Live Tournament Updates
An Interview With Mohamed Ali Houssam
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
Here is our newest WPT Champion Mohamed Ali Houssam talking to us just after his victory.
09:30 PM, 11/27/11
Moroccan Magic at WPT Marrakech: Mohamed Ali Houssam Victorious
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
After four days of mouth-watering and mesmeric moments in Morocco, Mohamed Ali Houssam has been crowned the king of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Marrakech. The Casino Es Saadi is a favourite stomping ground for a lot of people, but Houssam in particular loves plying his trade here. He won the Poker Open in May and he was also our chip leader with 186,700 chips at the end of day one. Just a few moments ago he placed the icing on the cake after disposing of fellow countryman Toufik Ourini, bagging 8,220,000 chips and taking home the coveted WPT title.
The day started with a provisional final table of nine players and all eyes were on the three starlets Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Jonathan Duhamel and Arnaud Mattern. After Sebastien Ta was eliminated in 9th place our first mega-star was heading out into the afternoon air. Maksims Martinov crippled Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier after running his A
J
into the Latvians 6 6 on a flop of J
9 6. This reduced ElkY to a shove and fold strategy and it was Toufik Ourini who eventually finished him off finding A K to call an ElkY shove when he was holding T 9.
Jonathan Duhamel had scorched through Day 3 and a lot of people were touting him as the next WPT champion. Unfortunately, his poker timing seemed to be off-key today and he just didn't get going. Maksims Martinov eliminating Duhamel in 7th place. Martinov raised on the button with pocket tens and Duhamel moved all-in for one million chips holding Q
T, Martinov called, the board held and Duhamel was out.
After the elimination of Duhamel the WPT Marrakech final table was set and Martinov was the chip leader. The first player to leave the final table was Rodney Assous after losing a coin flip to Houssam and Hassan Fares followed in 5th after another flip, this time versus Ourini.
When we went fourhanded all of the experience was with Arnaud Mattern, but he also had the shortest stack. He moved all-in on three consecutive occasions before finally getting called by Martinov and the Latvian had disposed of yet another high quality player. Martinov's pocket sevens standing strong against the A 8 of Mattern.
The three-handed play was interesting with the two Moroccans battling it out against the might of Latvia. The action swayed in every possible direction and each player held the chip leader at various points in the hand. Then in a moment of sheer madness Ourini showed the world that you can be lucky - very lucky - and still win big in this game. The action was three-handed on a flop of 6 5 3 when Ourini led for 300,000. Houssam folded and Martinov moved all-in for 950,000 total. Ourini made the call and turned over J 9 for jack high! Martinov had 6 3 for what seemed an inevitable victory until Ourini hit runner-runner 5 & 9 to eliminate Martinov and send the tournament area into rapture!
So we were heads up with the Moroccan pairing of Mohamed Ali Houssam and Toufik Ourini and they were neck and neck. After around 45-minutes of watching paint dry, Houssam had managed to pinch himself a small chip advantage when they played out the final hand of the tournament. The board was K 8 3 Q when all of the money went into the middle. Houssam held 8 8 for the flopped set and Ourini held K J for the top pair. The river bricked for Ourini and Houssam became our new WPT Champion.
09:20 PM, 11/27/11
Mohamed Ali Houssam Wins WPT Marrakech
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
It was going to take something special to top the atmosphere that this room generated during the elimination of Maksims Martinov, and in truth the heads up encounter was a drab affair. Everyone was looking for a spark and it eventually came with seconds remaining before the dinner break.
Mohamed Ali Houssam limps into the pot from the small blind and Toufik Ourini checks his option. The flop is K 8 3 and both players check. On the turn the dealer places the Q onto the red baize and it kick started the fireworks. Ourini bets 370,000, Houssam raises to around 800,000, Ourini moves all-in and Houssam calls.
Houssam knows he has won this, you can tell by his face. He turns over 8 8 for a flopped set and when he sees the K J of Ourini he goes over to the rail to celebrate with his friends. The river is the 6 and Houssam is our champion.
Commiserations to Toufik Ourini who has been one hell of a character!
