Winamax VIPs and Footballers (compliments of Caroline Darcourt)
We have some friendly bets in the media room as to when the bubble will break and the time ranges are anywhere from 3:03 p.m. until 3:19 p.m. We are 12 away from the bubble now with 125 players remaining.
Winamax VIP and footballer Camel Meriem is one of the players to just leave the field before the money.
Hands on many tables are taking longer to play as we are approaching the money bubble. One player that seems to be putting the pressure on while we await for the bubble to break is French poker pro Romain Lewis.
The hand started with Manu Martin raising from the cut-off to 8,000. Lewis looked down at his cards, thought for a second before raising the action from the big blind to 28,000. Martin went into the tank for the first time this hand for a couple of minutes before opting to call.
Lewis began applying pressure on a flop of leading out for a bet of 15,000. This wasn't a huge bet considering how much was already in the pot, however, Martin tanked for a few minutes before opting to call.
Lewis then led out for 70,000 when the appeared on the turn, essentially putting his opponent all-in if he called. This time Martin went into the tank even longer before folding. Lewis then took a peek at both cards and turned over the to show his opponent at least one of his hands didn't pair the board, although if his other hole card was the [5x} have flopped a straight. What he was holding is likely something we will be unable to find out until the tournament is in the books if at all.
Pierre Calamusa (compliments of Caroline Darcourt)
Winamax Team pro Pierre Calamusa had all the cameras around him yesterday. Today the cameras will need to find someone else to follow as just before break he took a bad beat getting it in with vs with an spiking the river.
Also out out the tournament before the first break are Esseddik Seddiki, Marie-Laure Loyher, and Medhi Haddouche.
Andre Mabille seemed like one of the players likely to make it deep in the money today after finishing Day 1b as the chip leader with 217,000 chips. Unfortunately for Mabille, his day is prematurely over finishing just outside the money before the first break.
Players are on their first 15 minute break. Out of the 195 to start the day, just 136 remain. We are 23 away from the bubble which is likely to burst before the next break.
Blinds will increase after the break to 1,500/3,000 with an ante of 400.
France's Mathieu Papineau is well-known throughout Marrakech as one of the better live poker players. He bursted on the scenes in Winamax circles after taking third place in the inaugural Winamax SISMIX Main Event in 2014 for 300,000 MAD or almost €30,000.
In March, Papineau ran wild in the Marrakech Poker Open which include two final tables and a semi-final table.
Date
Buy-in
Tournament
Place
Prize (USD est)
Prize (MAD)
March 15
5,500 MAD
Marrakech Poker Open Deepstack
13
$1,468
14,500 MAD
March 17
10,000 MAD
Marrakech Poker Open Main Event
5
$11,223
110,000 MAD
March 20
6,000 MAD
Marrakech Poker Open 6Max
5
$1,207
12,000 MAD
Papineau will be unable to add to his total winnings in Marrakech being eliminated today before the money.
We mentioned that LIthuania appeared to represent the tournament only with the third most players heading into Day 2 with only France and Morocco seemingly more represented. It is possible that Spain is equally if not more represented as well, but we are not able to confirm the names and nationalities of all these players due to regulations allowing them to play semi-anonymously.
However, Lithuania's domination changed a bit early on in Day 2. First Martynas Kukucionis and Donatas Daprkevicius were eliminated. Now, Arunas Sapitavicius, who early on in Level 13 lost a big hand with to Team Winamax's Florian Decamps holding , has joined his two fellow countrymen on the rails short of the first break.
Also recently eliminated before the money were Charles Kmieciak, Gilbert Diaz, Rocio, Gregory Dupuy, and Said El Yousfi.
We are still 43 players from the money, but 39 players that started the day are no longer in their seats just less than halfway through the second blind level of Day 2 including Arnaud Paul, Loic Pailler, Lucas Di Nicolantonio, Philippe Anchisi, Armesto LLargues, Lamzariki Hassan, Thibault Morvan, Arnaud Enselme, Donatas Daprkevicius, and Pierre Hakem.
Team Winamax pros seem to be starting off well today, but perhaps none better than Florian Decamps who now has 250,000 chips. Decamps, who started the day with around the average stack now has double the average. Decamps who can always be seen smiling started out the day with some good fortune when his beat his opponents for a huge pot.
leading out for a bet of 15,000. This wasn't a huge bet considering how much was already in the pot, however, Martin tanked for a few minutes before opting to call.
appeared on the turn, essentially putting his opponent all-in if he called. This time Martin went into the tank even longer before folding. Lewis then took a peek at both cards and turned over the 
to show his opponent at least one of his hands didn't pair the board, although if his other hole card was the [5x} have flopped a straight. What he was holding is likely something we will be unable to find out until the tournament is in the books if at all.
