Thursday, 28th March 2024 10:02
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Your one-stop shop for EPT Paris coverage – which took place between February 14-25, 2024


AGELESS BARNY BOATMAN LANDS EPT PARIS MAIN EVENT TITLE AND €1.3 MILLION PAYDAY

A six-day clinic from one of British poker’s best-loved stars ended with a famous EPT Paris victory for Barny Boatman , and a €1.3 million payday.

Find out how it all went down in our report.

THE 4 CRUCIAL HANDS THAT LED BARNY BOATMAN TO THE EPT PARIS TITLE

The legend Barny Boatman put on an incredible performance on his way to becoming the oldest EPT champ in tour history. Here are the four crucial hands that led to his €1.3M victory at EPT Paris.

FINAL TABLE PLAYER PROFILES

Learn some more about the last six players taking their seats at the EPT Paris Main Event final table in our player profiles.

LATEST ARTICLES

WELLNESS ON TOUR: CHECK IN ON YOUR — AND YOUR FRIENDS’ — MENTAL HEALTH

The tournament room might be packed, but it doesn’t mean you can’t feel isolated. Here’s an important guide to looking after your mental health on the poker tour — and for checking in on others.

THE OFFICIAL LINE ON THE EPT PARIS TIME-BANK CONTROVERSY

Eric Afriat courted controversy at EPT Paris when he used his time-bank cards to deliberately wind down the clock at the end of the day. But what’s the official line on the etiquette breach? We speak to award-winning tournament director Toby Stone to find out…

PETER JORGNE ON VERGE OF JOINING EPT’S IMPRESSIVE BACK-TO-BACK LIST

Last year’s runner-up Peter Jorgne will join impressive company if he can make two EPT Paris final tables in a row. Check out the EPT’s back-to-back list here.

BARNY BOATMAN HAS X-RAY VISION — AND LEADS THE EPT PARIS MAIN EVENT

After a sensational hero call late on Day 4, British poker star Barny Boatman took over the chip lead at EPT Paris. It’s because of the x-ray vision he developed years ago…find out more here.

QUALIFIER DAVID TOUS BENEFITS FROM LATE-NIGHT PENALTY TO ROCKET UP EPT PARIS CHIP COUNTS

Online qualifier David Tous has enjoyed a dream start to Day 4 of EPT Paris — the beneficiary of a levelling war brought on by a missing big blind player and some late-night bad behaviour. Learn more about Tous and what happened here.

POKER, WITH A SIDE ORDER OF PASTRY, AT THE PARIS CROISSANT BAKING CLASS

Taking a break from the intensity of high-level poker, players and their guests hit La Cuisine Paris to learn how to bake croissants. Find out how they got on.

THE €334,180 IS GREAT, BUT IT’S A WINNER’S PHOTO PARKER TALBOT IS CHASING

Parker Talbot won a career-best €334,180 in the FPS Paris High Roller. But as the PokerStars Team Pro tells us, it’s a winner’s photo he really wants. Find out what he had to say here.

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE AS SOPHIE GAL EARNS HER HOUSEHOLD’S SECOND GOLD PASS

Here’s an incredible story from EPT Paris as Sophie Gal pulls a Gold Pass from a lucky draw — while waiting for her husband to be interviewed about his own Gold Pass success. Find out what happened here.

ANOTHER SPADIE AND €43,600 FOR GRIFFIN BENGER AFTER A SURREAL NIGHT AT EPT PARIS

PokerStars commentator Griffin Benger tells us how a chance encounter with an old friend led to a surreal night at EPT Paris that ended with him winning another Spadie and €43K. Here’s the story.

ANOTHER ROARING SUCCESS AT EPT PARIS PLAYER PARTY

It can’t have been easy but this week the PokerStars Events team managed to top last year’s epic Player Party at EPT Paris. Check out Danny Maxwell’s photo gallery here.

A NIGHT AT THE MOULIN ROUGE HELPS FORGE FRIENDSHIPS FOR GOLD PASS WINNERS AND CHAMPIONS

Gold Pass winner Leigh Swift and FPS champion Mateusz Moolhuizen were among a spirited group visiting the notorious Moulin Rouge last night, a perk for players at EPT Paris. Here’s how they got on.

WHY THE RECORD-BREAKING EPT PARIS 2024 IS NO FLUKE

The return of EPT Paris has meant record numbers and the prospect of a brilliant fixture on the poker calendar for years to come. Take a closer look at the sensational stats.

GOLD POWER PATH WINNERS TAKE ON EPT PARIS

Ten players cashed in their Gold Power Path passes at EPT Paris this week. Learn more about them and track their progress through a record-breaking field.

ALEX DECORBEZ HITS POWER PATH JACKPOT AT EXCLUSIVE QUALIFIER MEET-UP

Silver Pass winner Alex Decorbez makes the most of a Power Path winner perk and wins an EPT Package in Paris. Read all about it.

