An amateur beat a pro and won the WPO Aix-les-Bains 2026

The main event of the Winamax Poker Open 2026 has concluded at Casino Grand Cercle. Local amateur Lucas Arsheni defeated the professionals and took the top prize.

In the picturesque Alps, within the walls of Casino Grand Cercle in Aix-les-Bains, the main event of the 2026 Winamax Poker Open series has concluded. The €500 buy-in tournament attracted an impressive number of entries — 2,873, which created a total prize pool of €1,185,974. Despite many expecting a professional, including members of Team Winamax, to take the title, the winner was 23-year-old local amateur Lucas Archeny, for whom this tournament became a true breakthrough. Final Table Results of the WPO Aix-les-Bains 2026 Main Event Place Player Prize (€) 1 Lucas Archeny 150,000 2 Etienne De Soultrait 105,000 3 Mathieu Pontin 74,000 4 Timothee D'Anfray 51,500 5 Nicolas Ehrath 36,000 6 Benjamin Goudard 25,500 7 Quentin Le Dissez 18,500 8 Not specified Not specified 9 Aymane Mamoun Not specified 10 Hervé Ponthet 11,000 11 Not specified Not specified 12 Maxence Vié 8,300 13 Not specified Not specified 14 Raphael Bilger Not specified 15 Boris Dupuis Not specified 16 Dimitri Callonnec Not specified 17 Nicolas Marin 6,300 An Amateur’s Journey to the Top: The Story of Lucas Archeny Lucas Archeny is a typical representative of Winamax Poker Open players: he started his poker journey with free freerolls in local clubs, sat at the table for the first time at 18, and then began playing small tournaments with low buy-ins in his region. Only after several years did he decide to play the WPO Aix-les-Bains Main Event, and this step turned out to be life-changing. After his victory, Archeny admitted he was overwhelmed with emotion: “It’s hard to explain, you don’t feel anything like this anywhere else. As soon as my out hit on the river, all the crazy tension disappeared. I just multiplied my best result by 15. The memories will come later, for now I’m just enjoying this moment 1000%.” Despite being an amateur, Lucas, who works in accounting, looked very confident and composed at the final table, showing the experience he gained in club games. According to him, years spent at the tables with amateurs helped him read opponents better and stay calm in stressful situations. Archeny noted that many opponents in the early stages of the tournament were noticeably tense, which gave him an edge in understanding their behavior. He received special support from friends in the Bourg Hold'em Poker and ABC Poker de Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg clubs. Archeny smiled and said: “Over these two days I got about 300,000 messages, and I haven’t even had time to reply to everyone. Bringing the trophy to the next club game is the best way to thank them.” Final Day: Action and Key Hands The final day of the tournament started off very fast-paced: out of the 17 remaining players, five were eliminated in the first hour. In the very first hand of the day, Nicolas Marin and Etienne De Soultrait clashed, both holding ace-king and with equal stacks. Fate sided with De Soultrait, who made a flush on the river and knocked out Marin (17th place, €6,300). He was soon followed by Dimitri Callonnec (16th place), and Boris Dupuis finished 15th, losing with ace-king against his opponent’s pocket kings. Raphael Bilger busted in 14th after a classic coinflip, and Sebastien Studer couldn’t improve his pocket threes against jacks, finishing 13th and setting the final two tables. Maxence Vié found himself in a tough spot after doubling up Paul Bigot and being left with 25,000 chips. He managed to survive one hand but was then eliminated in 12th place (€8,300). Bigot soon followed, losing with ace-four against Nicolas Ehrath’s aces. Meanwhile, Le Dissez made a bold call and doubled up. Hervé Ponthet also doubled up, but then went all-in again and was eliminated in 10th place (€11,000). After that, the pace of play slowed a bit, but not for long: Aymane Mamoun made two pair with ace-king, but lost to Mathieu Pontin, who made a straight with jack-ten, finishing ninth. Only one more elimination was needed for the final table: Leo Viales with ace-seven lost to Timothee D'Anfray’s king-ten — even though Viales hit an ace on the turn, D'Anfray made trips on the river. Final Table Showdown: Battle and Strategy The final table began cautiously: only after two hours did Quentin Le Dissez run into Archeny’s pocket aces and finish seventh (€18,500). In the following hands, Etienne De Soultrait and Benjamin Goudard doubled their stacks, but soon after, Goudard was all-in with jacks against queens and couldn’t find the card he needed, finishing sixth (€25,500). Nicolas Ehrath, left with the shortest stack, soon lost with ace-deuce against ace-queen and finished fifth (€36,000). Over the next three hours, the finalists exchanged all-ins and calls, but no one