16,000 MAD Main Event Day 1bc | 2026 WSOP Circuit Marrakech

16,000 MAD Main Event

Day 1bc Completed

01-24-2026 04:00 UTC+1

Stand-Up Artist “AZ” Leads Day 1b of Record-Breaking WSOP Circuit Marrakech Main Event

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

With 645 entries on Day 1a, 776 registrations on today’s Day 1b and 273 more on the final starting flight, the 2026 edition of the World Series of Poker Circuit Marrakech Main Event broke a new record with a total of 1,694 entries. That is more than 100 entries higher than last year’s total of 1,523 entrants and pushed the prize pool to a total of 23,039,000 MAD (€2,140,000).

At the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, it took some time for the 117 remaining Day 1b players to burst the bubble and qualify for Day 2. During the final levels, a trio held stacks of more than one million chips, but by the end of the night, only Azedine Bendjilali managed to retain a seven-figure stack, finishing as the official chip leader with 1,360,000. “Frankly, it was a lot of grinding. I hero-called once with queen-ten for 150,000, and I won a few flips I didn’t win on my first bullets,” explained Bendjilali the French comedian.

Claude Mamalepot (1,099,000) was also in contention for the chip lead, along with Hugo Semedo (997,000) and Sofian Bounaya (847,000), who lost a few chips in the final minutes of the day.

Eric Masini looked delighted after building a big stack of 938,000 following an almost double-up while bursting the bubble. He finished the day just a few blinds ahead of last year’s EPT Malta winner Tomasz Brzezinski (874,000).

Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Azedine Bendjilali	France	1,360,000	91
2	Claude Mamalepot	France	1,099,000	73
3	Hugo Semedo	Portugal	997,000	66
4	Vaquero	France	970,000	65
5	Eric Masini	France	938,000	63
6	Tomasz Brzezinski	Poland	874,000	58
7	Jose Aguilera	Spain	848,000	57
8	Sofian Bounaya	Morocco	847,000	56
9	Henri Kasper	Estonia	730,000	49
10	Ramon	Spain	717,000	48

Will this new record-breaking edition belong to Justin Tsui once again? The defending champion made it through to Day 2 and could go back-to-back despite carrying a short stack of 66,000. The 2024 winner Max Deveson is in a much better position with 300,000, just behind players such as Daniel Tordjman (438,000), Samiyel Duzgun (381,000) and Michel Leibgorin (357,000).

WSOP bracelet winner Romain Le Dantec (261,000) advanced to Day 2 alongside Azeddine Chamma (298,000), Imad Derwiche (270,000), Ugo Faggioli (270,000), Adrien Amorella (265,000) and Miroslav Alilovic (260,000).

Regular Marrakech players such as Rachid El Yaacoubi (232,000), Antoine Goutard (227,000), Fabian Rolli (213,000), Javier Tsunamy (201,000) and Isabel Baltazar (126,000) also made it through to Day 2, along with Mini Main Event winner Aitor Cruz (106,000), who was saved by a split earlier in the day.

Despite a strong start, Tahar Said (93,000) did not finish the day as well as he had hoped. It was even worse for Mickael Erbil (67,000), who ran into Henri Kasper’s aces on the bubble. With 23,000 and 15,000 respectively, Mathieu Choffardet and Houssem Meftahi close the Day 1b chip counts with the shortest stacks.

Meanwhile, Day 1c Turbo ended with 41 players remaining. Behind chip leader Kilian Kramer (1,256,000), a five-star cast follows with Guillaume Darcourt (973,000), Kalidou Sow, Paul Tedeschi (712,000), Jeremy Saderne (680,000) and Mehdi Chaoui (672,000).

Jeremie Zouari (263,000), Ange Besnainou (238,000), Romain Lewis (142,000) and Paul Amsellem (114,000) also had to go through this final flight to qualify.

A total of 255 players are expected this Saturday, January 24 at 1 p.m. local time for Day 2 of the Main Event. Play will resume with blinds of 6,000/12,000 and a 12,000 big blind ante, and levels will now increase to 60 minutes.

All remaining players are now in the money and are guaranteed a minimum payout of 32,000 MAD. The detailled payouts will be revealed at the restart.

As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for all the updates until a winner is crowned!

