

Level 3 : 75/150, 25 ante

Stephane Benadiba was first to act and raised to 375. From the hijack, Alain Ghozzi called before Cheng-Wei Yin squeezed to 1,250 from the cutoff. The button and both blinds folded, Benadiba and Ghozzi both called.

The two of them checked to Yin on and the Belgian player continuation bet 3,500. Benadiba instantly check-raised to 10,000 and Ghozzi called. Yin shoved for 10,850 total, both Benadiba and Ghozzi called.

The turn came the and Benadiba bet 10,000 into the empty side pot. Ghozzi called.

With the completing the board, Benadiba shoved all in for, what we believe was, 11,000 or so. Ghozzi called again.

Benadiba confidently showed . That prompted Yin to table . Ghozzi leaned back, raised his eyebrows, said something in French, and revealed for the winning hand. Two birds, one stone.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alain Ghozzi	110,000
Cheng-Wei Yin	Busted
Stephane Benadiba	Busted

Tags: Cheng-Wei Yin Stephane Benadiba Alain Ghozzi

09-30-2016 16:22 UTC

Natalia Breviglieri Eliminated

Webjoker

Level 5 : 150/300, 25 ante

Natalia Breviglieri was nowhere to be found. Her seat, empty.

We asked her former neighbor Tony Dunst is he had any knowledge about her exit. Luckily for us, he knew exactly what had happened.

After two players had limped, Moroccan poker superstar Anas Tadini raised to 1,000. One player called and action was on Breviglieri in the small blind. She squeezed all in for 7,000 and Tadini was the sole player looking her up.

Natalia Breviglieri:
Anas Tadini:

Breviglieri would end up with nothing but king-high. She picked up a flush draw on the turn but the river blanked and she made her exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Natalia Breviglieri	Busted

Tags: Anas Tadini Natalia Breviglieri Tony Dunst

09-30-2016 16:40 UTC

Pecheux Up to 67,000

Webjoker

Level 5 : 150/300, 25 ante

The player first to act was down to his last 10 big blinds and shoved for 3,000.

A player in middle position called before Erwann Pecheux over called from the cutoff. The big blind came along for the ride as well, giving the all in player the possibility of quadrupling up.

The flop came and the big blind checked. The middle position player bet 4,000 and Pecheux raised to 11,000. This made the big blind fold and the bettor followed suit, later claiming to lay down .

Under the gun:
Erwann Pecheux:

The on the turn brought Pecheux a flush, the on the river wasn't one of the cards the all in player was hoping for.

Pecheux up to 67,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Erwann Pecheux	67,000 12,000	12,000

Tags: Erwann Pecheux

09-30-2016 18:51 UTC

Boatman Down, But Not (Entirely) Out Yet

Webjoker

Level 7 : 250/500, 75 ante

Barny Boatman just sat down with a crisp 30,000-stack. While a hand at his new table was still going on, he told us the details of his bust outs minutes before, which had forced him to reenter.

An early position raiser was playing tight, so Boatman put him on a big hand when he raised. Another player called and a player in position, who had been squeezing a lot, raised as expected.

Boatman, with in the big blind, thought there was a big chance that if he would just call, the initial raiser would come over the top again. And so Boatman just called, but his plan didn't work out as both players called and they saw a flop with no less than four players.

The flop came with two diamonds and Boatman was first to act. He thought his hand would look like a draw if he would just push right there. Besides, he only had a pot-sized stack behind so his options were limited. He went all in and again his plan backfired. No less than two players called, both with a better hand than Boatman.

Boatman was up against a set of nines and a set of tens and needed to hit one of the two remaining aces to stay alive. He failed to hit and headed back to the registration desk to buy back in. 30,000 chips for Boatman, another shot at Morrocan glory.

