We saw the rarest of things last night, a recreational player overcoming a stacked field of over 7,000 players in Barcelona.
It seems that the days of Moneymaker-esque Cinderella stories of amateurs taking down big events were behind us, but perhaps not…
7,138 people entered the €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event, which is part of EPT Barcelona. A few players shy of the previous event’s record.
It was a stacked field and final table, which included Parker Talbot (who made this very final table last year) and Martin Zamani.
However, it was a French amateur player who took home the lion’s share, as Sylvain Berthelot took it down for €499,224.
Congratulations to Sylvain Berthelot, who has won the Estrellas Main Event at #EPTBarcelona. 🏆
After a three-way deal, he takes home €499,224 for defeating the field of 7,138 entries! #EPT20 ♠️ pic.twitter.com/2TX4Wk7F0d
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) September 1, 2024
This was after a three-way chop with Zamani of the United States and Santiago Nadal of Mexico.
Berthelot had just $7,443 in live cashes prior to this event, proof that dreams still come true in poker:
“I can’t believe it,” Berthelot told PokerNews after the win. “I need my friends to pinch me because it’s such a dream. I don’t have the words. I’m really happy. It’s. It’s an unbelievable sentiment. I can’t explain my feelings.”
| PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE (IN EURO) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sylvain Berthelot | France | €499,224* |
| 2 | Santiago Nadal | Mexico | €394,526* |
| 3 | Martin Zamani | United States | €463,250* |
| 4 | Parker Talbot | Canada | €227,000 |
| 5 | Jean Benvenga | Switzerland | €173,000 |
| 6 | Francesco Macri | Italy | €136,400 |
| 7 | Stanislovas Vinicenka | Lithuania | €104,500 |
| 8 | Johannes Verhagen | Netherlands | €79,400 |
*Denotes a three-way deal