Tags: Adrien Amorella Aitor Cruz Antoine Goutard Azeddine Chamma Azedine Bendjilali Big Blinds Claude Mamalepot Daniel Tordjman Eric Masini Henri Kasper Houssem Meftahi Hugo Semedo Imad Derwiche Isabel Baltazar Javier Tsunamy Jose Aguilera Justin Tsui Mathieu Choffardet Max Deveson Michel Leibgorin Mickael Erbil Miroslav Alilovic Rachid El Yaacoubi Romain Le Dantec Samiyel Duzgun Sofian Bounaya Tomasz Brzezinski Ugo Faggioli

01-24-2026 03:55 UTC+1

Day 2 Redraw

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Table	Seat	Player	Chip Counts	Big Blinds
11	1	Sebastien Compte	277,000	28
11	2	Raul	713,000	71
11	3	Mohamed-Said Taghla	185,000	19
11	4	Chemari	154,000	15
11	5	Michel Leibgorin	357,000	36
11	6	Turlough Mc Hugh	497,000	50
11	7	Craig Conway	411,000	41
11	8	Thierry Gogniat	117,000	12

12	1	Aymeric Carsi	304,000	30
12	2	Dinesh Alt	236,000	24
12	3	Hugo Semedo	997,000	100
12	4	Mathieu His	116,000	12
12	5	Loïc Menneteau	218,000	22
12	6	Martyn Andrew Frey	494,000	49
12	7	Cristiano Lopes	483,000	48
12	8	Mouad Sabiri	72,000	7
12	9	Isabel Baltazar	126,000	13

13	1	Sergen Hezer	500,000	50
13	2	Ludovic Sultan	285,000	29
13	3	Abdeslam Hajji	705,000	71
13	4	Dan Bensimon	117,000	12
13	5	Lluis	261,000	26
13	6	Fabrice Bigot	484,000	48
13	7	Roger Tondeur	182,000	18
13	8	Andrei Cherkashin	80,000	8
13	9	Mohamed Amakrane	130,000	13

14	1	Rachid El Yaacoubi	232,000	23
14	2	Thierry Delpui	334,000	33
14	3	Carlo Citrone	150,000	15
14	4	Bogdan Vulcan	606,000	61
14	5	Fishdelcopon	112,000	11
14	6	Leandro Valentin Dirlewanger	180,000	18
14	7	Yasser Loudagh	395,000	40
14	8	Mehdi Chaoui Roqai	672,000	67
14	9	Sanjay Haran	80,000	8

15	1	Ugo Faggioli	270,000	27
15	2	Guillaume Darcourt	973,000	97
15	3	Samiyel Duzgun	381,000	38
15	4	Joseph Mullen	223,000	22
15	5	Mykhailo Gutyi	154,000	15
15	6	Jonathan Bonnin	601,000	60
15	7	Youssef Zereg	115,000	12
15	8	Adje333	308,000	31
15	9	Rene	79,000	8

16	1	Paul Amsellem	114,000	11
16	2	Georges Chehade	222,000	22
16	3	Hassan Fares	895,000	90
16	4	Morgan Alarson	79,000	8
16	5	Pierre La Tour	322,000	32
16	6	Dylan Da Silva Araujo	130,000	13
16	7	Farmer Boy	441,000	44
16	8	Nolan Madene	579,000	58
16	9	Jeremie Zouari	263,000	26

17	1	Adrien Amorella	265,000	27
17	2	Chabb	113,000	11
17	3	Anthony Apicella	550,000	55
17	4	Fouad Djebbar	77,000	8
17	5	Ramon Sol	693,000	69
17	6	Alan Carr	473,000	47
17	7	Mounir Khoddar	318,000	32
17	8	Davide Raschella	132,000	13
17	9	Muhyedine Fares	176,000	18

18	1	Jiaze Li	107,000	11
18	2	Said Abdel Attey	368,000	37
18	3	Tomasz Brzezinski	874,000	87
18	4	Aa	207,000	21
18	5	Olivier Yllouz	149,000	15
18	6	Harry Sandford	76,000	8
18	7	Tom Seck	428,000	43
18	8	Fabio Rodrigues Goncalves	583,000	58
18	9	Jj	260,000	26

19	1	Pedro Olaio Moreira Jorge	290,000	29
19	2	Claus Spieckermann	382,000	38
19	3	Azedine Bendjilali	1,360,000	136
19	4	Imad Derwiche	270,000	27
19	5	Mohamed Mamondy	100,000	10
19	6	Nichi	145,000	15
19	7	Patrick Clarke	225,000	23
19	8	Marijo	60,000	6
19	9	Ioan Mihai Taizs	512,000	51

