Last year, the World Series of Poker Circuit Marrakech Main Event at the Casino de Marrakech inside the Es Saadi Resort attracted 1,163 entrants. That record is now history, as the 2025 edition has set a new benchmark with 1,523 entries.
As anticipated, Day 1b of the Main Event was massive, drawing 734 players in this second flight. By the end of the day, 129 remained, with a new overall chip leader, “Borjatm5”.
The Spanish grinder already had a big tack after the dinner break and continued to climb. His momentum peaked on the final hand of the day, where he jammed with third pair, putting pressure on Azeddine Chamma. Chamma appeared to have the best hand but ultimately folded, allowing Borjatm5 to scoop a 140,000-chip pot and bag an impressive 576,000 chips.
WSOPC Main Event Day 1b Top Ten
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip count | Big blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borjatm5 | Spain | 576,000 | 144 |
| 2 | Migle Kriksciunaite | Lithuania | 487,000 | 122 |
| 3 | Hugo Periera Semedo | Portugal | 456,000 | 114 |
| 4 | João Ferreira | Portugal | 446,000 | 112 |
| 5 | Rabah Hamiti | Algeria | 438,000 | 110 |
| 6 | Anas Tadini | Morocco | 431,000 | 108 |
| 7 | Justin Tsui | United Kingdom | 380,000 | 95 |
| 8 | Mathieu Choffardet | France | 371,000 | 93 |
| 9 | Mathieu Papineau | France | 363,000 | 91 |
| 10 | Anthony Apicella | France | 356,000 | 89 |
Migle Kriksciunaite (487,000) and French content creator Mathieu Choffardet (371,000), who were seated next to each other at the end of the day, both reached the Top Ten, along with local player Anas Tadini (431,000), Mathieu Papineau (363,000), and the “proud” winner of the WSOPC Marrakech High Roller ring, Anthony Apicella (356,000).
Jose Aguilera, who finished 10th in last year’s WSOP Main Event, advanced with 241,000 chips, slightly ahead of Kuljinder Sidhu (235,000). WSOP bracelet winners Romain Le Dantec (218,000) and Jonathan Therme (169,000) also secured their spots for Day 2.
Other notable players advancing from Day 1b include Paul Tedeschi (161,000), Mehdi Chaoui (139,000), Benoit Grobocopatel (98,000), Bruno Lopes (95,000), Maria Lampropulos (65,000), and Malcolm Franchi (61,000).
Later tonight, 36 more players out of 208 entrants secured their spots for Day 2 through Day 1c Turbo. This small group is led by Adrien Amorella (386,000), who recently final tabled the High Roller, and Kalidou Sow (380,000).
They are followed by Leo Worthington-Leese (264,000), Alexandre Le Vaillant (189,000), Karim Lehoussine (170,000), Omar Lakhdari (155,000), Jean Montury (130,000), and Hugues Girard (74,000). Fabian Rolli also advanced through this final flight but did so with only the starting stack.
In total, 270 players will return for Day 2 tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time. However, they are not in the money yet, as only the top 224 players will secure a minimum cash prize of 28,000 MAD. The detailed payout structure will be revealed at the start of Day 2.
Be sure to tune in to PokerNews tomorrow as Day 2 gets underway!
