Online satellite qualifier from Morocco — among the leaders of the $25,000 tournament at Triton
On day one of the $25,000 8-Handed tournament at the Triton Poker Series, an unexpected hero emerged at the tables. Debutant Reda Ahnit found himself among the leaders alongside well-known high rollers. The 24-year-old poker player from Morocco made it to the series in Jeju thanks to a win in an online freeroll.
Until now, Ahnit had only played at microstakes and had never taken part in live tournaments. In one of the streams he saw an ad on CoinPoker, where the prize was a trip to Jeju and entry into the $25,000 tournament, and he decided to take part. Despite serious resistance from his opponents, he managed to win it.
"I was alone at my parents' house and playing on my laptop. When it was all over, I sat there for a while and genuinely didn't understand what had just happened. I was thrilled, but my brain hadn't managed to process it yet. I went and told my brother, he was in shock, but we didn't run around the house screaming. It was one of the most important moments of my life, and it happened in complete silence," Ahnit told the Triton press service.
Reda had kept his passion for poker a secret from most of his relatives and friends. So he had to spend time explaining why he was taking time off from his first job, which he had started only recently.
"I had to explain what poker really is: that it's a game of skill, that there's a mathematical foundation behind it, that people study it seriously and use tools like GTO solvers to improve their game. Where I come from, poker is associated with gambling. Changing that perception by talking to each person individually was a tough task."
Ahnit also noted that he treats this trip not as a vacation but as a professional opportunity. The Moroccan is aiming to reach the ITM, and in the best-case scenario even to claim the title. After nine levels, he sits fifth in the tournament chip count with a stack of 98 BB. The leaders are Briton Philip Sternheimer (131 BB) and newly crowned champion of Triton Alex Theologis (126 BB).
Behind Ahnit are such well-known professionals as Daniel Dvoress (83 BB), Alex Kulev (61 BB), Artur Martirosyan (49 BB), Alexey Boyko (48 BB) and others. The event drew 87 entries, but late registration is still open.
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Until now, Ahnit had only played at microstakes and had never taken part in live tournaments. In one of the streams he saw an ad on CoinPoker, where the prize was a trip to Jeju and entry into the $25,000 tournament, and he decided to take part. Despite serious resistance from his opponents, he managed to win it.
"I was alone at my parents' house and playing on my laptop. When it was all over, I sat there for a while and genuinely didn't understand what had just happened. I was thrilled, but my brain hadn't managed to process it yet. I went and told my brother, he was in shock, but we didn't run around the house screaming. It was one of the most important moments of my life, and it happened in complete silence," Ahnit told the Triton press service.
Reda had kept his passion for poker a secret from most of his relatives and friends. So he had to spend time explaining why he was taking time off from his first job, which he had started only recently.
"I had to explain what poker really is: that it's a game of skill, that there's a mathematical foundation behind it, that people study it seriously and use tools like GTO solvers to improve their game. Where I come from, poker is associated with gambling. Changing that perception by talking to each person individually was a tough task."
Ahnit also noted that he treats this trip not as a vacation but as a professional opportunity. The Moroccan is aiming to reach the ITM, and in the best-case scenario even to claim the title. After nine levels, he sits fifth in the tournament chip count with a stack of 98 BB. The leaders are Briton Philip Sternheimer (131 BB) and newly crowned champion of Triton Alex Theologis (126 BB).
Behind Ahnit are such well-known professionals as Daniel Dvoress (83 BB), Alex Kulev (61 BB), Artur Martirosyan (49 BB), Alexey Boyko (48 BB) and others. The event drew 87 entries, but late registration is still open.
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