Poker Player’s Third Tournament Cash is For a WSOPC Main Event Ring

Arriving on the last desk of the 2026 €1,500 WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Important Occasion on the Pasino Grand Partouche, Matthieu Cartillier held the chip lead however confronted robust opposition on his path to victory. Regardless of the problem, Cartillier navigated his approach to the title, rising because the winner after a comparatively quick last desk.

Out of a discipline of 783 entries, he secured his first WSOP Circuit ring, a $5,000 package deal for the subsequent WSOP Paradise, and, above all €150,000, the biggest share of the €1,014,768 prize pool, after defeating Michel Leibgorin (2nd – €107,000) in heads-up play.

Sonny Franco was on the lookout for his eighth ring however completed in third place for €78,000.

2026 WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Important Occasion Last Desk Outcomes

Winner’s Response

“I’m very glad, actually glad. I couldn’t actually hope for it, but it surely was a pleasure. I’m only a random man taking part in with randoms,” Cartillier joked whereas ready for his ring ceremony.

It’s true that out of the eight finalists, the 41-year-old accounting advisor was not essentially the most famend participant, with simply two reside cashes formally recorded. However behind this relative discretion lies a former skilled cash-game participant.

“I was a professional participant at the start of .fr poker. I bear in mind taking part in reside for the primary time on August 10, 2007. I used to be doing properly throughout that period, however I stepped away from poker about six or seven years in the past. I had been doing it for 10 years and acquired bored with it,” he defined.

On the time, he met gamers like Franco, whom he confronted once more on the last desk. Franco can be the explanation he performed the pageant this week: “It began when the Pasino Grand sponsored Sonny. I noticed movies on Fb due to him and thought, ‘okay, cool, I’ll go to the on line casino.’ So I got here right here.”

This friendship in the end led him to the title after a last desk he loved taking part in. “Actually, it was an excellent last desk. We had been laughing the entire time. I didn’t take a look at anybody’s outcomes in any respect however I’m not impressed by good gamers. I do know it’s a must to respect sure ranges and ideas, however the aim was extra about selecting who you need to play huge pots in opposition to. That’s what I attempt to do. And I additionally had the playing cards,” he stated.

Regardless of this success, Cartillier shouldn’t be planning to play extra tournaments sooner or later, though he’ll head to the Bahamas in December because of his $5,000 package deal for WSOP Paradise. “That could possibly be good. I’ll need to see with my spouse if she’s okay with going to the Bahamas,” he added.

However even earlier than that, his pageant is much from over, as he bagged an enormous stack for tomorrow’s Colossus Day 2, the place he’ll attempt to win a second ring this week.

Last Desk Motion

With a 60 huge blind common at the start of the ultimate desk, the day may have been very lengthy however every little thing has been fairly straight ahead all the way in which till the top, with only a few doubles up. The primary casualty was final in chips Alexis Tremblay, who ran his sixes into queens to take €19,100 for his eighth place end.

Whereas Leibgorin and Onni Huttunen had been taking the chip lead, Anthony Apicella flopped a straight to crack Huttunen’s kings and double up. Nonetheless these new hopes had been quick lived as he moved all-in just a few fingers later with jack-ten however confronted Skarparis’ kings. This time, the board modified nothing and he was despatched to the rail in sixth place.

He gained one place nevertheless, as Houssem Meftahi was eradicated moments earlier. He discovered journeys on the river and referred to as when Huttunen moved all-in, however the Finnish participant had already hit a straight on the flip, ending Meftahi’s event.

Now five-handed, Franco managed to double up with aces however unsuccessfully four-bet bluffed into ace-king within the subsequent fingers to maintain one of many shortest stacks by the primary break.

On the restart, Huttunen had a chance himself to double with aces, however Leibgorin discovered a straight on the flip to get nearer to the ring. Georgios Skarparis with ace-jack finally discovered Cartillier on his approach with ace-jack and adopted Huttunen on the cashier desk to take the €57,368 of his fourth place, leaving three French gamers in competition.

Franco closed the hole by doubling up for the second time with aces. Nonetheless two hours later, he was the one in danger once more dealing with the long run winner Cartillier. Franco flopped a pair with ace-nine, however Cartillier with king-queen rivered a straight and Franco noticed his eighth ring slipped by means of his fingers. “I’ve achieved my aim to be within the Prime 3,” he nonetheless stated after he was eradicated.

After dinner break, Leibgorin and Cartillier got here again on the desk to play for ring however the heads-up was just one approach with Cartillier hitting two pair, journeys and a full home in only a few fingers to finally get rid of Leibgorin and be topped as the brand new WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence champion.

The following WSOP Circuit pageant in Europe will happen in Could within the Netherlands, earlier than the circuit returns to France from September 1–12 on the model new Partouche On line casino Membership, which will likely be inaugurated subsequent month in Paris.