button in SafariDay 1b of Winamax Poker Open Main Event Kicks Off at Noon
After a strong start in the Opener event and Day 1a of the €500 Main Event, the 2026 Winamax Poker Open Aix-les-Bains at Casino Grand Cercle continues this Thursday with Day 1b.
In the opening flight, 386 entries were recorded, more than twenty more than last year. But out of this field, only 63 players managed to find a bag at the end of the night, led by Julien Archer with 1,191,000. He was the only player to finish with more than a million chips, but Amilcar Marty (861,000), who burst the bubble, Titas Gancierius (850,000) and Julien Gadanho (804,000) are close behind.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julien Archer | France | 1,191,000 | 119 |
| 2 | Amilcar Marty | France | 861,000 | 86 |
| 3 | Titas Gancierius | Lithuania | 850,000 | 85 |
| 4 | Julien Gadanho | France | 804,000 | 80 |
| 5 | Laurent Amri | France | 649,000 | 65 |
| 6 | Florian Sebileau | France | 631,000 | 63 |
| 7 | Brice Chervier | France | 622,000 | 62 |
| 8 | Patrick Girard | France | 573,000 | 57 |
| 9 | Richard Barbier | France | 559,000 | 56 |
| 10 | Alexandre Mebs | France | 546,000 | 55 |
Even though a few notable players, such as Winamax Team Pros and streamers, played Day 1a, none of them qualified for Day 2 yet. However, players like Laurent Amri (649,000), Florian Sebileau (631,000), Benjamin Meyer (315,000), Christophe Charlet (269,000), Julien Leideck (128,000), Florian Vachez (75,000) and Ricardo Graells (56,000) have already secured a spot in the money.
For all the non-qualified players, Day 1b begins at noon local time with 30-minute levels and a 50,000-chip starting stack. Late registration closes at the end of Level 13, and the day will conclude once 16.6% of the field remains. All players who qualify for Day 2 will be in the money.
Meanwhile, after last night's Marble Race, another highly anticipated event will start at 8 p.m. with the Winamax Beer Pong Open. You can be sure that the focus in this event will be just as high as in the Main Event!
Never Miss a Moment with MyPlayers on PokerNews
Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on poker's biggest stars or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you.
No subscriptions, no paywalls, just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most. It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.
From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the exciting updates on the ground!