Player	Chips	Progress
Barny Boatman	30,000

Tags: Barny Boatman

09-30-2016 21:45 UTC

Guigon Going Strong

Webjoker

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

A player in early position limped and Bernard Guigon in the small blind completed. The big blind checked his option and the three of them all checked on . The on the turn saw Guigon bet 1,500 and the big blind folded, the limper called. Both of them checked the on the river and Guigon tabled , prompting a muck from his opponent.

Guigon is a French grinder that finished 3rd in the EPT Grand Final back in 2012 for €545,000, and has almost $1.1 million in live time cashes. He finished 8th in the High Roller last night for MAD 80,000 (€7,333/$8,247).

Player	Chips	Progress
Bernard Guigon	116,000 67,000	67,000

Tags: Bernard Guigon

09-30-2016 22:17 UTC

Sgorrano Flops Good

Webjoker

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

Action folded to Jerome Sgorrano on the button and he made it 1,800 to go. His neighbor three-bet to 4,500 from the small blind and the big blind gave up. Sgorrano added 2,700 to see a flop.

The first three community cards they got were . The small blind bet 3,900 and Sgorrano raised to 8,000. The small blind called.

Both players checked the on the turn and on the river and the small blind tabled . Jerome Sgorrano showed he raked in the chips.

Sgorrano won the Sismix Winamax Main Event here in Casino Marrakech last year, winning MAD 700,000 ($71,241).

Player	Chips	Progress
Jerome Sgorrano	195,000 133,000	133,000

Tags: Jerome Sgorrano

10-01-2016 00:58 UTC

Dunst, Boatman and Breviglieri On to Day 2

Webjoker

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Tony Dunst, Barny Boatman and Natalia Breviglieri

After an exciting High Roller that saw Spaniard Nabil Cardoso Walk away a $66,873-winner, today it was time for the Main Event of the 2016 PMU.fr WPT National Marrakech. After 11 levels of play, it's Deauville High Roller champion Eric Sfez in the lead, bagging 268,800 from a 30,000-starting stack.

The day started out slow with just 100 players signed up, but that soon changed as poker lovers from all over the world came to Casino Marrakech. International poker superstars like Barny Boatman, Kully Sidhu, Tony Dunst and Natalia Breviglieri made their way to the poker room, together with a whole slate of famous French players. The likes of Erwann Pecheux, Paul François Tedeschi, Eric Sfez and Antoine Saout all bought in for MAD 13,200 ($1,350).

Players had the option to reenter once within the first 8 levels, and a total of 74 players made use of that option. The total amount of entries came to 396, slightly less than last year's edition. That makes for a first place prize of MAD 950,000 ($97,586), with a total of 45 players making it into the money. The min-cash will be worth MAD 24,000 ($2,465). This event, with just a single starting day, will reach the money tomorrow on Day 2.

Tony Dunst is one of the players returning for the battle that is Day 2. He quietly grinded his stack up to 124,700 without the need to reenter. He started out next to partypoker pro Natalia Breviglieri. She did buy in twice as she was eliminated early on with king-ten suited against pocket sevens. She did much better on her second bullet, bagging 143,400.

Barny Boatman was also in need of a second buy in after he slow played aces in the hopes of a squeeze happy player triggering more pre-flop action. That plan did not work out and when he shoved for pot on a draw-heavy flop, he was called by two players; both with sets. Boatman bought back in and did much better, till the last level of the night. He flopped the nut flush and bet all three streets. One of his opponents had flopped two pair and had turned that hand into a full house on the river. Bad luck for Boatman who's forced to come back on Day 2 with 12,500 in chips (8 big blinds).

The 30,000-starting stack wasn't close to enough for a whole lot of players. Several went broke within the first level of play and the steady flow of bust outs wasn't halted at any point during the day. A total of 127 survived the day, returning tomorrow with the first level being 800/1,600 with a 200-ante.

The tournament commences Saturday noon, and the plan is to play down to a final table. That means another long day awaits for those who'll make it till the end. For all others, the lavish player party at Theatro Marrakech should offer comfort.

Tags: Barny Boatman Natalia Breviglieri Tony Dunst