Newly registered players keep flooding through the doors to the tournament area at Casino de Marrakech, and the possibility of filling every empty seat in the room might very well become a reality within the next couple of levels.
There are 59 tables in the room, each sitting up to six players. That means no more than 354 players can be going at it at the poker felt simultaneous, and right now 318 players are seated.
Should the players happen to fill up the room, a waiting list will be installed, and every time a player busts, a new will take his place. Furthermore, re-entries will still be available, but won't get priority over new players.
The number of entries on the tournament screen keeps ticking up at a rapid pace, and when the counter hit 317 participants a few moments ago, it made the 2017 edition of the Morrocan festival the biggest ever.
The current number of 339 entries brings the total tally up to 924 players, and with more than six levels of re-entries and late registration left, that makes the magical goal of 1,000 runners a very real possibility.
It might not be in the cards for poker to become a discipline at the Olympics anytime soon, but none the less Winamax has succeeded in bringing a bit of the Olympics to Marrakech anyway.
Participating in the tournament right now is the Olympic slalom canoeist duo of Gauthier Klauss and Matthieu Péché. The Frenchmen won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but today they are gunning for the gold at the Casino de Marrakech.
Davidi Kitai has been in the Casino de Marrakech for the past two days but has yet to bag up any chips at the end of the night. The Belgian seems to believe in third time's the charm, however, and he is off to a great start after betting three streets with top pair in the very last hand before the break.
Basile Leleu made it 900 to go from first position, Benjamin Dadon called in the next seat over before Kitai raised it up to 4,500 out of the big blind. Leleu called and Dadon folded.
Kitai continued for 3,000 on the flop and was quickly called by Leleu, and they followed the same pattern on the turn - this time for 10,200.
The on the river prompted the third bullet from Kitai, and Leleu quickly cut out the 16,500 for the call. His hand could not beat the of Kitai, and the multiple WSOP bracelet holder scooped the pot.
The former Basketball Pro Emmeline Ndongue just caught a lucky river to keep her stack intact at this 2017 Winamax SISMIX Main Event Day 1c.
Ndongue had built quite a pot with Valentin Francois Derinck on a board of , but the river made Ndongue's catch up to her opponent's , and the pot was chopped down the middle.
Mohammed Benabdelali was all-in for his last 6,700 with the board reading . Martin Manu made it 14,000 total before David (pseudonym) behind him three-bet to 31,550. Manu went deep into the tank but eventually made the fold, and the of was a mile or more in front of Benabdelali's .
The on the turn brought hope for Benabdelali, and the river completed his backdoor straight.
The players just keep registering and the number of entries today is already up to 254. Among the newcomers is French basketball legend Emmeline Ndongue, who scored more than 1,000 points for the French national team during her career and became European Champion back in 2009.
Also in the field is Leo Margets, who was denied the advancement last night as she ran into on an flop. She will need better luck today to keep her quest for a SISMIX title alive.
Gaelle Baumann is also expected to take to the felt later, and she is lurking around the tournament area after delivering today's Shuffle up and Deal, but so far her name is not on the list of participants.
flop and was quickly called by Leleu, and they followed the same pattern on the 
turn - this time for 10,200.
on the river prompted the third bullet from Kitai, and Leleu quickly cut out the 16,500 for the call. His hand could not beat the 
of Kitai, and the multiple WSOP bracelet holder scooped the pot.
, but the river 
made Ndongue's 
catch up to her opponent's 
. Martin Manu made it 14,000 total before David (pseudonym) behind him three-bet to 31,550. Manu went deep into the tank but eventually made the fold, and the 
.
on the turn brought hope for Benabdelali, and the 
river completed his backdoor straight.
into 
on an 
flop. She will need better luck today to keep her quest for a SISMIX title alive.