08:36 PM, 11/27/11
Houssam Takes The Chip Lead
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
Mohamed Ali Houssam has just taken the chip lead in the only pot of significance since we started heads up play. It was a limped pot and both players saw a flop of T 8 7. Toufik Ourini checked to Houssam who bet 160,000 and he quickly called. The turn was the 3 and the same action ensued expect this time the bet was 300,000. The final card was the T and for the third time the action went check-call. The bet sizing was 500,000 and Ourini waved farewell to it when Houssam showed down J T.
Houssam - 5,820,000
Ourini - 2,400,000
08:12 PM, 11/27/11
Grinding To A Halt
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
Based on the actions of previous hands everyone in the room assumed the heads up encounter would be decided very quickly with a random coin flip - how wrong we were!
For the past 35-minutes each player has limped into the pot and each board has been checked through in a very timid fashion. Let's hope we get some action soon!
08:03 PM, 11/27/11
Trips For Toufik
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
Toufik Ourini limps from the small blind, Mohamed Ali Houssam makes it 150,000 more and Ourini calls. The flop is A J 6 and Houssam check-calls a 180,000 Ourini bet. The turn is the 2 and both players check through to a 6 river. Houssam counts out a bet of 400,000 and Ourini just calls before turning over 8 6 for trips. Houssam shows A 5 for two pair.
Ourini - 5,100,000
Houssam - 3,120,000
07:49 PM, 11/27/11
Maksim Martinov Eliminated in 3rd Place (€81,130)
Level 28: 30,000-60,000, 10,000 ante
SO SICK! SO SICK! SO SICK!
The room may be full of French speaking people but the words so sick must be in the French vocabulary because everyone is chanting it in this room! We thought we had seen it all in this wonderful game but this takes the proverbial biscuit.
Maksim Martinov raises to 150,000 on the button and both Moroccans call in the blinds. The flop is 6 5 3 and Toufik Ourini bets 300,000, Mohamed Ali Houssam folds and Martinov moves all-in. Ourini asks for a count and the feedback from the dealer is 950,000 and what happens next is dumbfounding. Ourini gestures to the audience as if to say I have had enough of this and calls the bet holding J 9 for Jack high! Martinov is happily stunned because he is holding 6 3 for two pair.
The sound in the audience rises as the dealer prepares to give us the turn card. It is the 5 and amazingly Ourini now has a chance if he can hit a Jack or a Nine. The river is the 9 and the place goes supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! A Moroccan flag is thrown over the head of a bouncing Ourini. Houssam is jumping and cheering and poor old Martinov just looks like he has been slapped across the face with a wet fish.
A great hand to remind us how vital luck is in this game of poker!
Heads up Chip Counts
Toufik Ourini - 4,167,000
Mohamed Ali Houssam - 4,053,000
07:33 PM, 11/27/11
Houssam Doubles Up Again
Level 27: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante
Mohamed Ali Houssam limps into the small blind and Maksim Martinov checks his option. The flop of A 5 5 is checked through and we see the 6 on the turn. Houssam bets 75,000 and Martinov raises to 165,000. Houssam calls and we see the final card which is the 9. Houssam checks to Martinov who bets 350,000 and then Houssam jams for 700,000 and Martinov calls.
Houssam turns over 8x 7x for the straight and Martinov shows Ax 6x for two pair.
Houssam - 4,000,000
Martinov - 960,000
07:08 PM, 11/27/11
Houssam Doubles Up
Level 27: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante
Mohammed Ali Houssam open shoves for 960,000 and Toufic Ourini calls in the big blind and we have a showdown with Houssam at risk of elimination.
Houssam - A Q
Ourini - J 9
Board: K 7 7 6 8
Houssam doubles up to around 2,000,000 and Ourini is down to 3,300,000
07:05 PM, 11/27/11
Martinov Wounds Houssam
Level 27: 25,000-50,000, 5,000 ante
Maksims Martinov bets 140,000 on the button and Mohamed Ali Houssam calls in the big blind. The flop is the Q 7 5 and Houssam check-calls a 140,000 Martinov c-bet. The turn is the A and both players check before we see the final card of 6. Houssam checks to Martinov and he bets 290,000. Houssam was not done with the hand though and he check-raises to 605,000 and after a little thought Martinov calls. Houssam mucks his hand and Martinov exposes the 6x before dragging in a huge pot.
Martinov - 2,960,000
Houssam - 960,000
07:03 PM, 11/27/11
