Hallaert Bags the Lead on Record-Extending Day 1e; Talbot Among the Bubble Casualties
The 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris series at the Palais de Congres has reached another milestone in the opening France Poker Series (FPS) €1,100 Main Event, as the record attendance for the regional series in France was further extended. During the penultimate starting day, a total of 1,104 entries were recorded and that figure came up just short of yesterday's strongest flight while the final turbo heat drew another 783 entries.
It is the largest-ever FPS Main Event by a wide margin, nearly doubling the previous two record figures. One year ago here in Paris, the very same tournament drew a total of 2,071 entries and Alan Goasdoue defeated Jean-Luc Labryga for a top prize of €287,830. Japan's Daisuke Ogita then came out on top of a 2,138-entry strong edition during the 2023 PokerStars EPT presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®️.
Both of these figures have now been smashed as the 2024 FPS Paris €1,100 Main Event attracted 4,149 entries across six starting days, generating a prize pool of €3,983,040. All survivors of the six flights have locked up a min-cash that will be announced prior to the start of Day 2 on Saturday, February 17, 2024.
The second-largest starting day saw a total of 164 players advance and it came to a thrilling conclusion with three eliminations on the bubble. Unfortunately. one of the three casualties was none other than PokerStars ambassador Parker Talbot who ran with queens into aces. This propelled Uruguay's Marcelo Manfredini to 537,000 in chips, the fifth largest tally for the night.
Belgian poker pro and tournament director Kenny Hallaert topped the leaderboard with 703,000 followed by Nicolas Maniable (600,000), whereas David Kaufmann and Simon Gautschi both bagged up 537,000. Another familiar name in the top ten is perhaps better known from the football pitch, as Bernard Mendy made it through with a very healthy stack of 494,000.
Day 1e Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenny Hallaert | Belgium | 703,000 |
| 2 | Nicolas Maniable | France | 600,000 |
| 3 | David Kaufmann | Germany | 597,000 |
| 4 | Simon Gautschi | Switzerland | 597,000 |
| 5 | Marcelo Manfredini | Uruguay | 537,000 |
| 6 | Ramzi Bsaibes | United Arab Emirates | 521,000 |
| 7 | Lukas Hafner | Austria | 513,000 |
| 8 | Georgi Sandev | Bulgaria | 507,000 |
| 9 | Bernard Mendy | France | 494,000 |
| 10 | Vincent Meli | France | 473,000 |
Further notables with above-average stacks include Frederic Normand (443,000), Daniel Barriocanal (368,000), Gerard Rubiralta (318,000), Jaesung Lee (288,000), Aliaksandr Hirs (270,000) and Scott Margereson (195,000) to name all but a few.
The rise to the top of the leaderboard for Hallaert unfolded in the late stages when the former WSOP Main Event finalist flopped a set of fours and caught Thomas Saminadin on a move. During the same level and close to the money bubble, Benny Glaser was eliminated in cruel fashion to come up short of bagging and tagging.
A final trio then bowed out on separate tables to let the bubble burst and conclude the action of Day 1a for the night. By then, the turbo heat 1f had already closed for registration with notables from near and far in the hunt for a Day 2 berth.
All those who bagged up chips across the six starting days will return the following day at noon local time to collect their cash prizes. How large those will be remains to be seen, as the payout information will be revealed prior to the start. Returning blinds will be 3,000-6,000 with a big blind ante of 6,000 and another three tournament days are scheduled to determine the winner of the record-setting 2024 FPS Paris €1,100 Main Event.
Stay tuned right here on PokerNews to find out who fights for six-figure prizes and the elusive golden shard trophy.