par Maxi » 27 Nov 2011, 15:54
The Provisional Final Table
Level 23: 10,000-20,000, 3,000 ante
This is it poker lovers, by hook or by crook we have found our way to the last day of the World Poker Tour (WPT) stop at Marrakech. The past three days have been both action packed and absorbing and we could not have wished for a better line up on our final day.
We are calling it the provisional final table because we do indeed start the day with just one table. We are down to our final nine players and when luck or skill whittles them down to six we will have our official final table of WPT Marrakech. There are three players in particular who deserve special attention, Jonathan Duhamel, Bertrand "ElkY Grospellier and Arnaud Mattern.
Until a few short weeks ago Jonathan Duhamel still carried the tag of World Champion. That mantle has since been passed to Pius Heinz and maybe some weight has been lifted from the shoulders of the Canadian? Duhamel, who has never cashed in a WPT event, ran riot yesterday and despite losing nearly half of his stack in his first hand recovered to lead until the very last level when he was finally overtaken by Mohamed Ali Houssam.
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier is looking for a pick me up and winning his second WPT title would be just the tonic. This is Elky's fourth WPT cash and his third final table since winning the Festa Al Lago back in 2006. It has only been a few short days since ElkY fought fellow stablemate Lex Veldhuis in a kick boxing match held in Marbella. He lost the match and has been carrying a limp all week. ElkY is built of stern stuff and that loss would have dented his pride, pride he will be hoping will be restored here today.
You sense that Arnaud Mattern is on the verge of winning another major title. This is Matterns third deep WPT run and he will be hoping for a reversal of fortune after some recent heartbreaking moments. He just missed out on final table's in both the WSOPE Main Event and WPT Amneville in hands where he was not just a huge favourite but would have taken control of the competition in each event. Luck deserted Mattern back then and he will be saying a small prayer to the poker gods this morning.
Here is the seat draw for the provisional final table:
Seat 1: Bertrand Grospellier - 904,000
Seat 2: Mohamed Houssam - 1,330,000
Seat 3: Rodney Assous - 813,000
Seat 4: Maksim Martinov - 646,000
Seat 5: Toufic Ourini - 1,054,000
Seat 6: Jonathan Duhamel - 1,126,000
Seat 7: Sebastien Ta - 282,000
Seat 8: Hassan Fares - 1,110,000
Seat 9: Arnaud Mattern - 952,000
Sorted In: Featured Blog, Casino de Marrakech, WPT Marrakech, Season X
01:47 PM, 11/27/11