Alexander Blank won the SunBet MonsterStaK title in Cape Town

Frenchman Alexandre Blanc became the champion of the SunBet Poker Tour Main Event in Cape Town, defeating Edgar Antezana and taking the top prize.

The final stage of the year’s SunBet Poker Tour has concluded in Cape Town, held at GrandWest Casino under the auspices of Sun International. The festival’s main event was the Joe-Boy Rahme MonsterStaK Main Event with a buy-in of ZAR 15,000 (about $850), attracting 344 entries. The winner was French player Alexandre Blanc , who defeated experienced South African Edgar Antezana heads-up. Both finalists received the largest payouts from the ZAR 4,334,400 ($251,395) prize pool. In Memory of Joe Rahme and the Tournament’s History The MonsterStaK Main Event was named in honor of Joe Rahme—one of the pioneers of live poker in South Africa. A year ago, Rahme himself played in this tournament, when the trophy went to Saurabh Gulati from Australia (residing in Mauritius). Three weeks ago, Joe Rahme unexpectedly passed away, and throughout the tournament, a special tribute video was broadcast in his memory. A Long Final Night: How the Action Unfolded On the final day, players returned to the tables with an average stack of over 50 big blinds, promising deep and thoughtful play. It took more than 16 hours to determine the champion. Alexandre Blanc’s victory came thanks to a strong pocket pair in the decisive hand—throughout the final day, he repeatedly picked up good starting hands, which helped him stage an impressive comeback. In the late stages of the tournament, Blanc found himself on the brink of elimination with just five big blinds. However, he showed composure and waited for the right moment to double up and get back in the game. This discipline ultimately led him to the top prize. Key Moments of the Final Day The final day began with 43 players already in the money. Play was steady until a turning point occurred at the last four tables: Mike Cupido won a big hand against Ariel Mazabow , making a hand on the river against his opponent’s set. This marked the start of a series of large pots involving Cupido, Rayhaan Adam , and Marko Nortje . Marko Nortje, who started the day as chip leader, lost and regained his stack several times but was eliminated shortly before the final two tables. Cupido, on the other hand, continued to build his lead, knocking out Sascha Manns and 2024 Cape Town Million champion Muaaz Gani , which allowed him to enter the final table as chip leader. Meanwhile, Alexandre Blanc steadily built his stack with timely double-ups. The Final Table: Shifting Leaders and Decisive Hands When nine players remained at the final table, the situation changed dramatically. Cupido lost momentum, while Zulch and Franco Da Matta quickly exited the tournament. Alexander Rizvi from the UK, who had shown skill with a short stack, finished seventh when his strategy stopped working. A highlight was the run by Jon Persent from Norway, who knocked out Kossew , Cupido, and Naven Naicker in succession. However, his aggressive attempt at a five-bet re-raise against Blanc backfired—this pot gave the Frenchman a commanding chip lead. After that, it took Blanc very little time to finish the heads-up against Edgar Antezana, who was unable to turn the tide in his favor. Prize Payouts and Final Table MonsterStaK Main Event finalist payouts: 1st place: Alexandre Blanc (France) — ZAR 908,900 ($52,716) 2nd place: Edgar Antezana (South Africa) — ZAR 600,000 ($34,800) 3rd place: Jon Persent (Norway) — ZAR 400,000 ($23,200) 4th place: Mike Cupido (South Africa) — ZAR 300,000 ($17,400) 5th place: Naven Naicker (South Africa) — ZAR 230,000 ($13,340) 6th place: Franco Da Matta (South Africa) — ZAR 180,000 ($10,440) 7th place: Alexander Rizvi (United Kingdom) — ZAR 140,000 ($8,120) 8th place: Zulch (South Africa) — ZAR 110,000 ($6,380) 9th place: Sascha Manns (South Africa) — ZAR 90,000 ($5,220) It’s worth noting that besides Blanc and Rizvi, only Jon Persent represented a country other than South Africa at the final table. Edgar Antezana joined the tournament only during late registration on Day 2, after successful runs in high roller events the previous days. Context: SunBet Poker Tour Series and GrandWest Casino Venue The SunBet Poker Tour is one of the largest poker series in South Africa, attracting the region’s top players and guests from other countries. GrandWest Casino in Cape Town traditionally hosts the year’s final stage, offering players a packed schedule of tournaments with various buy-ins and formats. The MonsterStaK Main Event is considered the festival’s highlight, drawing both local professionals and international guests. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a clear example of how discipline and smart stack management can lead to success even in the toughest situations. The story of Alexandre Blanc, who came back from five big blinds to win the tournament, highlights the importance of patience and timing aggression—skills that are equally relevant in live tournaments and online play. Additionally, the tournament’s deep stack structure and long playtime are a reminder of the advantages of slow blind level formats, which are also common in PPPoker clubs. This allows players to implement strategic plans and showcase their skills over the long run. Finally, the participation of players from different countries and the success of international guests at the final table underline the openness of major poker events to representatives from any region. For PPPoker club members, this is extra motivation to improve their game and try their hand at international tournaments, whether online or offline.