From a field of 480, the return of the Unibet Open to Paris after a seven-year absence is nearing its conclusion, with just nine players set to return to Club Circus for the final day's play.
Leading the way is Omar Lakhdari who last night manoeuvred expertly through the closing stages, showing the kind of short-handed skills that has seen him accrue over $1.5m in lifetime earnings.
He will return to Day 3 with four million in chips and is the clear chip leader ahead of Day 1b chip leader Vladimir Nex (2,595,000) and Paris Edition chip leader Michel Leibgorin (2,245,000).
There are just two non-French players among the final nine, with Russian Alexey Dmitriev (720,000) and Italian Giuseppe Zarbo (305,000) coming into the day as the two shortest stacks.
Final Table
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Dung Le Quoc | France | 970,000 | 24 |
| 2 | Omar Lakhdari | France | 4,000,000 | 100 |
| 3 | Vladimir Nex | France | 2,595,000 | 65 |
| 4 | Malik Corbin | France | 800,000 | 20 |
| 5 | Michel Leibgorin | France | 2,245,000 | 56 |
| 6 | Giuseppe Zarbo | Italy | 305,000 | 8 |
| 7 | Hakim Chniyat | France | 900,000 | 23 |
| 8 | Alexey Dmitriev | Russia | 720,000 | 18 |
| 9 | Alexandru Danes | France | 1,835,000 | 46 |
The remaining nine players are each guaranteed €8,550, with €89,070 awaiting the winner.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Payout (EUR) | Payout (USD) |
|---|
| 1 | € 89,070 | $98,186 |
| 2 | € 55,270 | $60,927 |
| 3 | € 38,110 | $42,011 |
| 4 | € 28,230 | $31,119 |
| 5 | € 21,720 | $23,943 |
| 6 | € 16,700 | $18,409 |
| 7 | € 13,360 | $14,727 |
| 8 | € 10,690 | $11,784 |
| 9 | € 8,550 | $9,425 |
You can keep right up to date with all the action from the final day right here on PokerNews as well as on the official Unibet Open live stream which will be available by clicking the tab above. The live updates will begin at 12:30 pm in line with the stream delay.
Tags:
Alexandru DanesAlexey DmitrievGiuseppe ZarboHakim ChniyatMalik CorbinMichel LeibgorinOmar LakhdariVladimir Nex
was safe for Chniyat, but the 
gave Lakhdari the lead. Chniyat needed a seven to save him, but both sevens had been folded pre-flop so CHniyat was drawing dead as the 
came on the river and Chniyat was eliminated.
