The PokerStars Open Cannes Main Event Palme d'Or for Paul François Tedeschi (€195,700)
“Cannes is a promised land.” Back in 2012, Paul François Tedeschi made his poker debut at the foot of the stairs of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, final-tabling both the former Partouche Poker Tour and the WSOP Europe Main Event that year. Since then, he has added many trophies to his collection, and one more this Sunday by winning the €1,100 PokerStars Open Cannes Main Event.
Out of a field of 1,202 entries, which generated a total prize pool of €1,153,920, Tedeschi claimed the €195,700 first-place prize by maintaining his chip lead all the way to the finish. Thanks to this performance, he surpassed the $4,000,000 mark in total live tournament earnings, placing him inside the Top 20 of the French All-Time Money List.
After a relatively short final table, “PFT” defeated Nikolai Mamut heads-up, denying the Russian player a second PokerStars Open victory this year after NAPT Las Vegas. Kamel Atoui finished in third place for €87,430, while Axel Bayout (4th – €67,250) and Julien Sitbon (5th – €51,730) rounded out the top five.
€1,100 PokerStars Open Cannes Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul François Tedeschi | France | €195,700 |
| 2 | Nikolai Mamut | Russia | €122,410 |
| 3 | Kamel Atoui | France | €87,430 |
| 4 | Axel Bayout | France | €67,250 |
| 5 | Julien Sitbon | France | €51,730 |
| 6 | Adria Diaz Dalmau | Spain | €39,790 |
| 7 | Michel Marcone | France | €30,600 |
| 8 | Gianfranco Ironico | Italy | €23,540 |
| 9 | Arthur Lacroix | France | €18,110 |
From expensive plane tickets to the win
“It’s wonderful. What more could I ask for?” smiled Tedeschi after lifting the trophy and the bottle of champagne that came with it. “The final table was very tough, so I’m really happy with the result.”
The victory carried an even more special flavor, as he wasn’t even supposed to play the tournament. After a trip to Asia, Tedeschi had planned to fly straight back home this weekend... but the plane tickets were simply too expensive. He let his family take the initial flight and later found a cheaper first-class ticket for himself earlier this week, prompting him to make a detour to Cannes. A decision that not only saved him money, but also earned him €195,700.
The story didn’t end there: not only did Tedeschi play the tournament, but he also built a commanding stack on Day 3, notably thanks to a straight completed on the turn against two pair, allowing him to enter the final day as the chip leader.
Still, even from that position, he remained cautious: “Of course, sometimes I project myself, but I try to avoid it as much as possible because it creates too much frustration. I would’ve been pretty frustrated if I hadn’t won this one, so I prefer to take things step by step.”
That approach paid off, as the victory marked his seventh PokerStars event title, adding to a résumé that already includes an FPS High Roller win in 2022 and an EPT Mixed Games Main Event first place in Prague last year.
The only missing piece now is an EPT Main Event title. “But I’m not sure I’ll play another tournament anytime soon. We’ll see,” he added, explaining that for now he is “heading home to spend the holidays with my family.” At the very least, Tedeschi has already given himself a beautiful Christmas present.
Final Day Action
Seven players reached the final day of the Main Event, all guaranteed €30,600 but obviously hoping for much more. Adria Diaz Dalmau and Michel Marcone held the shortest stacks at the restart, and their fates quickly became intertwined at the very start of the final table. Both moved all-in with ace-king and ace-jack respectively, only to be called by Nikolai Mamut in the big blind. His pocket sevens held, resulting in a double elimination, with Diaz Dalmau finishing in sixth place for €39,790 and Marcone exiting in seventh for €30,600.
Moments later, it was Julien Sitbon who found himself all-in and at risk with king-nine. He ran straight into Tedeschi’s pocket kings and was sent to the rail in fifth place for €51,730.
While it took just 30 minutes to reduce the field from seven to four players, another full level was needed before the next significant action. Axel Bayout shoved with pocket sixes, but once again Tedeschi stood in the way, this time holding pocket queens. The board offered no help, and Bayout was eliminated in fourth place for €67,250.
Kamel Atoui was next to fall after attempting a hero call with pocket kings on a board with three diamonds and two aces. Unfortunately for him, Mamut had flopped a flush, sending Atoui to the rail in third place for €87,430.
Tedeschi began heads-up play with a 2:1 chip lead and continued to extend his advantage all the way until his his pocket tens held against Mamut’s king-nine, crowning the 35-year-old player as the new PokerStars Open champion.
That wraps up PokerNews’ coverage of the PokerStars Open Cannes Main Event and the entire 2025 season. The PS Open circuit will soon be back on the road in 2026, kicking off in Campione, Italy, from January 23 to February 1. The PokerStars team will then return to France for the much-anticipated comeback of EPT Paris in February. An event that the PokerNews live reporting team won't miss!