SIMON WICIAK UNVEILED AS POKERSTARS TEAM PRO

Barcelona champ Simon Wiciak made his PokerStars Team Pro debut at EPT Paris, where he spoke with us about the exciting announcement. Find out more here.

FRANCE POKER SERIES (FPS) ANNOUNCES 2024 SCHEDULE

The France Poker Series (FPS) announces its 2024 schedule with events in Monte Carlo, Namur, and Aix Les Bains. Here are the details so far.

QUALIFIER PROFILES

FORMER SUPERNOVA ELITE LAWRENCE PENFOLD MAKES EPT DEBUT THANKS TO POWER PATH

Former Supernova Elite Lawrence Penfold left the game to work in tech eight years ago. But now he’s making his EPT debut through Power Path. Here’s his story.

KYLE BOYD REDEFINES THE ROMANCE OF POKER WITH POWER PASS TRIP TO EPT PARIS

Redefining the romance of poker with Power Path winner Kyle Boyd. He turned 50 cents into a trip to Paris with his fiancee — and came back with more than €8K. Here’s their story.

ANDREI JAMBOR TREATS FAMILY TO PARIS HOLIDAY THANKS TO POWER PATH

Andrei Jambor would never normally stay behind at the hotel while his wife and child go sightseeing. But today isn’t normal. The Power Path winner is playing his first Main Event at EPT Paris. Here’s his story.

GOLD PATH LEADS TO PARIS FOR NOA CHAN – Noa Chan is a bartender and a musician, but his decision to study poker too has earned him a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the EPT in Paris.

POWER PATH WINNER BOB PARKIN MIGHT HAVE THE BEST BAD BEAT STORY YOU’LL HEAR…-No matter how brutal your worst bad beat is, Bob Parkin can top it. His story involves an earthquake, for crying out loud.

CHRISTMAS EVE POWER PATH WIN SENDS TAXI DRIVER TO EPT PARIS – On Christmas Eve, taxi driver Leigh Swift completed the Power Path and turned a free $0.50 ticket into a Gold Pass worth $10K in just hours.

HOW A PARIS QUALIFIER GRADUATED FROM SIDE EVENTS TO EPT MAIN EVENTS – Maciej Gut is preparing to play his first EPT Main Event in Paris, having worked his way up through side events and online satellites.

TOP DISTANCE RUNNER RAFAŁ GONTARCZYK SPRINTS TO EPT PARIS FOR JUST €22 – As a top runner in Poland, Rafał Gontarczyk is used to going the distance. And that’s exactly what he did in a satellite on Christmas Eve.

WEIS WINS €10K HIGH ROLLER

Oliver Weis of Germany is the EPT Paris High Roller champion, overcoming a record-breaking 512-strong field and a marathon final table to claim the trophy, along with the huge first prize of €970,200, amounting to the lion’s share of the €4,915,200 prize pool. Read a full report at PokerNews.

SANTERNE WINS SUPER HIGH ROLLER

Only 13 months since his first documented live tournament cash, Thomas Santerne is an EPT Super High Roller champion — downing defending champion Chris Brewer and landing €890K score. Here’s a full recap of the event.

Moolhuizen wins record-breaking FPS Paris for €470,830

Report by Jan Kores

Mateusz Moolhuizen has risen to the France Poker Series (FPS) summit, defeating a record-setting 4,149-entrant field at Le Palais des Congrès de Paris. The new FPS Main Event champion scooped a whopping €470,830 top prize.

A poker pro for well over a decade, Moolhuizen now has a major feather in his cap after conquering one of the biggest fields in European Poker Tour history. On his way to the title, the 34-year-old Dutchman pulled off a massive bluff during four-handed play, forcing a fold from then chip-leading Blaz Zerjav.

The two eventually met heads up, with their stacks even, providing a spectacular climax to the live-streamed final table. Moolhuizen outmuscled Zerjav to cement his victory.

Before hoisting the trophy, Moolhuizen had a simple answer to his secret to success: “Run good.”

Being one of the more talkative players on the circuit, Moolhuizen admitted he enjoys being a colourful character. “I prefer to give poker a little bit of boost to make the stream more entertaining,” he said.

The triumph could hardly come at a better time for Moolhuizen, who is getting married in June. His partner, Dehlia de Jong, who also plays poker, arrived in Paris this morning to support her fiancé from the rail.

FPS Paris 2024 Main Event final table results:

1st – Mateusz Moolhuizen, Netherlands, €470,830
2nd – Blaz Zerjav, Slovenia, €294,530
3rd – Yassine Baqal, France, €210,220
4th – Enis Rouissi, France, €161,710
5th – Kacper Pyzara, Poland, €124,390
6th – Scott Margereson, United Kingdom, €95,680

The 4,149-entrant FPS Paris Main Event featured 1,930 unique players from 75 countries. The tournament broke the attendance record for the PokerStars-sponsored regional tour, nearly doubling the previously biggest turnout of 2,138 entries from FPS Monte Carlo 2023.

