€1,000 Main Event Day 1a | 2025 WSOP-C Aix-en-Provence

04-17-2025 09:51 UTC+1

The Chase for the 2025 WSOP-C Aix-en-Provence Main Event Gold Ring Begins

Maxime Taldir

Last year, Texapoker hosted the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) in the surprising rugby stadium Stade Jean-Bouin Paris. An unexpected place to play poker, which saw the coronation of Mohamed Iche as the 2024 WSOP-C Paris Main Event champion, earning €150,000 out of a field of 1,056 entries. Not only did he win the gold ring of the Main Event, but he also finished in second place in the WSOP-C Cup during the same festival.

2024 WSOP-C Paris Main Event Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize (EUR)
1	Mohamed Iche	France	€150,000
2	Jonathan Bonnin	France	€93,248
3	Olivier Armougon	France	€66,400
4	Abel Pruchon	France	€51,100
5	Clement Delacroix	France	€39,700
6	Rayane Bouibeb	France	€31,000
7	Sergio Pinto Teixeira	France	€24,300
8	Mallory Frere	Belgium	€19,100
9	Yannick Fraysse	France	€15,100

This year, the set and the city have changed, as the 2025 edition has moved from April 10–22 to the Pasino Grand of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Just a few days after the massive Winamax Poker Tour Grand Finale and its 3,503 entries, which took place in the same casino, 12 rings are up for grabs.

Last night, Anthony Apicella won one of them, taking down Event #6, the €750 Superstack, for €35,000 after defeating players at the final table like… Mohamed Iche, the defending Main Event champion (9th, €4,250€).

2025 WSOP-C Aix-en-Provence Results

Ring	Event	Entries	Winner	Prize
#1*	€250 WSOP-C Podium Texapoker	89	Jérémy Palvini	€5,300 + $10,000 WSOP Main Event ticket
#2	€250 WSOP-C Cup	1,312	Anthony Philippe	€35,000
#3	€550 WSOP-C Mystery Bounty	571	Mathias Gustavo Bounous	€18,300€ + €17,500
#4	€200 WSOP-C Colossus	-	-	-
#5	€250 WSOP-C Online Space KO	4,622	-	€43,885.12
#6	€750 WSOP-C Superstack	280	Anthony Apicella	€35,000

*Event only open to players who have reached the podium in Texapoker multiday tournaments.

However, from now on, all eyes will be on the €1,000 WSOP-C Main Event, which starts this Thursday at 12:30 p.m. local time with Day 1a—the first of four starting flights. In this €1,000,000 guaranteed event, players will aim to increase their 50,000-chip starting stack through 45-minute levels until only 25% of the field remains. To go into more details, one entry and one re-entry are allowed during the first 11 levels (late registration ends around 10:45 p.m.).

As always stay tuned to PokerNews for coverage of this Day 1a of the WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event !

Tags: Abel Pruchon Anthony Apicella Clement Delacroix Jonathan Bonnin Mallory Frere Mohamed Iche Olivier Armougon Rayane Bouibeb Sergio Pinto Teixeira Yannick Fraysse

04-17-2025 12:30 UTC+1

Monnin Takes a Five-Bet Pot with Aces

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Maxime Taldir

Level 2 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Ludwig de Saint-Etienne opened from under the gun, then Antoine Talvard in middle position three-bet. The button four-bet to 7,300 but saw Christophe Monnin in the small blind five-bet to 20,000.

De Saint-Etienne folded and later said he had kings. Talvard folded as well and said he had ace-king, but the button decided to call.

The dealer fanned a flop of 9♥10♦8♣ where Monnin jammed for 28,200. The button eventually made the call.

Button: Q♠Q♣ All in
Christophe Monnin: A♥A♣

All the players around the tables were not suprised to discovered Monnin's aces. He won this big pot after the 5♦4♠ runout, while the button was eliminated on the next hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christophe Monnin	97,000 97,000	97,000
Ludwig de Saint-Etienne	95,000 95,000	95,000
Antoine Talvard	67,000 67,000	67,000

Tags: Antoine Talvard Christophe Monnin De Saint-Etienne

04-17-2025 17:45 UTC+1

Darcourt Sent to the Rail

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Maxime Taldir

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Cards went on their backs on Table 113 with Guillaume Darcourt in the small blind at risk for 29,200 against a player in middle position.

