The France Poker Series (FPS) Aix-les-Bains €1,100 Main Event hosted by PokerStars got off to a commendable start after drawing 135 entrants on Day 1a, which was just shy of the 143 entrants that showed up on Day 1a last year here inside the Casino Grand Cercle.
After 14 levels of play, Kevin Hasler emerged as the overall leader of the 31 remaining players after bagging 240,000 in chips. Not far behind him is Damien Noraz, who managed to secure 236,000, and rounding out the top three is Kevin Naegelen, who ended with the only other player over 200k with 207,000.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip count | Big blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Hasler | Switzerland | 240,000 | 80 |
| 2 | Damien Noraz | France | 236,000 | 79 |
| 3 | Kevin Naegelen | France | 207,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Yoann Cook | France | 197,000 | 66 |
| 5 | Bekim Murtezi | Switzerland | 191,000 | 64 |
| 6 | Dorian Decauche | France | 190,000 | 63 |
| 7 | Julien Dupre | Brazil | 178,000 | 59 |
| 8 | Remy Murcia | France | 177,000 | 59 |
| 9 | Benjamin Bruneteaux | France | 163,000 | 54 |
| 10 | Nicolas Schegerin | France | 159,000 | 53 |
Julien Dupre, who is well known for his streaming career in the e-sports game League of Legends, was in attendance from the start and endured a swingy day that involved both getting lucky and getting caught bluffing. Despite busting one bullet and being down to half a starting stack late in the day, Dupre managed to mount a comeback and ended with 178,000 — good for the seventh spot overall.
PokerStars ambassadors Benjamin Bruneteaux and Julien Brecard took their seats at the start of the day in hopes of running up a stack. While Brecard ended up busting two bullets before dinner break, Bruneteaux fared better and managed to bag up a respectable 163,000 by the day's end.
Defending champion Alban Juen participated in various side events earlier in the week, however, Juen indicated he would not be participating in the main event due to prior engagements, which means a new champion will be crowned.
Remy Murcia, who made the final table and placed sixth of an FPS earlier this year at PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo, is poised to make another deep run after bagging 177,000.
Other less fortunate notables who were unable to make Day 2 include Felix Schneiders, Lylian Baunez, Ali Boulacel, Youcef Benzerfa, and Coralie Sferrazza, who busted late in the day in dramatic fashion after shoving preflop and getting called by Murcia, who caught a winning pair on the river.
Day 1b is scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 3 at 1 p.m. local time and will follow an identical structure and schedule as Day 1a. Players who entered and busted on Day 1a will be allowed one (re)entry on Day 1b, while all new entrants on Day 1b will be permitted to reenter once should they bust on their first bullet.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action leading to the next FPS Aix-les-Bains Main Event champion!