FARAVASH DOMINATES MYSTERY BOUNTY

What makes Mystery Bounty events — or any Progressive Knockout tournament — great for players is that you don’t need to make the final table or finish in the top three spots to secure a decent payday. Bounty prizes can cover for the lack of a deep run.

But try telling that to players in the €3,000 EPT Paris Mystery Bounty, which played out over three days at the Le Palais des Congrès and drew 997 entries from 708 players.

The bounty prize pool was depleted by the 21 envelopes picked by Ram Faravash, who then went on to win the tournament, too. Faravash, from Australia, earned himself €298,796 for the win, plus €106,500 in bounties — the lion’s share of the €977,000 bounty prize pool. That adds up to a whopping €405,296 total.

The winning moment

To get the job done, Faravash overcame a final table that included Fabrice Bigot and Tsugunari Toma before defeating Belgium’s Mustafa Al-Sayegh heads-up. Incredibly, this is only Faravash’s second live result — his first worth just $583.

You can read a full recap of the event on PokerNews.

EPT PARIS RESULTS SO FAR

The EPT Paris festival has already crowned some very well known champions. Check out the full list of results so far.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

After last year’s record-breaking monster festival, it was a no-brainer that the European Poker Tour (EPT) would return to Paris in 2024. And this time it’s going to be bigger and better.

The event runs from February 14-25, 2024 and boasts a brand new venue in the heart of the city — the mesmerizing Le Palais des Congrès.

It’s a stone’s throw from where last year’s event took place (Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile) but this new venue is far bigger and will ensure there are no registration/seating issues.

Here you’ll find out everything you need to know about what’s sure to be an epic series. When play begins you’ll find all of our coverage — including live updates, feature articles and interviews, and every result — right here.

Get it bookmarked now!

KEY FESTIVAL DATES

France Poker Series:

  • FPS Main Event: February 14-19 – €1,100
  • FPS Cup: February 17-18 – €550
  • FPS High Roller: February 18-19 – €2,200

European Poker Tour:

  • EPT Super High Roller: February 18-20 – €50,000
  • Main Event: February 19-25 – €5,300
  • Mystery Bounty: February 21-23 – €3,000
  • High Roller: February 23-25 – €10,300

You can look through the full FPS and EPT Paris schedule here.

LIVE STREAM SCHEDULE

English-language coverage on our central/global channels will be hosted by James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, Maria Ho, Nick Walsh and Griffin Benger. 

There will also be streams on our French, Spanish and Brazilian channels. Plus, there will be broadcasts in German and Italian.

Monday February 19

13:00 CET

€1K FPS MAIN EVENT – FINAL TABLE

Tuesday February 20

NO BROADCAST

Wednesday February 21

12:30 CET

€5K EPT MAIN EVENT – DAY 2

Thursday February 22

12:30 CET

€5K EPT MAIN EVENT – DAY 3

Friday February 23

12:30 CET

€5K EPT MAIN EVENT – DAY 4

Saturday February 24

12:30 CET

€5K EPT MAIN EVENT – DAY 5

Sunday February 25

13:00 CET

€5K EPT MAIN EVENT – FINAL TABLE

ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

From croissant baking to wheel spinning, partying and river cruising, here’s your guide to making the most of your time in Paris.

EPT PARIS ACTIVITIES: ALL THE OFF-THE-FELT FUN

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?

RAZVAN BELEA BLITZES PARIS TO END ROMANIA’S LONG EPT WAIT

After nearly two decades, Romania got its first EPT Main Event champion as Razvan Belea destroyed the Paris final table in 2023.

TOURNAMENT REPORT I HOW BELEA WON I FINAL TABLE PLAYER PROFILES

€5,300 EPT PARIS 2023 MAIN EVENT
Entries:
 1,606 | Prize pool: €7,708,800 | First place: €1,170,000

MORE FROM EPT PARIS:

EPT PARIS COVERAGE HUB
Your one-stop-shop for everything EPT Paris.

POKER NEWS LIVE UPDATES
Our live reporting partner is offering hand-by-hand updates from a number of tournaments across the series.

EPT PARIS OFFICIAL SITE
The PokerStars Live official page, with everything you need to know about the tournament series in Paris.

FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
With 46 events on the schedule, the Paris calendar is action-packed.

DOWNLOAD THE POKERSTARS LIVE APP
All the info you need on your mobile device from the Apple iStore or Google Play for Android.

POKERSTARS BLOG ON TWITTER
Follow us on Twitter.

EPT PARIS 2023 ARTICLES

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