A New Record for the WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event?
With 1,523 entries, the 2025 World Series of Poker Circuit Marrakech Main Event set a new record last year. Will the 2026 edition surpass that mark? It certainly seems possible, given the strong turnout recorded on Day 1a. A total of 645 entries were registered in the first of three starting flights, with two more to come this Friday, January 23.
At the end of Day 1a, 97 players managed to find a bag and qualify for Day 2 at the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort. They are led by Amine Moussallaoui (1,053,000) and local legend Anas Tadini (1,050,000), the only two players to finish the day with more than one million chips.
Hassan Fares (895,000), Emmanuelle Allory (797,000), Malcolm Franchi (705,000) and Maher Achour (617,000) also bagged big stacks on Day 1a and will enjoy a day off before returning for Saturday’s Day 2.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amine Moussallaoui | France | 1,053,000 | 105 |
| 2 | Anas Tadini | Morocco | 1,050,000 | 105 |
| 3 | Hassan Fares | France | 895,000 | 90 |
| 4 | Bartlomiej Machon | Poland | 843,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Emmanuelle Allory | France | 797,000 | 80 |
| 6 | Kamal Sefrioui | Morocco | 765,000 | 77 |
| 7 | Nathan Tetart | France | 722,000 | 72 |
| 8 | Malcolm Franchi | France | 705,000 | 71 |
| 9 | Gerard Armengaud | France | 672,000 | 67 |
| 10 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 617,000 | 62 |
Nolan Madene (579,000), Marc Foggin (556,000), last year’s High Roller winner Anthony Apicella (550,000), Fabrice Bigot (484,000), Hossein Ensan (420,000), Alexandre Reard (357,000), Ramon Colillas (202,000) and Leo Margets (144,000) are also among the qualified players, along with the 2025 runner-up Gandalf (136,000) and the Clash of Generations ring winner Jean-Jack Chantalat (123,000).
If Day 1a was busy, Day 1b, which starts at noon local time, is scheduled to be even busier. Just like yesterday, players will begin the day with a 50,000-chip stack and play 40-minute levels until 15% of the field remains. Players must bag their chips to reach the money and qualify for Day 2.
Late registration remains open for 12 levels with unlimited reentries allowed, and if that’s not enough, Day 1c Turbo featuring 15-minute levels will start at 9 p.m. and will be the final opportunity to progress to Day 2.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the updates throughout the day and until a new champion is crowned on Sunday night!