20	1	Daniel Tordjman	438,000	44
20	2	Idir Haiche	109,000	11
20	3	Bartlomiej Machon	843,000	84
20	4	Alexandre Reard	357,000	36
20	5	Fernandez	202,000	20
20	6	Cosmin-Ionut Nica	248,000	25
20	7	Damien Luis	32,000	3
20	8	Sandro Carucci	597,000	60
20	9	Timothée Marlin	132,000	13

21	1	Azeddine Chamma	298,000	30
21	2	Eme	108,000	11
21	3	Laurent Leclerc Nguyen	575,000	58
21	4	Jérémy Saderne	680,000	68
21	5	Antoine Goutard	227,000	23
21	6	Tahar Bibot	145,000	15
21	7	Justin Lok Yin Tsui	66,000	7
21	8	Kassimi Bouchaib	451,000	45
21	9	Miroslav Alilovic	260,000	26

22	1	Fabian Niederreiter	108,000	11
22	2	Mickael Delcambre	339,000	34
22	3	Laurent Chenet	20,000	2
22	4	Emmanuelle Allory	797,000	80
22	5	Carlos Loureiro	526,000	53
22	6	Thibaud Gerboin	140,000	14
22	7	Manuel Lopez	396,000	40
22	8	Salim Sefiat	225,000	23
22	9	Julien André	245,000	25

23	1	Mohamed Mehalleg	427,000	43
23	2	Canarinho Orey	582,000	58
23	3	Silvio Steenbergen	244,000	24
23	4	Gaetan Bonneton	155,000	16
23	5	Mario Roméo Jacques Fata	92,000	9
23	6	Laurent Roquin	369,000	37
23	7	Javier Tsunamy	201,000	20
23	8	Nathan Tetart	722,000	72
23	9	Daniel John Wilson	53,000	5

24	1	Amine Moussallaoui	1,053,000	105
24	2	Aitor Cruz	106,000	11
24	3	Taran Parmar	668,000	67
24	4	Jerome Rousseau	200,000	20
24	5	Ange Besnainou	238,000	24
24	6	Houssem Meftahi	15,000	2
24	7	Pepetronics	417,000	42
24	8	Aguanteeldiego	360,000	36
24	9	Romain Lewis	142,000	14

25	1	Frederico Dos Santos Silva	228,000	23
25	2	Mehdy El Fki	274,000	27
25	3	Gerald Karlic	387,000	39
25	4	Henri Kasper	730,000	73
25	5	Mohamed Maskhaoui	83,000	8
25	6	Achraf Boufdil	150,000	15
25	7	Bouih Bady	298,000	30
25	9	Ahdnane Boutayeb	552,000	55

26	1	Fazil Markus Bonus	105,000	11
26	2	Caroline Schallock	407,000	41
26	3	Gérard Gilbert Armengaud	672,000	67
26	4	Thami Khettam	559,000	56
26	5	Mahmoud Bedoui	185,000	19
26	6	Imad Barka	163,000	16
26	8	Mountacer Talla	339,000	34
26	9	Abdessamad Ayyad	264,000	26

27	1	Jeremie Beneteau	490,000	49
27	2	Vaquero	970,000	97
27	3	Jacob Samuel Stone	96,000	10
27	4	Rafik Zouaghi	600,000	60
27	5	Chakib Bennani	319,000	32
27	6	Christophe Pollet	200,000	20
27	7	Mathieu Choffardet	23,000	2
27	8	Abilio Silva	160,000	16
27	9	Bengt Eddeland	284,000	28

28	1	Jorge Dinis	102,000	10
28	2	Dario Nittolo	418,000	42
28	3	Kevin Fabrice Quillere	231,000	23
28	4	Claude Mamalepot	1,099,000	110
28	5	Joe Z	550,000	55
28	6	Pep	380,000	38
28	7	Mikael Guenni	80,000	8
28	8	Christopher Chaudey	213,000	21
28	9	Sebastien Bernard Vincent Guinand	143,000	14

29	1	Maher Ali Achour	617,000	62
29	2	Mohamed El Berrak	235,000	24
29	3	Romain Khalfi	86,000	9
29	4	Gruszka	419,000	42
29	5	Mohamed Aissani	146,000	15
29	6	Anas Tadini	1,050,000	105
29	7	Martial Blangenwitsch	362,000	36
29	9	John Basta	212,000	21

30	1	Sam Benoliel	272,000	27
30	2	Mário Almeida	313,000	31
30	3	Hugues Girard	95,000	10
30	4	Yassine Adib	649,000	65
30	5	Bruno David	156,000	16
30	6	Shalom Ben-Daoud	459,000	46
30	7	Tristan Forge	172,000	17
30	9	Samatar Gelle	702,000	70

