Level 40
: Blinds 600,000/1,200,000, 1,200,000 ante
Blaz Zerjav
Enis Rouissi raised to 3,000 from the button with 6♥2♥ and Blaz Zerjav called with Q♠10♥ in the big blind.
The flop came 9♣A♠Q♥. Rouissi check-called the 2,500,000 bet of Zerjav.
The turn was the 3♣ and Zerjav checked again. This time, Rouissi continued with a bet of 6,800,000 which was called again.
The river completed the board with the 8♠ and Zerjav checked for the final time. Rouissi shoved with the bigger stack.
"I am going to need a minute," Zerjav responded before he called for the 7,000,000 he had behind to see himself double up with the better hand as he had flopped a pair of queens.
Level 40
: Blinds 600,000/1,200,000, 1,200,000 ante
Mateusz Moolhuizen
Blaz Zerjav picked up the 10♣10♥ in the small blind and considered his options.
"Any chance of a walk?" Mateusz Moolhuizen asked in the big blind.
Zerjav raised to 3,600,000, and Moolhuizen called with the 10♦8♦.
The flop came 5♣Q♣9♠, Zerjav continued with a bet of 2,800,000 for Moolhuizen to call.
The turn was the 7♣, Zerjav checked and Moolhuizen bet 3,500,000. Zerjav came along to the 3♠ on the river. Zerjav checked for the final time. Moolhuizen barreled a bet of 7,000,000 into the pot to leave himself behind with 2,800,000. Zerjav took some time and then folded.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/1,500,000, 1,500,000 ante
Enis Rouissi
Enis Rouissi shoved from under the gun for 23,600,000 for Blaz Zerjav to shove for more from the small blind and the cards to go on their backs as Mateusz Moolhuizen quickly folded his big blind.
Enis Rouissi: Q♥Q♣
Blaz Zerjav: K♥K♣
The board ran out 2♦7♦6♠A♦10♠ to spell the end of the Day 3 chip leader as Rouissi was eliminated in fourth place.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/1,500,000, 1,500,000 ante
Yassine Baqal
Mateusz Moolhuizen got out of the way on the button before Yassine Baqal shoved in the small blind. Blaz Zerjav made the call and the hands were turned up.
Yassine Baqal: 9♣7♣
Blaz Zerjav: 3♣3♥
Baqal was flipping and connected on the 8♦7♥Q♦A♣Q♥ runout to earn the double through the chip leader.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/1,500,000, 1,500,000 ante
Yassine Baqal
Yassine Baqal shoved in the small blind for his last 7,000,000 and Blaz Zerjav immediately called in the big blind.
Yassine Baqal: J♣7♣
Blaz Zerjav: 8♣8♥
Baqal was looking for another double but could not connect on the 2♦K♠3♦ flop or A♦ turn. His rail erupted when the dealer turned over the J♠ river, staying alive once again, pairing his jack with a three-outer.
Level 43
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Mateusz Moolhuizen
Blaz Zerjav limped on the button with Q♥4♣ and Mateusz Moolhuizen tapped the table holding K♣10♥ in the big blind.
Moolhuizen checked the 9♥4♥3♣ flop before Zerjav fired 2,500,000. Moolhuizen then check-raised to 6,500,000 and Zerjav made the call.
The 10♦ turn swung the advantage and Moolhuizen took some time before betting 12,000,000. Zerjav called to see the 2♣ river.
Moolhuizen moved all in, leaving Zerjav with a decision for his tournament life. Zerjav went into the tank for several minutes, chatting with Moolhuizen while pondering his decision.
Zerjav ultimately decided to fold, as Moolhuizen took a commanding chip lead.
Level 43
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Blaz Zerjav
Mateusz Moolhuizen shoved on the button and was quickly called by Blaz Zerjav in the big blind.
Blaz Zerjav: K♠Q♦
Mateusz Moolhuizen: A♠7♥
Zerjav needed help but was unable to run down the ace-high of Moolhuizen, who improved to a flush after the 10♥5♥5♦6♥2♥ runout. Zerjav had to settle for a runner-up finish, as Moolhuizen took down the title.
Level 43
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Mateusz Moolhuizen
The €1,100 PokerStars France Poker Series Main Event was a four-day grind of focus and determination at Le Palais des Congrès, where players were looking to outlast the largest FPS field ever and earn a coveted trophy at the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris.