Guillaume Darcourt: J♦10♥ All in
Middle-position player: 9♣9♠

Darcourt asked for a queen after the 2♠9♦7♥ flop and the K♥ turn were revealed, but the 5♦ completed the board and he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guillaume Darcourt	Busted

Tags: Guillaume Darcourt

04-17-2025 19:35 UTC+1

Etienne to the Rail

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Maxime Taldir

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

After an open by a player in middle position, Ingrid Etienne in the cutoff three-bet all-in for 13,500. The button and the blinds folded to the initial raiser, who called.

Ingrid Etienne: 9♠9♥ All in
Middle-position player: K♠10♦

Etienne was on her way to double up after the 2♥A♣8♦ flop, but the 10♥ gave the best pair to her opponent, so she was eliminated after the Q♥ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ingrid Etienne	Busted

04-17-2025 22:05 UTC+1

322 Entries on Day 1a

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Maxime Taldir

Level 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 3,000 ante

Late registration closed after Level 11 with a total of 322 entries recorded on Day 1a of the WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event.

Out of those, 105 players remain for now, but only 81 will secure a seat for Day 2.

04-18-2025 00:19 UTC+1

Delval Easily Leads the Way after Day 1a of the WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event

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Maxime Taldir

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

How smooth can a Day 1 of a WSOP Circuit Main Event be when you only lose three pots? That’s exactly what Frédéric Delval claimed happened to him today after finishing on top of the Day 1a chip counts here at the Pasino Grand in Aix-en-Provence.

Already chip leader by the first break, Delval never relinquished his spot throughout the day. It wasn’t until after the dinner break that he admitted to losing his first pot, “but only for 15,000 chips,” he said while bagging an impressive 558,000 stack. “I lost another pot, and just before the end of the day where I lost 120,000 chips with queens against jacks that hit a full house,” he added with a smile.

Ludwig de Saint-Etienne held second place for a long stretch. He had already doubled his stack when he folded kings preflop in a five-bet pot after the first level. But on his path, he encountered Oleksandr Lobur, who took the majority of his chips across three key hands. “One pot flop, one pot turn, one pot river,” the Ukrainian summarized at the end of the day. Lobur finished strong with 487,000, while De Saint-Etienne, who at one point peaked at 500,000, bagged 264,000 for Day 2.

Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Frédéric Delval	France	558,000	186
2	Oleksandr Lobur	Ukraine	487,000	162
3	Guillaume Bigot	France	439,000	146
4	Flavius Vlasiu	Romania	411,000	137
5	Kevin Bleitrach	France	394,000	131
6	Stephane Abehassera	France	377,000	126
7	Mickael Muselli	France	376,000	125
8	Kostya Zaks	France	365,000	122
9	Andriy Marusanov	Switzerland	352,000	117
10	Adrian Perez	Spain	337,000	112

Among the 79 players who qualified for Day 2 out of a field of 322 entries, Kostya Zaks bagged one of the biggest stacks with 367,000 chips. He was joined at the top of the leaderboard by EPT champion Uri Gilboa (316,000) and Michel Leibgorin (303,000).

The €750 WSOP-C Superstack winner Anthony Apicella continued his strong run with 170,000 chips, just behind WSOP bracelet winner Antonin Teisseire, who bagged 194,000. Last week’s Winamax Poker Tour finalist Tahar Said also cruised through with 160,000.

“Same as usual—15 to 20 big blinds for me,” joked Rémy Biechel as he waited for his bag. He managed to finish with a bit more, ending the day on 88,000 chips. However Clément Michaud (74,000), Winamax Team Pro Davidi Kitai (54,000) and WSOP bracelet winner Axel Bayout (44,000) wrapped up their Day 1a exactly in the zone Biechel described.

The €1,000 WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event continues tomorrow, Friday, April 18, at 12:30 p.m. with Day 1b. This second flight will follow the exact same structure as Day 1a, featuring 45-minute levels and ending when only 25% of the field remains.

The only difference concerns the entry rules: players who participated in Day 1a but didn’t qualify will be allowed to play Day 1b only once. However, those who haven’t registered yet can enter and re-enter during Day 1b.

Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of all the Main Event here in Aix-en-Provence!

Tags: Anthony Apicella Antonin Teisseire Clément Michaud Davidi Kitai Frédéric Delval Michel Leibgorin Oleksandr Lobur Rémy Biechel Tahar Said Uri Gilboa