Mateusz Moolhuizen Wins Record-Breaking France Poker Series Paris Main Event

The field-size document for the France Poker Series has been greater than doubled thanks to an enormous turnout for the FPS Paris €1,100 buy-in no-limit maintain’em essential occasion held this week at Le Palais des Congrès. A complete of 4,149 entries have been made within the match, which was the kickoff occasion of the 2023 European Poker Tour Paris competition, blowing away the earlier FPS essential occasion discipline document of two,138 entries set in Monte Carlo final yr.

The enormous turnout resulted in a prize pool of $4,292,921 which was paid out among the many prime 619 finishers. After six beginning flights and three extra days of combined-field motion, it was 34-year-old Dutch poker professional Mateusz Moolhuizen who emerged victorious with the title and the highest prize of $508,496.

This was the second-largest rating of Moolhuizen’s profession, trailing solely the
$597,362 he earned because the runner-up within the 2022 World Series of Poker ‘Monster Stack’ occasion. He now has greater than $1.8 million in lifetime match earnings to his title.

In addition to the {hardware} and the cash, Moolhuizen additionally secured 1,320 Card Player Player of the Year factors because the champion. This was his first POY-qualified rating of 2024, however it alone was sufficient to catapult him into twelfth place within the POY standings introduced by Global Poker.

The closing day of this occasion started with simply six contenders remaining, with Enis Rouissi within the lead and Moolhuizen nearly tied for second when playing cards obtained within the air. Moolhuizen had simply six blinds when day 2 started however managed to spin his stack again up and survive to the ultimate desk.

He scored the primary knockout of the day, with pocket nines holding in opposition to the pocket threes of the UK’s Scott Margereson (sixth – $103,334). The 30-year-old World Poker Tour champion now has practically $3.4 million in lifetime cashes beneath his belt.

Kacper Pyzara was the subsequent to fall, along with his A-10 unable to carry up in opposition to the A-7 suited of Rouissi. A seven on the flip left Pyzara in tough form, and the river was no assist. He earned $134,341 because the fifth-place finisher.

Despite beginning the day atop the leaderboard, Rouissi was in the end despatched to the rail in fourth place due to a brutal preflop cooler. His pocket queens bumped into the pocket kings of Blaz Zerjav. After an ace-high runout that improved neither participant, Rouissi headed to the cage to gather his $174,647 payout. This was by far the most important rating but for the 44-year-old Frenchman.

Zerjav additionally ended Yassine Baqal’s run on this occasion, with OkJ besting Q10 on an AJ2810 runout. The 36-year-old native of France was awarded $227,038 for his efforts.

Heads-up play started in a digital lifeless warmth, with Moolhuizen main by lower than a single huge blind. Moolhuizen was capable of soar out in entrance early, although, and prolonged his benefit to greater than 3:1 by the point the ultimate hand was dealt. In that conflict he open-shoved from the button with A7 and Zerjav referred to as off his final 12 or so huge blinds with OkQ. The board got here down 105562 and Moolhuizen made a flush to lock up the pot and the title. Zerjav earned $318,092 because the runner-up. The 26-year-old Slovenian now has practically $1.3 million in recorded scores to his title.

Here is a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the ultimate day:

Photo credit score: Manuel Kovsca / Rational Holdings Ltd.