Arnaud Mattern

Arnaud Mattern began his competitive career as a backgammon player, participating in the World Backgammon Series and playing against top players like Gus Hansen. In 2004, he started playing poker and quickly showed talent. He admits he prefers poker because it involves more psychology, mental resilience, and discipline. His backgammon background gave him excellent risk-reward assessment skills, which played a key role in his later poker career.

Mattern's breakthrough victory came at the 2007 EPT Prague Main Event, where he defeated a large field to win over $928,443 (approximately €700,000), the largest cash of his career. He then racked up consistent results in top-tier events:

• EPT Tallinn 2010: 3rd place, €160,000
• WSOP Europe 2010: Main Event 12th place, £54,114
• WSOP Europe 2011: Main Event 10th place, €90,000
• WPT Grand Prix de Paris 2010: 7th place, $101,480
• WPT Marrakech 2011: 4th place, €45,982
• EPT Monte Carlo 2023: Main Event 80th place, €13,050

Additionally, he placed 12th in the 2023 WSOP Millionaire Maker ($85,612) and 167th in the 2021 WSOP Main Event ($44,200).

Although Mattern has not yet won a WSOP bracelet, he has 34 WSOP cashes totaling over $2.18 million (WSOP official data). On the WPT, he has 4 cashes and 1 final table, with total earnings of $197,443. His best WPT result is a 7th-place finish in the 2010-2011 WPT Grand Prix de Paris.

Mattern is known for his aggressive, pressure-filled style and goes by the nickname "Frenchkiss". He excels at applying post-flop position pressure, especially in deep-stacked situations, forcing opponents into tough decisions. He was part of Team Winamax before becoming a PokerStars-sponsored player.

Outside of poker, Mattern remains active in the backgammon scene. In interviews, he has stated that backgammon's discipline and risk-reward thinking greatly benefit his poker game. He also recalls facing Gus Hansen at the backgammon table as a memorable experience.

According to authoritative databases, Mattern's lifetime live tournament earnings stand at $2,581,991, confirming his consistent success on the global poker stage.