31	1	And	448,000	45
31	2	Jordan Madar	279,000	28
31	3	Slimane Lahlou	174,000	17
31	4	Stephen Mccabe	78,000	8
31	5	Tahar Said	93,000	9
31	6	Eric Masini	938,000	94
31	7	Alexandre Bermon	349,000	35
31	8	Youssef Aboussaad	134,000	13
31	9	Palomba Pietro	520,000	52

32	1	Bernard Guigon	83,000	8
32	2	Gregory Alain Dupuy	201,000	20
32	3	Jose	848,000	85
32	4	Leo Marget	144,000	14
32	5	Simon Lousky	235,000	24
32	6	Truquens	492,000	49
32	7	Saul	448,000	45
32	8	Rsm	325,000	33
32	9	Ben Miller	28,000	3

33	1	Marc Bougaret	270,000	27
33	2	Tibor Alirol	86,000	9
33	3	Neculai Macovei	410,000	41
33	4	Mohamed Lahlou	584,000	58
33	5	Mickael Erbil	67,000	7
33	6	Bounaya Sofian	847,000	85
33	7	Mouad Mehdi Tourhza	185,000	19
33	8	Mike Mcmanaman	139,000	14
33	9	Luc Ramos	318,000	32

34	1	Luigi Macaluso	310,000	31
34	2	Karim Akib	64,000	6
34	3	Adil Oubaaous	445,000	45
34	4	Kalidou Sow	775,000	78
34	5	Paulo Jorge Dos Santos Castelo	150,000	15
34	6	Nafis Dundar	506,000	51
34	7	Fabian Rolli	213,000	21
34	8	Romain Le Dantec	261,000	26
34	9	Paul Navarro	85,000	9

35	1	Sergio Simadomo	220,000	22
35	2	Sergiu Cornea	446,000	45
35	3	Iurii Senchylo	80,000	8
35	4	Max Deveson	300,000	30
35	5	Quentin Laugt	144,000	14
35	6	Yves Benramdane	122,000	12
35	7	Kamal Sefrioui	765,000	77
35	8	Marc David Foggin	556,000	56
35	9	Michael Benhammouda	230,000	23

36	1	Farid Azarkan	290,000	29
36	2	Bilal El Baradei	117,000	12
36	3	Rohit Jindal	216,000	22
36	4	Nacim Faissal Amakrane	510,000	51
36	5	Hossein Ensan	420,000	42
36	6	Kilian Kramer	1,256,000	126
36	7	Eugenio Peralta	147,000	15
36	8	Nikola Sekler	247,000	25
36	9	Brice Guido	69,000	7

37	1	Gérald Gris	228,000	23
37	2	Rafik Chelihi	367,000	37
37	3	Uladzimir Luchkou	434,000	43
37	4	Malcolm Franchi	705,000	71
37	5	Salem	68,000	7
37	6	Jean-Jack Chantalat	123,000	12
37	7	Ludovic Moryousef	182,000	18
37	8	Gandalf	136,000	14
37	9	Doloaiando	640,000	64

38	1	João Ferreira	158,000	16
38	2	Nabil Ben Naoum	196,000	20
38	3	Milad Sheva	78,000	8
38	4	Raphael Debbah	429,000	43
38	5	Samuel Fournier	238,000	24
38	6	Ramon	717,000	72
38	7	Carsten Mawick	126,000	13
38	8	Alexandre Chas	319,000	32
38	9	Agatino Spitaleri	535,000	54

39	2	Grigory Zima	121,000	12
39	3	Bela Toth	423,000	42
39	4	Andriy Marusanov	511,000	51
39	5	Paul François Tedeschi	712,000	71
39	6	Christopher	190,000	19
39	7	Robert Rohr	141,000	14
39	8	Gianni Cenk Lodi	235,000	24
39	9	Jerry S	317,000	32

01-24-2026 03:38 UTC+1

Day 1c Chip Counts

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Pete Pete	1,256,000 1,256,000	1,256,000
Guillaume Darcourt	973,000 973,000	973,000

Kalidou Sow	775,000 775,000	775,000
Paul Tedeschi	712,000 712,000	712,000
Jeremy Saderne	680,000 680,000	680,000

