Houssam Mohamed Ali wins World Poker Tour Marrakech, triumphing over an impressive international field of 274 runners in the €3,000 Main Event at Casino Es Saadi. The local hero from Casablanca, Ali brings home the WPT title, MAD 2,011,962 (Moroccan Dirham) including a $25,500 seat into the 2012 WPT World Championship at Bellagio, Las Vegas. Ali enters WPT history as the first WPT Champion from Morocco and only the second player from Africa to gain entry into the prestigious WPT Champions Club.
The final day started with nine elite players battling to win WPT Marrakech, including Jonathan Duhamel, Arnaud Mattern and WPT Season VII Player of the Year Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. While ElkY (8th place) and Duhamel (7th place) bowed out relatively early, Arnaud Mattern made a strong run at the WPT Final Table and finished in 4th place, pocketing MAD 519,600.
Supported by a passionate and captivated crowd, Ali could not contain his joy during the final hand when his pocket eights flopped a set and Toufik Ourini moved all-in after the turn. Before the river card was even dealt, Ali ran to the rail in celebration.
“This is a victory for Morocco, and I’m really proud to be the first Moroccan player to ever win a WPT Main Event,” said Houssam Mohamed Ali. “I can’t wait to play the WPT World Championship at Bellagio next year. I already had a taste of it with all these great poker champions competing with us today.”
Runner-up Toufik Ouirini, from Marrakech, congratulated his friend and added, “It was a great pleasure and a lot of fun to play this WPT Main Event. I’m grateful to have met so many talented and humble champions who supported me and were very kind to me throughout the tournament.”
Houssam Mohamed Ali has been immortalized with the legends of the game as his name was engraved on the towering WPT Champions Cup. He also received the WPT Champions Trophy, the sterling silver Tiffany & Co. WPT Champions Award and entrance into the prestigious WPT Champions Club, which offers all WPT champions exclusive benefits, a WPT personal concierge and VIP treatment at WPT events.
Final Table Standings
1st – Houssam Mohamed Ali (Morocco) – MAD 1,798,400 + a $25,500 seat into the 2012 WPT World Championship at Bellagio, Las Vegas
2nd –Toufik Ouirini (Morocco)- MAD 1,238,900
3rd – Maksim Martinov (Latvia) – MAD 799,300
4th – Arnaud Mattern (France) – MAD 519,600
5th – Hassan Fares (France) – MAD 379,700
6th – Rodney Assous (France) – MAD 307,700
Player of the Year Standings
1st – Will Failla – 1,600
2nd – Bobby Oboodi – 1,400
3rd – Jin Hwang – 1,200
3rd – Matt Waxman – 1,200
5th – Daniel Buzgon – 1,150
6th – Daniel Santoro – 1,050
7th - Houssam Mohamed Ali - 1,000
7th – Anthony Ruberto – 1,000
7th – Adrien Allain – 1,000
7th – Fred Goldberg – 1,000
7th – Hugo Lemaire – 1,000
7th – Ken Aldridge – 1,000
Many players who enjoyed the warm temperatures of sunny Marrakech will now head to Eastern Europe for the inaugural WPT Prague. Starting on December 1, the €3,200 + €300 re-entry WPT Main Event, presented by bwin.com, will be one of the highlights of WPT Season X. Three-time WPT Champion Gus Hansen and WSOP Main Event runner-up Martin Staszko have already announced their participation in this exciting new tournament. Following WPT Prague, World Poker Tour will then finish 2011 in the land of gondolas for WPT Venice. The €3,000 + €300 re-entry WPT Main Event will taked place at Casino Di Venezia Ca’ Noghera from December 13-18, 2011.
