button in Safari€500 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2026 Estoril Poker Fest
€500 Main Event
Day: 1a
Players Left 155 / 878
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
1
1,830,000
6
557,000
7
498,000
9
464,000
Level 20
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
When a player bags the chip lead, he or she often has two or three times the average stack. But how about six times the average? This rare feat was achieved by Benjamin Legrusley, who ended Day 1a of the €500 Estoril Poker Fest Main Event with a massive stack of 1,836,000 chips.
Playing just his second-ever live poker festival here at Casino Estoril, the online grinder explained that he arrived at his last table with roughly 400,000 after “an amazing day where everything went well.” But the turning point of his day was still to come in a huge pot against Omar Lakhdari. The Algerian fired three barrels, all of which were called by Legrusley, who doubled up to surpass the one-million-chip mark.
However, one million wasn’t enough, and he added another 800,000 chips shortly after in a three-way all-in on the bubble that ended in a double elimination, allowing the 46 remaining players out of a 284-entry field to advance to Day 2.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benjamin Legrusley | France | 1,830,000 | 229 |
| 2 | Moundir Zoughari | France | 1,020,000 | 128 |
| 3 | Thomas De Leiris | France | 723,000 | 90 |
| 4 | Julien Gadanho | France | 675,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Adrien Burgniard | France | 598,000 | 75 |
| 6 | Romain Derenemensil | France | 557,000 | 70 |
| 7 | Antonio Alves | Portugal | 498,000 | 62 |
| 8 | Florian Delbergue | France | 466,000 | 58 |
| 9 | Prasanth Somas | France | 464,000 | 58 |
| 10 | Robin Gerard | France | 447,000 | 56 |
Legrusley’s performance overshadowed that of Moundir Zoughari, as the former Koh-Lanta contestant (the French version of Survivor) also ended the day with a massive stack of 1,020,000. He spent most of the day on the feature table and explained that he mostly applied pressure on the bubble to build his stack.
The rest of the top five is rounded out by Thomas De Leiris, Julien Gadanho (675,000), who made several short stacks double up during the final levels, and Adrien Burgniard, who doubled himself to bag 598,000.
French poker streamers Robin Gerard (447,000) and Jean “Juaniitoooo” Salaun (361,000) spent several hours seated next to each other today and both advanced to Day 2, unlike their colleagues Hadrien “zChance44” Gallois and Willy “Skyyart” Dias, who will have to try again in another starting flight.
2024 EPT Barcelona Estrellas champion Sylvain Berthelot doubled up with aces to finish with 286,000, ahead of Edgaras Gendvilis (193,000) or Victor Guinand (131,000).
Gaelle Baumann enjoyed a successful return to the tables as she bagged 112,000. Frédéric Heyvaert (57,000) also advanced, although with little more than the starting stack. Things were even worse for fellow Belgian Ferdinando D’Alessio, who will return with just 12,000 after doubling up Antonio Alves (498,000) in the last hand.
Day 1b of the Main Event kicks off this Thursday, May 14, at 12 p.m. local time and will follow the exact same structure as Day 1a, with a 50,000 starting stack and 30-minute levels.
As always, the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to bring you all the updates until a winner is crowned!
Level 20
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,830,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
||
|
1,020,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
|
723,000
147,000
|
147,000 |
|
675,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
598,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
557,000
122,000
|
122,000 |
|
|
498,000 | |
|
|
466,000
366,000
|
366,000 |
|
|
464,000
464,000
|
464,000 |
|
447,000
177,000
|
177,000 |
|
|
431,000
89,000
|
89,000 |
|
|
415,000
415,000
|
415,000 |
|
|
393,000
133,000
|
133,000 |
|
|
374,000
374,000
|
374,000 |
|
361,000
31,000
|
31,000 |
|
|
339,000
339,000
|
339,000 |
|
329,000
329,000
|
329,000 |
|
|
328,000
328,000
|
328,000 |
|
|
293,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
286,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
|
|
248,000
248,000
|
248,000 |
|
236,000
236,000
|
236,000 |
|
|
197,000
197,000
|
197,000 |
|
|
196,000
196,000
|
196,000 |
|
193,000
143,000
|
143,000 |
Level 20
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The 46 remaining players are now bagging their chips. They are all in the money and qualified for Saturday's Day 2.
Stay tuned as PokerNews provides you chip counts and a recap of today's action!
Level 20
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Benjamin Legrusley opened to 16,000 from the button. Samuel Ruiz in the small blind three-bet to 65,000, then Omar Lakhdari in the big blind counted his stack multiple times.
It seemed like he wanted either a bigger stack for Day 2 or to start all over again tomorrow, so he moved all in for approximately 210,000. The action went back to Legrusley who jammed for 1,100,000. Ruiz called off his remaining 540,000.
Omar Lakhdari: Q♣6♣ 
Samuel Ruiz: K♦K♣
Benjamin Legrusley: A♣K♠
Legrusley hit top pair on J♣A♦5♣ to take the lead while Lakhdari found a flush draw. He had a few more outs with the 6♥ turn but the 8♠ river kept Legrusley ahead.
As a result, Legrusley sent both Ruiz and Lakhdari to the rail on the bubble and bagged 1,836,000, six times the average stack.
Meanwhile, Antonio Alves doubled with 10♣10♥ through Ferdinando D'Alessio with A♣J♣.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,836,000
906,000
|
906,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
498,000
498,000
|
498,000 |
|
12,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
Level: 20
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
Level 19
: 3,000/7,000, 7,000 ante
A single hand was played on the bubble before a 15-minute break.
Level 19
: Blinds 3,000/7,000, 7,000 ante
With now 48 players for 47 places in the money, the clock was stopped to start the hand for hand procedure.
Level 19
: Blinds 3,000/7,000, 7,000 ante
Benjamin Legrusley was seen dragging a massive 900,000-chip pot his way while Omar Lakhdari was left with most of his stack gone. According to Legrusley, Lakhdari opened from under the gun with J♦8♣ and he defended from the big blind.
Lakhdari then fired three barrels on Q♠J♣2♠3♦4♦ and moved all-in on the river. Legrusley called every single bet with Q♣10♠ and now holds the chiplead.
In his strategy to build a big stack or go home, Lakhdari was raising for most of his stack in the next hands until Mapko Petrovic called with roughly 180,000, slightly less than Lakhdari.
Mapko Petrovic: A♣K♥
Omar Lakhdari: K♣J♣
Lakhdari was lucky enough to hit a pair on 4♥J♠8♥5♣3♥ to send Petrovic to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
930,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
460,000
190,000
|
190,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
Level 19
: Blinds 3,000/7,000, 7,000 ante
The field quickly dwindled to 49 players, so two places away from the money.
With no clear short stacks, the pace of eliminations has slowed down but Sylvain Berthelot in the big blind eventually found himself at risk for 124,000 against Tristan Laverdet under the gun.
Sylvain Berthelot: A♠A♣
Tristan Laverdet: J♦J♥
The dealer fanned a board of Q♦3♦2♣9♠7♥ and Berthelot secured a double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
260,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
80,500
80,500
|
80,500 |