Mehdi Chaoui	672,000 672,000	672,000
Taran Parmar	668,000 668,000	668,000
Joe Z	550,000 550,000	550,000
Sergen Hezer	500,000 500,000	500,000
Turlough Mchugh	497,000 497,000	497,000
Saul	448,000 448,000	448,000
Gruszka	419,000 419,000	419,000
Claus Spieckermann	382,000 382,000	382,000
Luigi Macaluso	310,000 310,000	310,000
Bouih Bady	298,000 298,000	298,000
Farid Azarkan	290,000 290,000	290,000
Ludovic Sultan	285,000 285,000	285,000
Jordan Madar	279,000 279,000	279,000
Sebastien Compte	277,000 277,000	277,000
Mehdy El Fki	274,000 274,000	274,000
Jeremie Zouari	263,000 263,000	263,000
Ange Besnainou	238,000 238,000	238,000
Gianni Lodi	235,000 235,000	235,000
Mohamed El Berrak	235,000 235,000	235,000
Rohit Jindal	216,000 216,000	216,000

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01-24-2026 03:25 UTC+1

End of Day 1b Chip Counts (full)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Azedine Bendjilali	1,360,000 315,000	315,000

Claude Mamalepot	1,099,000 409,000	409,000
Hugo Semedo	997,000 997,000	997,000
Vaquero	970,000 350,000	350,000
Eric Masini	938,000
Tomasz Brzezinski	874,000 44,000	44,000

Jose Aguilera	848,000 52,000	52,000
Sofian Bounaya	847,000 847,000	847,000
Henri Kasper	730,000
Ramon	717,000 717,000	717,000
Raul	713,000 33,000	33,000
Abdeslam Hajji	705,000 705,000	705,000
Sam Tropez	702,000 183,000	183,000
Ramon Sol	693,000 693,000	693,000
Yassine Adib	649,000 29,000	29,000
Doloaiando	640,000 640,000	640,000
Jonathan Bonnin	601,000 14,000	14,000
Rafik Zouaghi	600,000
Mohamed Lahlou	584,000 44,000	44,000
Fabio Rodrigues Goncalves	583,000 583,000	583,000
Laurent Leclerc	575,000 575,000	575,000
Thami Khettam	559,000 559,000	559,000
Ahdnane Boutayeb	552,000 32,000	32,000
Agatino Spitaleri	535,000 535,000	535,000
Carlos Loureiro	526,000 526,000	526,000

Read full

01-24-2026 02:42 UTC+1

End of Day 1b

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

With Borja's elimination, the 117 remaining players are now in the money and qualified for Day 2.

Stay tuned as PokerNews provides you chip counts and the recap of today's action!

01-24-2026 02:40 UTC+1

Borja Eliminated on the Bubble

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

After a first player split on the bubble, a few hands were played without any action. Three players eventually moved all-in and were called at the same time on different tables.

The first player at risk was Borja. After he moved all-in multiple times before the bubble, he jammed for 375,000 from the small blind. Eric Masini in the big blind called with a slightly bigger stack.

Borja: 3♥3♠ All in
Eric Masini: A♥J♠

Mașini flopped top pair on 6♣A♠8♠K♠6♠ to eliminate Borja before the money.

Mickael Erbil in the hijack and Henri Kasper in the cutoff also built a big pot, with Kasper at risk for 345,000.

Henri Kasper: A♥A♣ All in
Mickael Erbil: A♦K♥

Erbil found a straight draw on a flop of Q♠J♦6♥, but the K♣8♠ runout kept Kasper's aces in the lead.

Finally, Patrick Clarke opened from middle position and called after Bengt Eddeland on the button raised all-in for 122,000.

Bengt Eddeland: A♥A♦ All in
Patrick Clarke: 8♠8♥

The dealer fanned a board of 3♣2♦Q♥2♥J♥ and Eddeland doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Masini	938,000 938,000	938,000
Henri Kasper	730,000 90,000	90,000
Bengt Eddeland	284,000 284,000	284,000
Patrick Clarke	225,000 30,000	30,000
Mickael Erbil	67,000 17,000	17,000
Borja	Busted

Tags: Bengt Eddeland Eric Masini Henri Kasper Mickael Erbil Patrick Clarke

01-24-2026 02:11 UTC+1

Hand for Hand Play Begins

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

With Now 118 players left for 117 places in the money, the hand for hand procedure is about to start.

01-24-2026 02:10 UTC+1

Roquin Doubles Up on the Bubble

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Maxime Taldir

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Moments before the start of the hand for hand procedure, Henri Kasper opened from under the gun and was called by Claude Mamalepot in the cutoff. Laurent Roquin on the button jammed for 72,000, Kasper raised to 125,000 and he made Mamalepot fold.

Laurent Roquin: K♥K♦ All in
Henri Kasper: A♠5♠

Roquin couldn't hide his joy when his kings held on 3♣J♠J♣6♦8♣ to allow him to double up.