Tristan Forge Wins slots with real money2025 Marrakech Poker Open Main Event

Table Of Contents

• 2025 Marrakech Poker Open Main Event Final Table results
• Final Table Action

The Es Saadi Marrakech Resort has become almost a second home for Tristan Forge. It’s where the Frenchman has posted his most results. It’s where he had his shot at glory. And, at Sunday's final table of the 2025 Marrakech Poker Open Main Event, it’s where he became a champion.

Forge defeated Javier Tsunamy in a short heads-up duel to stand atop the 229-player field and take home the title and 500,000 MAR (€47,645) first prize. It’s the biggest score of a poker career that spans nearly 15 years, including several cashes here where he feels most comfortable.

“I’m very happy,” he said through a translator after securing the trophy. “I come very often, and I’m very happy to play here.”

2025 Marrakech Poker Open Main Event Final Table results

Two years ago, Forge came close to a title in this same room. He and Alexandre Le Vaillant were heads-up and virtually even in the Unibet DeepStack Open Marrakech in October 2023. A massive pot then brewed where Forge was looking to complete a straight draw against two pair, but he couldn’t improve and had to settle for second place and 420,000 MAR (€38,9260 prize, which had been his highest score until now.

He and Tsunmay were again nearly level until tangling in a massive pot where Tsunamy showed two fours, but Forge had pocket fives. He had to settle for being runner-up last time; on Sunday, he was on the right side of poker’s wheel of fortune.

The victory pushes Forge’s live earnings past $400,000. In addition to his run in 2023, he also made the final table of the High Roller during the WSOP Circuit stop here in January. While a large portion of his results have come in Marrakech, he does have nine career World Series of Poker cashes and a deep run in the 2022 EPT Prague Main Event on his resume.

Final Table Action

The final nine players took their seats under the spotlight of the main feature stage at 1:30 p.m. to start the journey to crowning a champion. It took some time before the first player departed the final table. Eric Rabut was the first at-risk against Tsunamy’s queens, but he found a king on the turn to double up. Pablo Redrado then made quads to double off Mounir Tajiou.

The next hand, Tajiou moved all in for 360,000 on the river and Alejandro Ganivet tanked for nearly five minutes before calling. Tajiou could only show a pair of sixes, while Ganivet slammed down two queens to win the pot and send Tajiou to the rail in ninth place.

Valentin Havasy ran into Bogdan Vulcan’s pocket tens to finish in eighth place. Forge was then all in for 410,000 with two eights and won a coin flip against Redrado to double up. Redrado was left with just two big blinds but managed to double up several times. He would not be the next to go, as Luigi Macaluso attempted a bold move and went all in from the small blind for 635,000 with seven-three only for Vulcan to wake up with two jacks in the big blind to bust Macaluso in seventh.

Ganivet, the Day 1 chip leader, retook the lead from Tsunamy after hitting a straight on the river against Tsunamy’s jacks. Redrado finally fell in sixth when he lost a race with two threes against Rabut’s ace-jack. Ganivet began using his big stack to his advantage, constantly applying max pressure to his opponents. He finally shoved on the button and Rabut called for 1,050,000 with ace-king, while Ganivet had ten-nine. The flop gave Rabut top pair, but Ganivet spiked a straight on the turn to leave Rabut drawing dead and heading off to collect his fifth-place payout.

Forge survived another flip to dent Ganivet’s stack, flopping a set of sevens then improving to a full house to earn a double up. On the last hand before the final four players went on break, Forge and Ganivet went heads-up to the river of an ace-high board. Forge led out for 275,000 and Ganivet raised to 575,000. Forge snap-called with two pair, while Ganivet could only show a ten-high bluff as Forge catapulted into the chip lead. It was the pivotal moment of the final table for Forge as his plan worked to perfection.

“I wanted to make some pressure. I had a plan to bet small and call,” he said.

Ganivet rebounded when he won a race with two fours against Vulcan’s ace-eight to bust Vulcan in fourth. Ganivet then paid off Forge’s big river bet as Forge showed a rivered straight, dropping Ganivet down to a virtual tie with Tsunamy while Forge began to pull far ahead. Ganivet then moved all in on the turn and Tsunamy snap-called with a flopped nut straight. Ganivet was on a flush draw and missed the river as the stacks were counted down. Ganivet had 1,245,000 remaining, while Tsunamy had him covered by just 100,000 and Ganivet’s dominating run through the tournament ended in third place.

Forge led 5,015,000 to 2,955,000 at the start of heads-up, but Tsunamy took down most early pots to pull nearly even. Tsunamy then raised on the button, Forge shoved all in, and Tsunamy called for 3,840,000 with two fours. Forge, though, showed a pair of fives and held on to win the pot and secure the trophy.

From runner-up two years ago to the championship now in his hands, Forge feels right at home here in Marrakech. Among the desert sun, palm grove trees, luxurious pools, and vibrant nightlife of Morocco’s ancient city, Forge blazed the brightest this week.