Jozef Cibicek Seeks to End Near Misses in Final Day of PokerStars Open Namur
After four days of thrilling poker, nine players return to Circus Casino Resort today at noon, in order to try to claim the lion's share of the record-breaking €1,490,256 PokerStars Open Main Event Namur prize pool, the largest live event held in Belgian poker history.
Jozef Cibicek of Slovakia starts the day in pole position on a stack in excess of 12 million, and he will be hoping to finally have some silverware to show from a consistent year at the felt. Cibicek has notched up 15 cashes in 2025 so far, reaching six final tables, his best finish being third at CAPT Seefeld for €56,100. A trophy has so far eluded him however, and he will be aiming to end that drought.
Cibicek will not have it all his own way however, as Brit Jason Barton (11,330,000) and Ramdhane Ben Maamar of France (10,430,000) also wield eight-figure stacks and will be forces to be reckoned with. Both of these players have already secured career-best scores.
All of the top three adopted an aggressive style during Day 4, rarely missing an opportunity to put pressure on opponents, and the stage seems set for some fireworks today.
The top trio are miles ahead of the rest of the field, with Evert Rosseel of Belgium (3,710,000) in fourth. Rosseel's biggest score is a €25,700 payday for a fifth place finish in the 2023 Circus Cup in Namur, and a single pay jump today will result in a new career best for him.
In the middle of the pack sit Jean-Vincent Lehut (3,050,000), Ferdinando D'Alessio (2,780,000) and Julien Breuil (1,735,000), all talented players who will believe in their chances of a tilt at the title.
Alexandru Danes (1,325,000) of France and Dutchman Jort Hagedoorn (1,160,000) come into the day as the short-stacks, but with each over 15 big blinds, they are most certainly not out of the running.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jozef Cibicek | Slovakia | 12,350,000 | 154 |
| 2 | Jason Barton | United Kingdom | 11,330,000 | 142 |
| 3 | Ramdhane Ben Maamar | France | 10,430,000 | 130 |
| 4 | Evert Rosseel | Belgium | 3,710,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Jean-Vincent Lehut | France | 3,050,000 | 38 |
| 6 | Ferdinando D'Alessio | Belgium | 2,780,000 | 35 |
| 7 | Julien Breuil | France | 1,735,000 | 22 |
| 8 | Alexandru Danes | France | 1,325,000 | 17 |
| 9 | Jort Hagedoorn | Netherlands | 1,160,000 | 15 |
All players have locked up a minimum payout of €22,800, but will be gunning for the first place prize of €238,000. With the runner-up receiving €153,500, we are set for a €84,500 heads-up match today.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | €238,000 |
| 2 | €153,500 |
| 3 | €109,620 |
| 4 | €84,320 |
| 5 | €64,830 |
| 6 | €49,950 |
| 7 | €38,410 |
| 8 | €29,580 |
| 9 | €22,800 |
The players are returning to 60 minutes left in Level 29, with blinds of 40,000/80,000, with a 80,000 big blind ante.
PokerStars France will be streaming all the action on their social media channels on a 25-minute delay, so our coverage will start at 12.25 p.m. in order to match the stream.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all your coverage of what is sure to be an exciting final table, as we see who can take PokerStars Open glory in Namur today.