busted — during this time, three of the four remaining players doubled up one or two times. Eventually, Timothee D'Anfray went all-in with queen-ten but lost to De Soultrait’s queens, finishing fourth (€51,500). After that, Archeny doubled through Pontin, then crippled him after making a set on the flop, which allowed Archeny to start heads-up with a 3-to-1 chip lead. However, De Soultrait quickly closed the gap, making a bold call with third pair and even took the chip lead. But Archeny regained the lead by making a straight. In the decisive hand, both players went all-in, and Archeny’s king-seven held up, earning him the champion’s title and the top prize of €150,000. The Winner’s Plans and Looking Ahead Despite the big win, Lucas Archeny does not plan to radically change his life. He said he will add most of the money to his bankroll and set some aside for the future. Archeny emphasized that he does not plan to immediately move up to expensive tournaments, and if he does play €1,500 buy-in events, it will only be within his financial discipline. The winner also confirmed that he will return in March for the Winamax Poker Tour Grand Final in Aix-en-Provence and will definitely try to defend his title if the WPO Aix-les-Bains is held again next year. As is tradition for the Winamax series, after the main event there was a party in honor of the winner. Organizers have already hinted that the series may return to Aix-les-Bains next year: Winamax Live Events manager Mathieu Durand said during the award ceremony that he had already met with the casino director and hopes to meet again soon in these halls. Context: What is the Winamax Poker Open and Why is This Tournament Important? The Winamax Poker Open is one of the largest poker series in France, aimed at both professionals and amateurs. The series’ tournaments are known for their affordable buy-ins, which attract a wide range of players, including those taking their first steps in live poker. The 2026 Main Event in Aix-les-Bains set a record for entries — 2,873, highlighting the event’s popularity. The Casino Grand Cercle venue is known for its hospitality and atmosphere, as well as for regularly hosting major poker festivals. An amateur winning such a tournament is a rare event, emphasizing the series’ openness to all types of players. The finalists included both experienced regulars and streamer Mathieu Pontin, who finished third and took home €74,000. Second place and €105,000 went to Etienne De Soultrait, who proved to be a very resilient and creative player, especially in heads-up. Analysis of Key Hands and Final Table Dynamics First hand of the day: Nicolas Marin and Etienne De Soultrait both got ace-king and had equal stacks. The outcome was decided by a flush on the river for De Soultrait, who knocked out Marin in 17th place. Classic coinflip: Raphael Bilger busted in 14th place, losing in a typical “coinflip” situation where the odds are about even. Set on the flop: In a key hand against Pontin, Archeny made a set (three of a kind) on the flop, which allowed him to send his opponent to the rail and enter heads-up with a solid lead. Bold call with third pair: In heads-up, De Soultrait made a heroic call with third pair, which allowed him to briefly take the chip lead. Decisive hand: In the final all-in, Archeny’s king-seven held up against his opponent and he became the champion. These moments show how important not only technical skills are, but also psychological resilience and the ability to read opponents correctly in the crucial moments of a tournament. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players The story of Lucas Archeny is clear proof that even players without much experience in major live tournaments can succeed at Europe’s biggest poker events. For PPPoker club members, this is a signal: regular practice, even at low stakes and in club tournaments, builds the skills needed to succeed at a higher level. It’s important not only to understand poker technically, but also to stay calm under pressure, as Archeny did at the final table. The example of the WPO Aix-les-Bains winner shows that the path from freerolls and local events to major victories is absolutely real. Club games on PPPoker are a great way to develop strategic thinking, learn to read opponents, and get used to tournament dynamics. Don’t be afraid to take a step forward and try your hand at more serious tournaments if you feel confident in your game. In addition, the disciplined approach to bankroll management demonstrated by Archeny is another important lesson for all players. Even after a big win, he didn’t take unnecessary risks or immediately move up to high stakes, but chose to save part of his winnings and continue playing tournaments within his means. This approach helps avoid unnecessary risks and build a long-term poker career — whether online in PPPoker clubs or at major live series.