Ricardo Manquant has won the first World Series of Poker International Circuit Main Event, after defeating Miroslav Alilovic, in heads-up action, on his way to the €122,330 first prize.
World Series of Poker (WSOP) Executive Director, Ty Stewart, promised to emphasis the word “World” in the World Series of Poker, and the ball has well and truly started rolling.
The Casino de Marrakech was home to 19 WSOPIC events. Buy-ins ranged between €18 and €1,350, and Ricardo Manquant topped a field of 484 entrants in the biggest one of the lot.
It was an impressive turn out and the cream very definitely rose to the top. Manquant has a resume teaming with Marrakech scores, including a World Poker Tour (WPT) National Series Main Event victory back in 2013. He earned €127,273 for that win, and his recent score almost mirrors that.
The heads-up phase of the contest was a battle of two Frenchmen. The aforementioned Manquant butting heads with the classy Miroslav Alilovic. The latter is ranked fourth in the French Global Poker Index (GPI) Live Tournament Rankings, and can count himself unlucky to miss out on a berth in #TeamFrance, at the inaugural Global Poker Masters (GPM).
The third headline act at the final table was the London-based Lithuanian Matas Cimbolas. What a tear this young man has been on of late. In Nov, he won the WPT UK Main Event for £200,000, and in Feb finished eighth in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event in Deauville for €58,820, fourth in the SkyPoker UK Poker Championships Main Event for £55,000, and then won the High Roller at the same series for £60,000. He picked up fourth in this one for another €40,265 score.
Along with the €122,330 first prize, Manquant also wins the first gold ring to be dished out on African soil, and a seat in the season-ending WSOP National Championships in Atlantic City.
He had better start saving up for his airfare.
Final Table Results
1st. Ricardo Manquant – €122,330
2nd. Miroslav Alilovic – €79,985
3rd. Antoine Rahal – €58,624
4th. Matas Cimbolas – €42,816
5th. Diego Aranzadi – €32,465
6th. Najib Bennis – €24,937
7th. Ramona Gallardo – €20,232
8th. Fahd Kaabat – €15,997
9th. Ondrej Milaberksy – €12,892
