WPT MARRAKECH: ALL-MOROCCAN AFFAIR AT WPT MARREKECH

PHOTO: PARTYPOKER.com
SOURCE: POKERNEWS.com

It wasn't the finish that most of the world was hoping for ... but, it was certainly the finish that all of Morocco was eagerly anticipating.

ElkY, Duhamel, Mattern - it had the making for a WPT Final Table for the ages! But, ElkY and Duhamel were out early and Mattern was gone during Final Four play.

We were down to three. Mohamed Ali Houssam and Toufik Ourini - both from Morocco - and Maksim Martinov - who was cast in the role of spoiler - at least, that's what he was hoping for.

But in a crazy hand that had Martinov as the overwhelming favorite over Ourini, Ourini was able to hit runner-runner, to confiscate Martinov's two-pair - and the crowd, Ourini and countryman Houssam erupted in celebration - Morocco has their two native sons battling it out heads up.

In the end, Mohamed Ali Houssam took down WPT Marrakech.

ElkY had a chance at second and third place on the 2011 PTPR Leaderboard but alas, he'll remain third overall. As for Duhamel, he does earn his fifth PTPR Score of the season, but, is unable to enter the Top 15 Leaderboard ...

PTPR LEADERBOARD LIVE LOOK-IN
56. Victor Ramdin, 161 PTPR Points
57. Gregory Brooks, 161
58. Jonathan Duhamel, 160
59. Justin Young, 159
59. Zimnan Ziyard, 159
61. Martin Jacobson, 158
62. Pim de Goede, 156
62. Jake Cody, 156
64. Jason Somerville, 155

WPT MARRAKECH FINAL 9 PAYOUTS (in USD):
Mohamed Ali Houssam $267,011
Toufik Ourini $166,374
Maksim Martinov $107,340
Arnaud Mattern $69,778
Hassan Fares $50,991
Rodney Assous $41,322
Jonathan Duhamel $33,815
Elky Grospellier $30,699
Sebastien Ta $28,013

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PTPR PREMIER EVENT
WPT Marrakech
WPT NLH Championship
November 24-27, 2011

Casino de Marrakech | Marrakech
Buy-in: $4,015 | Prizepool: $1,094,670 | Entries: 274

Defending Champion: Sebastien Homann

PTS AT STAKE:
MOHAMED ALI HOUSSAM 127
TOUFIK OURINI 77
MAKSIM MARTINOV 47
ARNAUD MATTERN 37
HASSAN FARES 32
RODNEY ASSOUS 27
JONATHAN DUHAMEL 27
ElkY BERTRAND GROSPELLIER 12
SEBASTIEN TA 12
SAID EL YOUSFI 12
AUBIN CAZALI 12
REDA MED JOUAHRI 10
YANN ENZINGER 10
IAN MARMION 10
DAVID SACKSICK 10
MATTHIUS REMIE 7
FADHIL FARAG 7
MEHIL ARNOUAR 7

WPT MARRAKECH: DUHAMEL DOMINATES EARLY, ElkY RISES LATE AS FINAL TABLE IS SET

PHOTO: PARTYPOKER.com
SOURCE: POKERNEWS.com

It's final table time in Marrakech and the stars are out for this one!

Leading the charge is Mohamed Ali Houssam who will start the final day with 1.33 chips.

2010 WSOP Champion Jonathan Duhamel is right there behind Houssam, a little 200k in chips behind Houssam. And what a day it was for Duhamel. He started off losing a bunch of chips on the very first hand but then Duhamel went on a rampage, collecting tons of chips and holding the chip lead for most of the day.

Arnaud Mattern sits fifth in chips as final table play looms. Mattern - who finished 10th at WSOP Europe and 14th at WPT Amneville - is hoping to continue on his recent upswing after a slow start to 2011.

But buzz late on Saturday was on Mattern's countryman. Less than a week after losing a kickboxing fight to fellow PokerStars pro Lex Veldhuis, Betrand Grospellier is right back on his feet, ready to take his second ever WPT World title. ElkY came on strong late in order to put himself in good position heading into Sunday's play.

There is a ton at stake for ElkY. Not only does he have a chance at taking the #1 spot in the Bluff Magazine Player of the Year race, a 5th place finish or better and ElkY would pass Eugene Katchalov for #2 on the PTPR Leaderboard ... third or better and ElkY would take the late season lead in the race for the 2011 PTPR Player of the Year.

FINAL TABLE CHIP COUNTS:
Mohamed Ali Houssam 1,330,000
Jonathan Duhamel 1,126,000
Hassan Fares 1,110,000
Toufik Ourini 1,054,000
Arnaud Mattern 952,000
Elky Grospellier 904,000
Rodney Assous 813,000
Maksim Martinov 646,000
Sebastien Ta 282,000

PTPR FINAL TABLE IN-FOCUS
3. Elky Grospellier, 324 PTPR Points
109. Jonathan Duhamel, 133
1131. Arnaud Mattern, 26

This is the first PTPR Score of the season for Houssam, Fares, Ourini, Assous, Martinov and Ta.

WPT MARRAKECH PAYOUTS (in Moroccan Dirham):
1st: 1,798,425 (+$25k WPT Bellagio Seat)
2nd: 1,238,915
3rd: 799,300
4th: 519,545
5th: 379,667
6th: 307,730
7th: 251,779
8th: 228,599
9th: 208,617

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PTPR PREMIER EVENT
WPT Marrakech
WPT NLH Championship
November 24-27, 2011

Casino de Marrakech | Marrakech
Buy-in: $4,015 | Prizepool: $1,094,670 | Entries: 274

Defending Champion: Sebastien Homann

PTS AT STAKE:
1st position 127
2nd position 77
3rd position 47
4th position 37
5th position 32
6-7th position 27
8-9th position 12
SAID EL YOUSFI 12
AUBIN CAZALI 12
REDA MED JOUAHRI 10
YANN ENZINGER 10
IAN MARMION 10
DAVID SACKSICK 10
MATTHIUS REMIE 7
FADHIL FARAG 7
MEHIL ARNOUAR 7