Of course, a little luck doesn’t hurt either. After six opening flights, the massive field finally combined for Day 2, where title contenders would separate themselves from the pack. Of the 619 who returned from the starting field of 4,149 entries, Mateusz Moolhuizen began that day as one of the short stacks. Almost 60 hours later, the Dutchman was celebrating with fiancée and fellow poker pro Dehlia de Jong.
“It's like a dream, to be honest, because I started Day 2 with six big blinds,” Moolhuizen said after his trophy ceremony. “People came to me and they're like, how are you doing in the main? Well, I'm going to be there two or three minutes and then I'm going to have breakfast.” But those plans changed quickly, as Moolhuizen recalled. “After two hours I had 70, 80 big blinds and I was very, very hungry. So yeah, I had an insane run. Obviously, I was very lucky.”
Luck was only part of the equation, as the 34-year-old used a timely bluff and a fortunate run of cards to add this title to an impressive poker resume. Moolhuizen's list of career wins includes victories over other large fields, but it marks his first in a PokerStars Main Event.
Final Table Results
Place
Player
Country
Prize (EUR)
1
Mateusz Moolhuizen
Netherlands
€470,830
2
Blaz Zerjav
Slovenia
€294,530
3
Yassine Baqal
France
€210,220
4
Enis Rouissi
France
€161,710
5
Kacper Pyzara
Poland
€124,390
6
Scott Margereson
United Kingdom
€95,680
7
Pierre Merlin
France
€73,580
8
Julien Duveau
France
€56,590
9
Pietro Corsi
Italy
€43,540
Winner’s Reaction
The record-breaking field this week generated a whopping €3,983,040 prize pool, and the final six players entered Day 4 ready to battle for the title. Moolhuizen sat third in chips to start, but was able to navigate his way to the win. He was admitted tired after a long session to bag the previous night, and did not get much rest ahead of the final day.
“I couldn't sleep,” said Moolhuizen, “I slept like, four hours. But the adrenaline just keeps you going anyway, right?” Not only was he able to stay awake, but the newly crowned champion also used meditation to control the adrenaline. “I'll be very honest. I don't do it enough. But it's good to keep calm.”
Mateusz Moolhuizen
With his fiancée cheering from the rail, Moolhuizen gave the couple one reason to feel more attached to the host city of Paris. Another will come in just a few months. “I mean, it's the city of love and getting married in France” he explained. “It's amazing. That's the story for sure, for sure.”
Final Table Action
The final table marked the start of the PokerStars livestream here in Paris, and action was quick right from the start. Less than 30 minutes into the day, Moolhuizen scored the first knockout. Scott Margereson entered as the short stack and was unable to catch a set before exiting in sixth place.
From there, things slowed down until Kacper Pyzaragot unlucky against start-of-day chip leader Enis Rouissi to finish in fifth position. Despite entering the day with a commanding advantage, Rouissi was the next to go in fourth when his queens ran into the kings of Blaz Zerjav.
Throughout much of the day, Yassine Baqal was on a short stack but managed to survive four consecutive all-ins. The last two came at the expense of Zerjav, but the Slovenian pro finally got his revenge and sent Baqal home in third place.
Blaz Zerjav & Mateusz Moolhuizen
Heads Up Play
That left Moolhuizen and Zerjav to fight for the title, and the two had tangled in a key pot hours earlier. Moolhuizen got a bluff through after risking almost his entire stack, propelling him back into contention at that point.
The heads-up battle began with virtually even stacks, and the two combatants traded the lead before Moolhuizen was able to pull away. A key turn card left the Dutchman with a massive chip advantage, and the stacks were all in soon after with Zerjav coming up short.
With a big victory under his belt here in Paris, Moolhuizen will try to get some rest before jumping into the EPT Main Event. “Tomorrow, I'll be definitely tired,” he said before leaving the feature table stage. “I'm not looking forward to playing tomorrow now, a day later. It's a position everybody wants to be in, but I'll probably be less talkative tomorrow on the table.” Perhaps his play can do the talking again, as he begins the quest for a rare double at an EPT stop.
Mateusz Moolhuizen
This concludes the PokerNews coverage of the FPS Main Event, but our live reporting from Paris continues. Check out our event hub for all of the action at Le Palais des Congrès, and look out for coverage of major events elsewhere around the poker world.
