Late registration closed at the start of Day 2, bringing the total number to 1,202 entries. Thanks to the 77 new entrants, the prize pool reached €1,153,920, easily surpassing the €1,000,000 guarantee.
Out of the 374 players remaining at the moment, 175 will be paid, each securing a minimum cash prize of €1,710. The winner of the tournament however will take home more than 100 times the min-cash with €195,700 along with the prestigious PSO trophy.
Avni Krasniqi opened from early position but Gregory Grech in the small blind three-bet to 16,000. Romain Mahiou in the big blind four-bet to 28,000, Krasniqi jammed for 43,000 and Grech eventually folded J♣J♥ face up.
Avni Krasniqi: A♥Q♠
Romain Mahiou: Q♦Q♥
The dealer fanned a board of 3♣6♠7♠6♣J♠ and Krasniqi was eliminated. "Aïe", Grech said when he saw the Jack on the river.
With 77 new entries recorded on Day 2 (waiting for an official confirmation), cards are in the air on Day 2 of the 2025 PokerStars Open Cannes Main Event!
Every spring for more than 85 years, actors, directors, producers, and spectators from all around the world gather at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès for the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
This week, however, the legendary red carpet and its 24 steps will not be walked by the film industry, but by some of the best poker players in the world for the 2025 PokerStars Open Cannes. Like a closing ceremony, the festival concludes a successful 2025 season just before Christmas and offers the opportunity to end the year in the best possible way.
French player Clément Delacroix has already done just that by winning the opening €2,200 High Roller from a total of 162 entries for €72,760. But the best is yet to come with the €1,100 PSO Main Event, which started Wednesday, December 17, with Day 1a and Day 1b, followed by Day 1c and Day 1d the following day.
Across these four starting flights, 1,125 entries were recorded, with late registration still open until the beginning of Day 2. This allowed the prize pool to already surpass the €1,000,000 guarantee. But who will take the biggest share of it?
France’s Michel Marcone had the best start so far by finishing Day 1c as the chip leader with 434,500, followed by Day 1a’s biggest stack, Joseph Benedetti (353,500). On Day 1b, Julien Sitbon led the pack with 186,500, while Ahmad Niazi bagged 286,000 chips on Day 1d. Overall, 370 players qualified for Day 2 through the four starting flights.
Michel Marcone
Top Ten Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Michel Marcone
France
434,500
290
2
Joseph Benedetti
France
353,500
236
3
Lege Saied
Tunisia
321,500
214
4
Nikolai Mamut
Russian Federation
298,000
199
5
Andrea Belmessieri
France
289,000
193
6
Gianfranco Ironico
Italy
286,500
191
7
Ahmad Niazi
Netherlands
286,000
191
8
Thibaut Moussa
France
260,000
173
9
Min-Guk Kim
South Korea
256,500
171
10
Eugenio Latorre
Italy
245,500
164
Mohamed-Said Taghla (226,000), Maxime Manzone (161,000), Remi Derossi (146,500), Julien Mariani (120,000), Omar Lakhdari (113,500), two-time FPS champion Anthony Apicella (100,000), Remy Murcia (71,000), or Florian Ribouchon (42,000) are among the many French players to follow, with PokerStars ambassadors Julien Brecard (112,000), Julien “Jbzz” Dupre (88,000), and Benjamin Bruneteaux (35,000) also still in contention.
When it comes to international players, David Docherty (141,000), Gerard Carbo (131,500), Jason Wheeler (83,000), Umberto Ruggeri (62,000), Davidi Kitai (45,000), Toni Kaukua (39,500), all the way down to Maria Lampropulos (23,500), secured a spot on Day 2 as well.
Benny and Yu
Entries Details
Flight
Entries
Remaining
Day 1a
350
114
Day 1b Turbo
74
26
Day 1c
562
175
Day 1d Turbo
139
55
Total
1,125
392
*late registration remains open until the beginning of Day 2
Play is set to resume this Friday, December 19, at noon local time for Day 2 of the Main Event. Ten 60-minute levels were played on each flight, so the structure continues on Level 11 with blinds of 1,000/1,500 and a big blind ante of 1,500, with ten more one-hour levels scheduled.
Late registration closes at the restart, so the confirmed prize pool and detailed payout information will be announced during the day. The bubble is expected to burst not long after the dinner break at the end of Level 16 (around 6:30 p.m.).
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and key hands as Day 2 of the €1,100 PSO Main Event plays out!
