Amateur Lucas Archeny Wins WPO

The WPO Aix-les-Bains Main Event wrapped up at the Casino Grand Cercle in the French Alps, and the result was a breakthrough for a local amateur. Lucas Archeny, a 23-year-old who works in accounting, took down the €500 buy-in flagship event and collected €150,000 for the win.

A Record-Setting Field

The €500 Main Event drew 2,873 entries, a turnout that organizers describe as the largest 6-max tournament ever held in Europe. The volume generated a total prize pool of €1,185,974, with the top finishers sharing the bulk of it.

Six-max formats have become increasingly popular in European poker because they force players into more decisions per hour and reward aggression. A field of nearly 2,900 entries at a €500 price point is a strong signal of how deep the recreational player base remains in France, particularly at regional festival stops.

From Freerolls to a Six-Figure Score

Archeny's path to the title is a familiar one for amateur players who break through. He began playing poker at 18 through free local club freerolls, then gradually moved into low-stakes tournaments. According to the available information, this result represents roughly a fifteen-fold increase on his previous largest poker earnings.

That kind of jump is typical when a recreational player runs deep in a large-field event. The payout structure of a 2,873-entry tournament concentrates significant money at the final table, so a single deep run can dwarf years of small cashes.

An All-French Final Table

The final table was entirely French, and it included well-known streamer Mathieu Pontin, who finished third for €74,000. Etienne De Soultrait took second place and €105,000.

Heads-up play was not straightforward for Archeny. He began the duel with roughly a 3:1 chip lead but lost that advantage before recovering to close out the match.

The Final Hand

On the last hand, De Soultrait moved all-in with T♠ 9♦ and Archeny called with K♣ 7♣. The board ran out 6♥ 3♠ 4♣ A♥ 5♦, completing a straight for Archeny and ending the tournament.

The hand illustrates a common dynamic in short-handed endgame play: when stacks get shallow relative to the blinds, the button and small blind are incentivized to apply pressure with a wide range, and the caller's equity often comes down to live cards and straight possibilities. Here, the river completed the straight and settled the title.

Final Table Results

• 1. Lucas Archeny (France) — €150,000
• 2. Etienne De Soultrait (France) — €105,000
• 3. Mathieu Pontin (France) — €74,000
• 4. Timothee D'Anfray (France) — €51,500
• 5. Nicolas Ehrath (France) — €36,000
• 6. Benjamin Goudard (France) — €25,500
• 7. Quentin Le Dissez (France) — €18,500

What the Result Means

For Archeny, the win is a career-defining moment and a significant jump in stakes. For the WPO Aix-les-Bains festival, the record field reinforces the strength of the French regional tournament circuit, where modest buy-ins can still produce six-figure first prizes.

It also highlights a broader trend in European poker: large-field, lower buy-in events with a 6-max structure are drawing fields that rival or exceed those of higher buy-in flagship tournaments. For amateur players, these events remain one of the most realistic routes to a life-changing score.

Whether Archeny continues to play at higher stakes or returns to the amateur circuit, the result puts him on the map. For now, the trophy and the €150,000 prize belong to a 23-year-old accountant from the French Alps who started out in free club tournaments.