Christopher Marcade won the PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence 2024

Christopher Marcade claimed victory in the main event of the PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence 2024, earning a prize of €130,000 and becoming a hero of the French poker scene.

Christopher Marcadet claimed victory in the PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence Main Event, earning the biggest prize of his career — €130,000. The €1,100 buy-in tournament attracted 859 entrants and became one of the most notable events on the French poker scene in 2024. Christopher Marcadet’s Road to Victory Christopher Marcadet, who traveled from Budapest back to his homeland of France specifically for this event, made the trip truly memorable. Over four days of intense competition, he outlasted 858 opponents and took home not only the winner’s trophy but also the top cash prize of €130,000. This achievement marks a career-best for Marcadet, bringing his total live earnings close to $350,000. His previous best result was nearly four times less. Immediately after his triumph, Marcadet admitted he hadn’t fully realized the scale of his victory yet. According to him, winning such a prestigious trophy at a PokerStars festival is a real milestone in life. He also praised the tournament’s organization and structure, promising to return next year to defend his title. The Final Table: Battle for the Top Prize The PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence Main Event with a €1,100 buy-in attracted 859 players, creating a prize pool of €824,640. The ITM (in the money) zone included the top 129 players, each of whom received a share of the prize pool. Among those who cashed were well-known names such as Maria Lampropulos, PokerStars Ambassadors David Lappin and Benjamin Bruneteaux, as well as Joe Hindry, Gabi Livshitz, and Sasha Cohen. The first finalist to exit was Chenxiang Miao from China, who has over $2 million in live tournament winnings. This was his first cash on French soil — €13,000. He was followed by two French players — Arno Peonnet and Laurent Lebar. Polish player Krzysztof Zapolski finished in sixth place. Fifth place and €34,000 went to Omar Lakhdari from Algeria. For Lakhdari, this result was further proof of his excellent form — in September, he won two WSOP Circuit rings in Paris. Fourth place went to Dinh Nguyen, a Vietnamese player living in France. He boosted his bankroll by €45,000 — his second five-figure result after winning the €550 Unibet DeepStack Open La Grande-Motte in December 2023 (€50,800). Jordan Ayasse rounded out the top three, earning €62,000. After his elimination, only two players remained, and the final heads-up battle began. No Deal in Heads-Up: Fighting to the End Despite the significant difference between first and second place (€43,000), the players chose not to make a deal. In the end, Swiss player John Rezzonico, who had less than $2,000 in live earnings before this tournament, took home €87,000 for second place. This was a true breakthrough in his poker career. Christopher Marcadet celebrated the victory and the top prize of €130,000, lifting the PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence winner’s trophy above his head. Final Table Results €1,100 PS Open Aix-en-Provence Main Event 1st place — Christopher Marcadet (France) — €130,000 2nd place — John Rezzonico (Switzerland) — €87,000 3rd place — Jordan Ayasse — €62,000 4th place — Dinh Nguyen (France/Vietnam) — €45,000 5th place — Omar Lakhdari (Algeria) — €34,000 6th place — Krzysztof Zapolski (Poland) — €25,000 7th place — Laurent Lebar (France) — €19,000 8th place — Arno Peonnet (France) — €15,000 9th place — Chenxiang Miao (China) — €13,000 Other Notable Players Who Cashed Among the 129 players who made the money were other notable names. These included Maria Lampropulos, known for her success on the international circuit, PokerStars Ambassadors David Lappin and Benjamin Bruneteaux, as well as Joe Hindry, Gabi Livshitz, and Sasha Cohen. For some participants, such as Chenxiang Miao, this was their first cash in France. Context: The PokerStars Open Series and Upcoming Events PokerStars Open is a series of live tournaments with affordable buy-ins that traditionally attracts a large number of players of all levels. The tournament in Aix-en-Provence once again confirmed the series’ popularity: nearly 900 participants, fierce competition, and a strong final table lineup. Organizers paid special attention to the tournament structure, which was noted by many participants, including the winner. The next stage of PokerStars Open will take place as part of the famous European Poker Tour (EPT) festival in Prague. The Main Event with a €1,650 buy-in will be held from December 2 to 7. Last year, PS Open Prague drew a record 3,024 entries (including re-entries), and the prize pool reached €4,354,560. The winner was Yulian Bogdanov from Bulgaria, who took home €398,135 and the trophy after a three-way deal. Second place went to Polish player Adrian Zemichod (€440,110), and third was another Bulgarian — Ivan Poroliev (€368,755). What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great example of how regular practice in online tournaments can lay the foundation for successful performances in live series. Many PokerStars Open finalists and prize winners have online poker experience, which helps them feel confident at tables with different structures and against opponents from various countries. Tournaments with €1,100–€1,650 buy-ins and large fields, like those at PokerStars Open, are similar in format and dynamics to major online events in PPPoker clubs. This means that by honing their skills in club tournaments, players can be ready to transition to live series — both in terms of strategy and psychological resilience. Moreover, the results of such events show that even players without major offline achievements (for example, John Rezzonico) can achieve significant success at international series if they approach the game systematically and use the experience gained on PPPoker. This can serve as extra motivation for anyone aiming to reach a new level in poker.