Lucas Archeny Defeats Professional Field to Win 2026 WPO Aix-les-Bains Main Event

A 23-year-old local amateur defeated a field that included Winamax Team Pros to win the €500 Winamax Poker Open Main Event at Casino Grand Cercle of Aix-les-Bains. Lucas Archeny claimed the €150,000 top prize from a 2,873-entry field that produced a €1,185,974 prize pool, as reported by PokerNews.

Archeny, who works in accounting and typically plays freerolls in local clubs, outlasted the competition in a final table that featured several experienced players. He defeated Etienne De Soultrait in heads-up play for the title. De Soultrait earned €105,000 for second place while streamer Mathieu Pontin placed third for €74,000.

Final Table Run and Key Eliminations

The final day began with 17 players. Five were eliminated in the first hour, including Nicolas Marin in 17th place after a flush-over-flush confrontation with De Soultrait. Subsequent exits included Dimitri Callonnec in 16th, Boris Dupuis in 15th, Raphael Bilger in 14th, and Sebastien Studer. Maxence Vié finished 12th for €8,300 after doubling another player and running short.

The pace slowed near the final table. Aymane Mamoun exited in ninth after his two pair lost to Mathieu Pontin’s straight. Leo Viales missed the final table. On the official final table, Le Dissez took seventh for €18,500 after running into Archeny’s aces. Benjamin Goudard placed sixth for €25,500, Nicolas Ehrath fifth for €36,000, and D’Anfray fourth for €51,500. Archeny doubled through Pontin before eliminating him in third, then overcame a chip deficit against De Soultrait to close out the win.

Winner Background and Plans

Archeny described the moment as overwhelming. “It’s an incredible feeling,” he said after his win. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s something you never really feel. The adrenaline has come down a bit, and that crazy pressure just disappeared the second I saw the river. It’s insane. I’ve just multiplied my biggest score by 15. The memories will come later, but for now, I’m just enjoying it 1,000%.”

He credited comfort from local club play at Bourg Hold’em Poker and ABC Poker de Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg for helping him read opponents. Archeny added that he received “300,000 messages” from supporters. He plans to allocate the winnings to his bankroll and set some aside, targeting tournaments in the €1,500 range without immediate jumps to higher stakes. He intends to return in March for the Winamax Poker Tour Grand Final and defend his title if the WPO Aix-les-Bains returns next year.

Winamax Live Events Manager Matthieu Duran signaled continued activity in the region, stating at the winner’s ceremony: “I had a coffee with the director of the casino. See you soon in Aix-les-Bains.”

Reporting: PokerNews

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