Lucas Archeny has gone from local poker clubs and freerolls to beating 2,873 entries in the €500 Winamax Poker Open Aix-les-Bains Main Event, collecting €150,000 for a victory that multiplied his previous biggest score by 15.
The 23-year-old French amateur defeated Etienne De Soultrait heads-up at Casino Grand Cercle after a final table that refused to follow a tidy script. Archeny built a lead, lost it, recovered and eventually closed the tournament with king-seven suited against De Soultrait’s ten-nine.
The field generated a €1,185,974 prize pool, making this considerably more than a nice result at a regional festival. A €500 buy-in attracted nearly 3,000 entries and left an accounting-sector worker who still describes himself as an amateur holding one of the biggest prizes of the week in European poker.
From Freerolls to a €150,000 Main Event Win
Archeny’s route into poker is a useful contrast to the endless stream of solver-trained professionals on the modern circuit. He started playing free tournaments in local clubs at 18 and gradually moved into low-stakes live events rather than jumping straight into expensive international schedules.
That experience mattered when the field became serious. Archeny said after the win that years spent in the amateur club scene had made him comfortable against many of the types of opponents he met during the opening stages, and he carried that confidence all the way to the final 17.
He entered the final day fourth in chips behind Timothee D’Anfray, Benjamin Goudard and Mathieu Pontin. By the time the table reached its final three, stacks had tightened and Archeny decided it was time to push for the lead rather than wait for somebody else to blink.
Pontin Falls Before a Swingy Heads-Up Battle
Archeny won a major pot against Pontin before eliminating him in third with a flopped set. That gave him roughly a three-to-one advantage over De Soultrait when heads-up play began, but the title was nowhere near finished.
De Soultrait found a big hero call with third pair to double and take over the lead. Archeny then rebuilt, made a straight in another important pot and moved back in front before the final confrontation arrived.
De Soultrait shoved for 38.2 million with ten-nine offsuit and Archeny called with king-seven of clubs. A six-three-four flop gave De Soultrait extra ways to survive, but the ace turn and five river left Archeny’s king high in front.
WPO Aix-les-Bains Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Archeny | €150,000 |
| 2 | Etienne De Soultrait | €105,000 |
| 3 | Mathieu Pontin | €74,000 |
| 4 | Timothee D’Anfray | €51,500 |
| 5 | Nicolas Ehrath | €36,000 |
| 6 | Benjamin Goudard | €25,500 |
| 7 | Quentin Le Dissez | €18,500 |
A 2,873-Entry Reminder That Live Poker Is Not Just for Pros
Poker’s biggest headlines naturally gravitate toward high rollers, but events such as this are where the scale of live poker becomes more obvious. Poker Type has recently followed huge international festivals including the Mediterranean Poker Party in Cyprus and the Unibet Open Marrakech, yet neither a five-figure buy-in nor a professional résumé was required to create this week’s standout European result.
Archeny also appears determined not to let one score rewrite his bankroll rules overnight. He said some of the money will go into his bankroll and some will be kept safe, while stressing that he has no intention of suddenly firing huge live tournaments simply because he has one six-figure result behind him.
That is probably the most grounded line to come out of the entire final table. Turning €500 into €150,000 is a spectacular result. Treating the €150,000 as permission to start punting €10Ks would be a very different story.
What Comes Next for Archeny?
Archeny plans to return for the Winamax Poker Tour Grand Final in March and, if the event returns, defend his Aix-les-Bains title next year. That gives him plenty of time to decide how much his poker schedule should actually change.
For now, the numbers are enough. One amateur player, 2,873 entries, a €500 buy-in and €150,000 at the end of it. Live tournament poker still has room for a story that starts in a local freeroll and ends with a Main Event trophy.
