WPTDS Cannes Runner-Up Omar Lakhdari Leads Final Nine in WPTDS Portugal Main Event

The final table of nine players is confirmed here at the Casino Vilamoura, and it is WPTDeepStacks Cannes runner-up Omar Lakhdari who not only leads the final table of WPTDeepStacks Portugal Main Event, but has a commanding chip lead over his eight competitors.

Here is how the final table looks.

Seat 1. Francisco Lopes – 913,000 (57 big blinds)
Seat 2. Pedro Goncalves – 506,000 (32 big blinds)
Seat 3. Omar Cabral – 572,000 (36 big blinds)
Seat 4. Manuel Borges – 179,000 (11 big blinds)
Seat 5. Pedro Ferro – 237,000 (15 big blinds)
Seat 6. Gregory Janin – 266,000 (17 big blinds)
Seat 7. Joao Franco – 238,000 (15 big blinds)
Seat 8. Omar Lakhdari – (151 big blinds)
Seat 9. Paul Marius – 953,000 (60 big blinds)

Lakhdari’s aggressive style and boisterous table mannerisms helped him push the buttons on his opponents, knocking several out and holding a commanding chip lead midway through the day.

However he wasn’t infallible, and perhaps could have bagged more were it not for a couple of double-ups and ill-timed three-bets.

The Algerian will certainly be looking to make another deep run after making back-to-back final tables, cementing his standing in the WPTDeepStacks Player of the Year leaderboard which runs across the entire season.

65 players returned on Day 2 and they slowly trickled towards the exit, especially with the level lengths going up to one hour instead of the 40-minute levels on Day 1A and 1B. There were a total of 27 players in the money with €2,013 going to the 27th place finisher.

The unfortunate moniker of bubble boy went to Laurent Leclerc (pictured above). He got pocket Jacks in against the Ace-Seven of spades of Manuel Borges on a Queen-Jack-Four board which held two spades. The turn was a spade and Leclerc didn’t make a full house on the river and he was eliminated in 28th place.

Making the money was three-time WPT Main Event champion Anthony Zinno (pictured above), however with blinds steadily increasing he exited in 23rd place (€2,280) after clashing Ace-Jack against the Ace-King of Pedro Goncalves on an Ace-high board.

As we got closer to the money, both Lakhdari and Francisco Lopes flirted with over one million chips. But as Lopes fell back, Lakhdari pressed onwards and forged a clear lead by the time the final table was confirmed shortly before midnight local time.

Read what each of the final tablists thought of making the final table:

Francisco Lopes
“I feel great. I don’t play tournaments, mostly cash games. My friends wanted to play here. That’s the game they play. Always good to have a deep run!”

Pedro Goncalves
“I’m feeling very very good. This is a nice tournament for me. This is the second time I’ve made a final table this week; in the bounty as well. The Main Event as well – that’s great.”

Omar Cabral
“Amazing. It’s a big tournament. Everyone wants to play and for me poker is fun. I’m really enjoying it!”

Gregory Janin
“I’m short; 15 big blinds for the rest of this level tomorrow. Maybe I just play spectator as Omar [Lakhdari] knocks out four, five, six players. Then it’s me and him heads-up – he has five million and I have one million.”

Omar Lakhdari
[On how his day has gone] “Not bad, not bad. I never dreamed I could have gone this deep again.”

Paul Marius
“I’m very excited. To come to play this and to make the final table; it’s my first major final table. With Omar Lakhdari on my right, he’s very aggressive. But I think that he makes some mistakes. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

Joao Franco
“I’m feeling really happy. I came here to play. I’m the youngest player here, maybe with the least experience and making the final table is like a dream to me. But it went well. I like my changes so let’s see how it goes.”

Manuel Borges
“I am feeling amazing. I started today with eight big blinds. I lost a big pot on the final table bubble which would have put me in top three stacks but let’s watch what happens tomorrow.”

Pedro Ferro
“I’m ok. I have a good girlfriend so it’s ok! For me, I know it sounds arrogant, but I don’t need this. I was professional three years ago and now this is not my life. But I feel very comfortable. I’m not nervous at all.”

Join us at 2 p.m. local time tomorrow for all the final table action as we get closer to crowning the latest champion on the inaugural WPTDeepStacks Europe season.