The stops on the World Poker Tour (WPT) are coming fast and furious nowadays. As WPT Montreal is concluding in North America, WPT Mazagan is starting up across the ocean in Africa. The coastal city of El Jadida, Morocco (formerly known as Mazagan) is serving as host to this event, held at the Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort. After Day 1A, colorful-coiffed Parisian Guillaume Darcourt has the slimmest of leads over Jeremie Sarda, 134,800 chips to 134,700.
To those not intimately familiar with the World Poker Tour’s schedule, it may come as a surprise to know that this is the second time this season that the WPT has made a stop at the Mazagan venue. The first visit was in July for the WPT National Series, won by Roger Hairabedian. And while Morocco might not be synonymous with “poker hotbed,” the country has hosted WPT events since 2009, when WPT Marrakech made its first appearance on the tour.
This tournament is going to be a small one, but that might have been expected with it being bracketed by WPT Montreal and WPT Prague. Just 66 players registered for Day 1A with 38 surviving to Day 2, but more players traditionally play on the second of two starting days and with re-entries allowed tomorrow, expect the Day 1B field to be a bit larger.
Darcourt was able to eek out that tiny chip lead on the final hand of the night. The players at the other tables were already bagging their chips, but Darcourt’s table had one more hand to push through. Achiles Voltolina opened the betting pre-flop and Darcourt called next to him. Elie Payan then moved all-in for his last 12,600 chips and, likely to his dismay, both opponents called. The flop was a monochromatic J♥-7♥-3♥ and both men checked. They checked again when a Queen was dealt on the turn, but when an 8 fell on the river, Darcourt bet 17,000, which was called by Voltolina. Voltolina turned over pocket Aces, but Darcourt had him beat with 9-T, good for a straight. Payan never showed his cards, knowing he had been eliminated. That pot catapulted Darcourt into the chip lead, just 100 chips more than Jeremie Sarda.
Darcourt has won just over $1 million on the live tournament circuit, almost a quarter of it coming from a 35th place finish in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event last year. He won another $223,459 from a 3rd place finish in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Triple Chance event at the 2010 WSOP. And while it’s “only” his third biggest cash at $193,387, Darcourt won the 2010 WPT Bucharest Championship Event.
Day 1B of WPT Mazagan will begin Wednesday at 1:00pm local time.
2012 World Poker Tour Mazagan Main Event – Day 1A Chip Leaders
1. Guillaume Darcourt – 134,800
2. Jeremie Sarda – 134,700
3. Fabrice Soulier – 126,800
4. Aubin Cazals – 125,800
5. Sergei Vasilyev – 114,300
6. Paul Tedeschi – 94,700
7. Achile Voltolina – 73,500
8. Paul Guichard – 68,700
9. Steve O’Dwyer – 68,700
10. Mbarek Saadi – 68,200
