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After an absolutely frantic day of poker at Casino Grand Cercle d'Aix-les-Bains, 1446 entrants across Days 1c-1d have been whittled down to 238 qualifiers for Day 2 of the 2025 Winamax Poker Open Aix-les-Bains, joining the 187 players who booked their spots from Days 1a-1b.
The event has proven to be a record breaker, the €1,083,878 prize pool setting new heights for a Winamax Poker Open since its 2010 inception, surpassing the 2022 event in Bratislava.
After the dust settled, Nolan Madene (1,600,000) will take the chip lead into Day 2 after topping the standings in Day 1c, just ahead of Julien Gadanho (1,098,000, while Matthias Bertholon (1,051,000) completes the top three.
Madene clearly enjoys Winamax events, having final tabled the SISMIX event in Marrakech in May, and boasts recorded cashes of just under $300,000, his biggest score being a victory in a €550 buy-in event at EPT Paris in 2024 for €143,200.
Bertholon has recorded cashes of just under $30,000, and is chasing a career-biggest score, while Gadanho is searching for only his second four-figure payday.
End of Days 1c-1d Top Ten Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolan Madene | France | 1,600,000 | 133 |
| 2 | Julien Gadanho | France | 1,098,000 | 92 |
| 3 | Matthias Bertholon | France | 1,051,000 | 126 |
| 4 | Jonathan Guez | France | 991,000 | 83 |
| 5 | Jean-Marie Blanc | France | 945,000 | 79 |
| 6 | Timothée Rey | France | 885,000 | 74 |
| 7 | Adrien Deloffre | France | 873,000 | 73 |
| 8 | Paul Haquin | France | 830,000 | 69 |
| 9 | Regis Levy | Switzerland | 829,000 | 69 |
| 10 | Solano Barreto | Switzerland | 816,000 | 68 |
Days 1c-1d Action
The action was fast and furious as the casino was packed to the hilt, as players chased their final chance at Day 2 qualification.
Madene built his stack steadily throughout the day, and then was on the right end of a massive three-way cooler in the final session.
A number of Winamax ambassadors were in the field, but only Gus Hansen (691,000) and Julien Sitbon (347,000) managed to progress, joining Leo Margets and Davidi Kitai from previous flights.
Other notables still able to have a tilt at the title include Winamax Grande Finale 2024 winner Jeremy Cauchard, Aix-les-Bains FPS winner Alban Juen and Timothee Rey.
Helene Jullien was the unfortunate player to bubble, being forced all-in from the big blind, and then proceeding to get rivered, right after Jerome Pradal's pocket kings got cracked on the soft-bubble.
The Day 2 qualifiers will return at noon on September 20 having secured a minimum cash, where the clock will be increased to 35-minute levels. Details of payouts and the Day 2 seating draw will be posted as soon as they are available.
The final day is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. September 21, where the clock will jump to 40-minute levels.
2025 Winamax Poker Open Aix-Les-Bains Main Event Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 20 | Day 2 | Noon | 35 minutes |
| September 21 | Day 3 | 12:30 p.m. | 40 minutes |
PokerNews will be on the floor until a champion is crowned, so stick with us for all your coverage of the Winamax Poker Open Aix-les-Bains.
