Main Event
Day 1a Started
2018 WPTDeepStacks Marrakech
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 WPTDeepStacks Marrakech
Buy-in
13,200 MAD
Entries
431
Level
31
Blinds
75,000 / 125,000
Ante
125,000
Welcome to the 2018 WPTDeepStacks Main Event in Casino de Marrakech
Saalam uwaleekum! Welcome to Casino de Marrakech in the breathtaking Es Saadi Resort for the WPTDeepStacks festival in sunny Morocco, where the temperature late in September still averages 30 degrees Celcius. It's the fifth year in a row Casino de Marrakech and WPT partner up, and the second year the event is held as part of the WPTDeepStacks Europe Tour.
The nine-day festival has been running since September 22 and features 19 events, ranging in buy-in all the way up to the MAD 30,000 (appr. €2,700/$3,200) Super High Roller. The MAD 13,200 WPTDeepStacks Main Event (appr. €1,200/$1,400) is the highlight of the schedule and kicks off its first of two starting days today at 4 p.m. local time.
Last year, Smain Mamouni was victorious in the inaugural WPTDeepStacks Marrakech event. The French pro bested a field of 433 runners to claim the first place prize of MAD 1,000,000 (appr. $105,000). At the time, was the largest non-US WPTDeepStacks event ever held, and another big turnout is expected for the second edition.
Day 1a starts at 4 p.m. and features twelve levels of 40 minutes each. 15-minute breaks are scheduled after every three levels and a 75-minute dinner break will be held after level 6 (around 8:30 p.m.). Late registration will close at the start of level 10 (around midnight) All players will receive 30,000 in chips to start with. PokerNews will be on the floor for start-to-finish coverage of this exciting event, so check back regularly for updates of this special event.
Day 1 Blind Structure
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 100 | |
| 2 | 100 | 200 | |
| 3 | 100 | 200 | 100 |
| 15-minute break | |||
| 4 | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 5 | 200 | 300 | 300 |
| 6 | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 75-minute dinner break | |||
| 7 | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 8 | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 9 | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| 15-minute break | |||
| 10 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 11 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 12 | 800 | 1,600 | 1,600 |
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 0
Shuffle Up and Deal
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
Vice President of WPT Europe Hermance Blum, General Director of the Es Saadi Resort and Casino de Marrakech Jean-Alexandre Bauchet-Bouhlal, and tournament director Thomas Gimie spoke the shuffle up and deal. Applause sounded from the tournament room in Casino de Marrakech. Cards are in the air for the 2018 WPTDeepStacks Main Event Marrakech!
45 Players at the Start
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
The first stages of any tournament are slow and WPTDeepStacks Marrakech is not different, with several players opting to get the final rays of sunshine before entering the tournament. 45 players have sat down right at the start.
The First Names; Peters Joins
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
Tobias Peters is one of the most notable faces that sat down at the start of Day 1a. Earlier, Peters played the MAD 20,000 High Roller earlier today, but was unsuccessful and will try again in the Main Event.
Peters is having a very successful month and made six cashes at Cyprus in the past week before flying to Marrakech. Earlier this month, he won a WSOP Circuit event in his home nation of The Netherlands, worth €67,776.
Jean Karam has already doubled up his starting stack to make him one of the early frontrunners.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
60,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
More Names
Level 1
: 100/100, 0 ante
More familiar names are popping up in Casino de Marrakech, including Kalidou Sow, Said El Yousfi and local legend "Tsunamy", bringing the field to 72 players.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
Experience Casino de Marrakech and the Es Saadi Resort
A poker trip to Marrakech is more than poker alone. Experience some of the highlights of the beautiful Es Saadi Resort, Casino de Marrakech and its surroundings.
Photos courtesy of Tomas Stacha/WPT.
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 100