Francois Tardieu

François Tardieu was born in 1964 in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France. He studied mathematics and finance, initially working as a software developer for financial applications before transitioning to a career as a math teacher in a Paris middle school.

Tardieu is a world-renowned backgammon player, often ranked number one globally. He won the French Backgammon Championship in 2002 and is a three-time European champion (2001, 2004, 2005). Additionally, he won the European Doubles Championship with Serge Rived in 2006. He appeared six times in the biennial "Giants of Backgammon" list between 2001 and 2011, reaching as high as third place. He also served as tournament director of the Paris Masters of Backgammon (2000-2004) and secretary general of the French Backgammon Federation until 2006. In 2022, he published a book titled "Backgammon – Strategic Concepts" in French, later translated into English (2023) and German (2025).

Tardieu turned to poker in the mid-2000s, accumulating over 20 cashes and total earnings of approximately €70,000 between 2006 and 2011. His first major result came in 2006 at the €3,000 European Poker Masters in Paris, where he finished sixth for €17,075. In 2008, he won the Partouche Poker Tour (PPT) Lyon Vert side event and super satellite, taking home €25,500. He is known as the mentor of French poker professional Arnaud Mattern.

Despite a modest live tournament record, Tardieu's strategic acumen from backgammon and chess has been highlighted in his poker play. He has written technical articles for poker magazines such as Poker52, Poker-VIP, and Tangente, and served as a coach on the Poker Académie website.

Tardieu emphasizes discipline, patience, and the ability to think under pressure. He notes that his backgammon experience taught him never to give up even with a short stack. In poker, he is an advocate for strong fundamentals, including mathematics, emotional control, and opportunistic play.

Beyond games, Tardieu worked as a financial consultant before becoming a math teacher. He is also an avid chess player. He has been a director of the backgammon Paris Masters and remains active in the backgammon community through his writings and books.