€5,300 Main Event Day 1b | 2026 PokerStars EPT Paris

02-24-2026 18:10 UTC+2

Flashback: Barny Boatman Completes Long Road to EPT Main Event Title

Sandra Barbour

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

At the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris, a standing ovation took place for one of poker's legends as an emotional Barny Boatman captured a long-awaited EPT Main Event title inside Les Palais des Congres.

The veteran defeated 2013 WCOOP Main Event winner David Kaufmann in a swift heads-up encounter to take home the trophy along with the €1,287,800 top prize.

Kaufmann, who recently returned to the felt after an educational hiatus, collected €804,750 for his efforts, while the final podium finisher, Aleksejs Ponakovs, was awarded €574,850.

A fixture on the European Poker Tour since its inception, Boatman came close to Main Event glory once before, narrowly missing out on the victory in Sanremo in 2011. He'd long thought his chances of going the distance had passed him by, but as we know, anything can happen on the felt.

"If you don't get cards like I did today, it's very, very hard. I have won tournaments, obviously, but nothing this big and it feels unbelievable," the newly crowned champion told PokerNews.

2024 EPT Paris Main Event Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize (EUR)
1	Barny Boatman	United Kingdom	€1,287,800
2	David Kaufmann	Germany	€804,750
3	Aleksejs Ponakovs	Latvia	€574,850
4	Owen Dodd	United Kingdom	€442,150
5	Peter Jorgne	Sweden	€340,100
6	Eric Afriat	Canada	€261,650
7	Ami Barer	Canada	€201,250
8	Lorenzo Arduini	Italy	€154,800

Read the Full Recap Here

02-24-2026 18:07 UTC+2

Ievchenko Picks Up Kings to Bust Alt

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David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Dinesh Alt raised to 4,300 in the hijack, leaving one 100 chip behind. Oleksii Ievchenko called on the button, and they got in Alt's last chip on the 7♣5♠2♦ flop.

Dinesh Alt: A♣J♦ All in
Oleksii Ievchenko: K♠K♦

Alt was looking for an ace to stay alive against Ievchenko's kings, but no help arrived on the Q♦ turn or 3♣ river as Alt was sent to the rail.

EPT Malta champion Tomasz Brzezinski was also recently eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oleksii Ievchenko	28,000
Dinesh Alt	Busted
Tomasz Brzezinski	Busted

Tags: Dinesh Alt Oleksii Ievchenko

02-24-2026 18:00 UTC+2

Clock Runs Out on Zaks as Seire Commits Most of It on the River

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David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Around 20,000 was already in the pot as Casimir Seire and Kostya Zaks went to the turn on a board of 10♣6♣2♠8♣. Seire then bet 4,500 from the cutoff, and Zaks called on the button.

The river was the K♥ and Seire bet 12,500, leaving just two black 100 chips behind. Zaks went deep into the tank, taking nearly five minutes before the clock was called. He allowed his 30-second countdown to run out, and his hand was declared dead.

"Are you going to show?" he asked Seire, but Seire returned his cards face down and took in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kostya Zaks	80,000 24,000	24,000
Casimir Seire	45,000 16,000	16,000

Tags: Kostya Zaks Casimir Seire

02-24-2026 18:00 UTC+2

Mamou Doubles on Perfect Turn

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

With 11,500 in the pot, Gary Mamou checked the 8♣10♥6♥10♦ turn from the big blind. Victor Bourrier tossed in a bet of 9,500, prompting Mamou to shove all in for 24,100.

Bourrier spent some time in the tank before he wished his opponent good luck and slammed in a call.

Gary Mamou: 6♠6♣ All in
Victor Bourrier: A♥10♣

Bourrier's trips did not improve on the J♦ river, and Mamou was awarded a double-up with his full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gary Mamou	59,700 32,700	32,700
Victor Bourrier	20,000

Tags: Gary Mamou Victor Bourrier

02-24-2026 17:51 UTC+2

Fan Cracks Aces to Double Up

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Arriving on the 6♣8♦Q♦ flop with around 15,000 in the pot, Atanas Pavlov bet 3,300 from early position. Longmao Fan made the call on the button, after which the 2♦ came on the turn.

Pavlov announced an all-in bet, and Fan snap-called for his stack of 9,300.

Longmao Fan: J♦10♦ All in
Atanas Pavlov: A♥A♣

Pavlov's aces were no good against the turned flush of Fan, who officially won the pot when the meaningless 9♠ river completed the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Longmao Fan	40,200
Atanas Pavlov	25,000 20,400	20,400

Tags: Atanas Pavlov Longmao Fan

02-24-2026 17:47 UTC+2

Armougom Flips Pichierri to the Rail

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David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Alessandro Pichierri raised to 1,100 under the gun and Luc Lafontaine called in the hijack. Jimmy Armougom then three-bet to 3,700 on the button and Pichierri four-bet to 21,100. Lafontaine got out of the way, but Armougom moved all in. Pichierri only had around 3,000 remaining and quickly called for his last chips.

Alessandro Pichierri: A♣K♥ All in
Jimmy Armougom: 10♠10♥

Pichierri was racing for his tournament life against Armougom's tens, but he couldn't connect with the 9♠2♠6♥4♦5♦ board and was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jimmy Armougom	100,000 10,500	10,500
Luc Lafontaine	15,000 15,000	15,000
Alessandro Pichierri	Busted

Tags: Alessandro Pichierri Jimmy Armougom Luc Lafontaine

02-24-2026 17:42 UTC+2

Updated Counts and Recent Eliminations

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Endrit Geci	160,000 10,000	10,000
Tokuya Shuto	134,900 4,900	4,900
Mahersh Selvakumaran	118,500 38,500	38,500

Benjamin Gros	116,000 37,000	37,000
Jimmy Armougom	110,500 75,500	75,500
Elvir Nuhiu	107,500 17,500	17,500
Yohan Rascar	105,400 105,400	105,400
Kostya Zaks	104,000 1,000	1,000
Masato Yokosawa	83,500 50,500	50,500
Elias Gutierrez	82,000 32,000	32,000

Dominik Panka	80,000 15,000	15,000

Ali Abdulzahra	78,000 8,000	8,000
Andrew Hulme	76,000 11,000	11,000
Ilan Cukrowicz	72,600 22,600	22,600
Joris Ruijs	72,200 22,200	22,200
Ermanno Di Nicola	72,000 1,500	1,500
Georgios Vrakas	71,000 17,300	17,300
Danut Chisu	69,000 39,000	39,000
Julien Sitbon	66,000 9,000	9,000
Timothe Labassa	66,000 6,000	6,000
Boris Kolev	63,500 21,200	21,200
Robin Ylitalo	62,000 35,500	35,500

Kalidou Sow	61,000 31,000	31,000
Chun Kit Kwan	58,000 800	800
Omar Lakhdari	58,000 4,000	4,000

Read full

Level: 5

Blinds: 200/500

Ante: 500

02-24-2026 17:27 UTC+2

PokerStars Live League Returns With €250,000 in Prizes

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Sandra Barbour

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

PokerStars has confirmed the return of the PokerStars Live League for 2026, once again adding a season-long leaderboard race across its European live events calendar. With more than €250,000 in total prizes on offer, the league rewards consistency and volume across the year, with points available at every major stop.

The PokerStars Live League runs across all European PokerStars live events, including European Poker Tour (EPT) festivals, PokerStars Opens, and the PokerStars-sponsored Irish Open.

Find Full Details Here

02-24-2026 17:20 UTC+2

Break Time

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Players are going on another 20-minute break.