€5,300 Main Event Day 3 | 2026 PokerStars EPT Paris

02-26-2026 14:20 UTC+2

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

Sandra Barbour

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 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

02-26-2026 14:12 UTC+2

Geci Doubles in Gigantic Pot Against Chip Leader

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Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

The action was picked up on the 7♣8♠Q♥8♥ turn, where Endrit Geci checked from the hijack to Bruno Fuentes on the button. Fuentes placed a bet of 40,000, which Geci raised to 114,000.

After some debate, Fuentes called to the 2♠ river. Geci reverted to checking, prompting Fuentes to go into the tank. After spending a time bank, he announced an all-in bet.

Geci snap-called for his stack of 231,000. Fuentes revealed some missed draws with J♥9♥, while Geci was shipped the massive pot when he tabled A♥8♦ for trip eights.

Player	Chips	Progress
Zdenek Zizka	778,000 171,000	171,000
Endrit Geci	750,000 350,000	350,000
Pawel Wojciechowski	750,000 255,000	255,000
Bruno Fuentes	620,000 380,000	380,000

Benjamin Gros	410,000 47,000	47,000
Christos Xanthopoulos	163,000 37,000	37,000
Poseidon Ho	65,000 87,000	87,000
Vincent Lavollee	60,000 68,000	68,000

Tags: Bruno Fuentes Endrit Geci

02-26-2026 14:12 UTC+2

Vrakas Counterfeits Truzman

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David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Georgios Vrakas raised to 10,000 in the hijack before Abraham Truzman moved all in for 77,000 in the cutoff. "It's a good number, 77," Truzman told Vrakas, who took a few seconds until calling to put Truzman at risk.

Abraham Truzman: 9♣9♦ All in
Georgios Vrakas: A♥J♦

The flop came K♠10♦K♦, while the 10♠ turn put two pair on the board and counterfeited Truzman's nines. The river was the 2♣ and Vrakas won the pot with his ace to send Truzman to the rail.

"Crazy for it to end like this. Have a good party, guys," Truzman, still smiling despite the beat, told his tablemates as he snapped a photo of the board before heading to the payout desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Vrakas	300,000 75,000	75,000
Abraham Truzman	Busted

Tags: Abraham Truzman Georgios Vrakas

02-26-2026 14:04 UTC+2

Alves Bets Big on the River; Frankland Leaves Sutera on Fumes

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David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Daniel Moran and Ricardo Alves went to the turn on a board of A♠9♣3♣3♦. Ricardo Alves was counting out his chips in front of him, then reached for more and eventually bet 40,000 from the hijack. Moran protested that it was a string bet and asked for a tournament official to come to the table.

It was ruled that Alves' bet would be allowed to stand, and Moran called. The river was the Q♥ and Alves loudly announced a bet of 150,000 this time. Moran called, and Alves showed A♥Q♣ for two pair to win the pot.

At another table, Mathew Frankland had led out for 40,000 from the small blind on a board of K♣5♣Q♦7♥ and Benedetto Sutera called in the big blind.

The 8♣ fell on the river and Frankland slid forward a tower of blue 5,000 chips for a bet of 100,000. Sutera burned through a few of his time banks before calling, and Frankland showed 9♦6♦ for a rivered straight to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ricardo Alves	620,000 240,000	240,000
Mathew Frankland	460,000 336,000	336,000
Daniel Moran	100,000 217,000	217,000
Benedetto Sutera	50,000 223,000	223,000

Tags: Benedetto Sutera Daniel Moran Mathew Frankland Ricardo Alves

02-26-2026 14:02 UTC+2

Aissani Flips to Double Up

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Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Mohamed Aissani was all-in from the hijack for 106,000, at risk against Clement Guilleminot in the big blind.

Mohamed Aissani: 9♠9♣ All in
Clement Guilleminot: A♥K♦

Aissani flopped a set on 9♦K♣8♥ and locked up the pot on the 4♥ turn. The J♥ river was rendered meaningless as Aissani was sent the chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohamed Aissani	219,000 126,000	126,000
Clement Guilleminot	93,000 135,000	135,000

Tags: Clement Guilleminot Mohamed Aissani

02-26-2026 13:59 UTC+2

Assorted Counts

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Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrian State	802,000 208,000	208,000
Kayhan Mokri	740,000 10,000	10,000
Mahersh Selvakumaran	645,000 189,000	189,000

Boris Kolev	510,000 122,000	122,000
Grzegorz Kozieja	165,000 53,000	53,000
Gerard Rubiralta	125,000 10,000	10,000
Yuxi Huang	103,000 22,000	22,000
Jessica Teusl	75,000 51,000	51,000

02-26-2026 13:52 UTC+2

Schumacher Eliminated by Keating; Xanthopoulos Smacks the River to Bust Juncker

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David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Alex Keating and Yannick Schumacher went to the turn on a board of 3♦K♥Q♥A♦ when Keating bet 40,000 from the small blind. Schumacher called in the big blind.

The river was the 4♣ and Keating moved all in. Schumacher tossed in all his time bank chips and tanked for a minute before calling for his last 55,000. He showed Q♦9♦ for a pair of queens, but Keating had A♣J♠ for a pair of aces to win the pot and send Schumacher to the rail.

At another table, Endrit Geci had opened to 10,000 in middle position and Bruno Fuentes called in the hijack. Henrik Juncker then moved all in for 70,000 on the button and Christos Xanthopoulos reshoved in the small blind. Geci and Fuentes both got out of the way.

Henrik Juncker: Q♣Q♠ All in
Christos Xanthopoulos: 10♦10♠

Juncker had Xanthopoulos crushed and was poised for the double up as the board came K♠8♦4♥3♠, but Xanthopoulos spiked the 10♣ on the river as Juncker lowered his head in disappointment before making his exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bruno Fuentes	1,000,000 43,000	43,000

Alex Keating	750,000 271,000	271,000
Endrit Geci	400,000 58,000	58,000
Christos Xanthopoulos	200,000 45,000	45,000
Yannick Schumacher	Busted
Henrik Juncker	Busted

Tags: Alex Keating Bruno Fuentes Christos Xanthopoulos Endrit Geci Henrik Juncker Yannick Schumacher

02-26-2026 13:48 UTC+2

Other Early Eliminations

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Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaetan Balleur	Busted
Arturo Fernandez	Busted
Antoine Saout	Busted
Nikolay Ponomarev	Busted
Sebastian Ionita	Busted
Raffaele Bellapianta	Busted
Vitalijs Korhs	Busted
Elvir Nuhiu	Busted
Pierre-Antoine Quignard	Busted
Pablo Beltran	Busted
Vidar Oie	Busted
Gianfranco Iaculli	Busted
Leiqi Chen	Busted
Daniel Charlton	Busted
Ewen Trevidy	Busted

02-26-2026 13:42 UTC+2

Sitbon Sent to Exit

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Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

In a single-raised pot to the 2♦10♦2♥ flop, Alexis Lucarini checked from the big blind to Julien Sitbon under the gun. Sitbon placed a bet of 9,000, which Lucarini raised to 25,000.

Sitbon called, and the dealer put the 2♠ as the turn. Lucarini fired another bet of 25,000, again seeing his opponent call.

The J♥ fell on the river. Lucarini swiftly moved all in, covering Sitbon's 60,000 remaining chips. Sitbon tossed in all of his time banks and spent a few of them while he stared his opponent down.

Eventually, Sitbon flicked in a calling chip. Lucarini revealed A♣10♠ for a full house, and Sitbon said his goodbyes as he tabled A♦Q♣, playing just the trips on the board.