Winning the PS Open Aix-en-Provence Is a “Real Milestone” for Marcadet

The decision to travel from Budapest, Hungary, to his native France proved a profitable one for Christopher Marcadet because it ultimately resulted in him receiving a career-best €130,000.

Marcadet was one of 859 entrants in the €1,100 PokerStars Open Aix-en-Provence Main Event. Four days later, Marcadet emerged victorious with the winner’s trophy and €130,000 in tow.

“I’m struggling to process it yet,” a delighted Marcadet told PokerStars shortly after his victory. “Winning this magnificent trophy at such a prestigious PokerStars festival is a real milestone. The organization was incredible, and so was the structure. I’ll be back to defend my title in Aix-en-Provence and at other PokerStars Opens.”

€1,100 PS Open Aix-en-Provence Main Event Final Table Results

The Main Event paid the top 129 finishers a slice of the €824,640 prize pool. Canada’s Thomas Taylor was one of the first players to cash. Others such as Maria Lampropulos, PokerStars Ambassadors David Lappin and Benjamin Bruneteaux, Joe Hindry, Gabi Livshitz, and Sacha Cohen also saw a return on their investments.

China’s Chenxiang Miao was the first finalist relieved of their stack. Miao, who has more than $2 million in live tournament winnings, walked away with a €13,000 score, his first on French soil.

French duo Arno Peonnet and Laurent Lebar were the next two players heading for the cashier’s desk, with Poland’s Krzysztof Zapolski joining them after falling in sixth place.

Algerian ace Omar Lakhdari busted in fifth for €34,000. Lakhdari has been enjoying a purple patch of form, having captured two World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit rings in Paris in September.

France-based Vietnamese grinder Dinh Nguyen crashed out in fourth for a €45,000 addition to his bankroll. This was Nguyen’s second five-figure score, second only to the €50,800 he banked after winning the €550 Unibet DeepStack Open La Grande-Motte in December 2023.

The Main Event advanced to heads-up when Jordan Ayasse fell by the wayside. His third-place exit came with a €62,000 payout.

No deal was struck despite a €43,000 difference in prize money between first and second place. That lack of a deal meant John Rezzonico had to make do with an €87,000 haul after falling at the final hurdle. The Swiss runner-up had earnings of less than $2,000 before this impressive result.

A delighted Marcadet lifted the winner’s trophy knowing €130,000 would soon be in his bank account. That prize takes his lifetime career earnings toward $350,000, with this prize being almost four times larger than his previous best score.

Next PS Open Takes Place During EPT Prague

Your next chance to triumph in a PokerStars Open Main Event is right around the corner, with a €1,650 buy-in PS Open taking place from December 2-7 at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague festival.

Twelve months ago, Yulian Bogdanov of Bulgaria became the 2025 PS Open Prague champion. A massive crowd of 3,024 entrants, including re-entries, built a €4,354,560 prize pool.

Bogdanov won the all-important trophy after scooping €398,135 as part of a three-handed deal. Poland’s Adrian Ziemichod finished second (€440,110) and Bogdanov’s fellow Bulgarian Ivan Poroliev (€368,755) was the third-place finisher.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.