The win marked his seventh PokerStars trophy and sent him into the holidays with a well-earned celebration
Paul François Tedeschi added another highlight to his career by winning the €1,100 (US$1,298) PokerStars Open Cannes Main Event yesterday. The victory came at the Palais des Festivals, a venue closely tied to his early poker success more than a decade ago.
Tedeschi topped a field of 1,202 entries, creating a total prize pool of €1,153,920 (US$1,361,626). He controlled the action from the final day onward and converted his chip lead into the €195,700 (US$230,926) first-place prize. The result pushed his live tournament earnings past $4 million and moved him into the top 20 on France’s all-time money list.
The final table moved quickly, with Tedeschi rarely facing serious danger. He closed out the tournament by defeating Nikolai Mamut heads-up, stopping the Russian player from securing a second PokerStars Open title this year. Kamel Atoui finished third for €87,430 (US$103,167), followed by Axel Bayout in fourth with €67,250 (US$79,355) and Julien Sitbon in fifth for €51,730 (US$61,000).
The win almost never happened. Tedeschi originally planned to head home after a trip to Asia, but expensive flights changed his plans. He found a later ticket, made an unplanned stop in Cannes, and turned that detour into a title run. A key pot late on Day 3 helped him secure the chip lead entering the final day.
By the end, Tedeschi sealed the title when his pocket tens held up against Mamut’s king-nine.
