The National Poker Series has its new champion! The inaugural edition of the festival, hosted by Texapoker at the Pasino Grand in Aix-en-Provence, saw 469 entries in the €800 King 6-Max Main Event.
The 469-entry field was packed with both quantity and quality but only 12 players returned for Day 3, all chasing the prestigious title. After a grueling final table, Kevin Naegelen emerged victorious, defeating Florian Ribouchon heads-up. Starting the day as chip leader, Naegelen sealed the win and took home €60,400, while Ribouchon earned €39,027.
The battle intensified when play reached three-handed, with stacks remaining level for nearly three hours. Ultimately, Thierry Morel bowed out in third place for €26,400. Before him, Kamel Atoui (4th – €18,700), Gabin Harel (5th – €13,700), Majid Chafik (6th – €10,400), and Marc Bougaret (7th – €8,100) all made the final table but fell short of their title dreams.
National Poker Series Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Plauer | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Naegelen | 60 400 € |
| 2 | Florian Ribouchon | 39 028 € |
| 3 | Thierry Morel | 26 400 € |
| 4 | Kamel Atoui | 18 700 € |
| 5 | Gabin Harel | 13 700 € |
| 6 | Majid Chafik | 10 400 € |
| 7 | Marc Bougaret | 8 100 € |
Day 3 Action
Starting the final day with just six big blinds after losing a massive hand to pocket aces late on Day 2, Kamel Atoui wasted no time staging a comeback. He doubled up on the first hand and found another double shortly after with aces, catapulting himself back into contention.
Meanwhile, Giovanni Renna found himself short-stacked and ran into disaster. He moved all-in preflop with pocket tens against Paul Amsellem’s queens and Kevin Naegelen’s ace-king. The board brought a king on the flop, then a ten on the turn to give Renna the lead—only for a nine on the river to complete a straight for Amsellem, sending Renna out in 12th place (€4,350). Soon after, Alon Journo (11th – €5,250) fell to Naegelen, while Marc Bougaret doubled up twice and Gabin Harel found the first of many lucky rivers that kept him alive.
Before the first break, Tahar Said (10th – €5,250) ran into Naegelen’s aces, and Grégory Fournier (9th – €6,450) saw his tournament end when a straight hit the turn.
As the final table approached, Amsellem was riding high after a strong start to Day 3. But things quickly unravelled after the break. After flopping a set, he fired three barrels, with an all-in shove coming on the river. Naegelen called him down and made a flush on the final betting street, knocking Amsellem out in a frustrating 8th place (€6,450). Naegelen entered the final table with twice as many chips as his closest competitor.
The Final Table
Bougaret, the short stack, lasted just ten minutes before busting in 7th (€8,100). Majid Chafik (6th – €10,400) soon followed, his king-jack falling to Ribouchon’s ace-queen.
Among the standout performers of the tournament was Harel. According to commentators and fellow players, the young talent impressed throughout the week in one of his first live events. His deep run ended in 5th place (€13,700), once again at the hands of Ribouchon, who seized the chip lead.
Atoui’s comeback continued until he reached 4th place (€18,700). He had a chance to climb even higher, but his pocket queens lost a crucial flip to Naegelen’s ace-king. The king on the flop left Atoui with just a fraction of a big blind, and he busted the next hand.
The Heads-Up Duel
A marathon three-way battle ensued between Naegelen, Ribouchon, and Morel, stretching over four hours (including a dinner break). Chips shifted back and forth as all three took turns holding the lead. Morel eventually took his stand with ace-eight but lost to Naegelen’s king-ten, exiting in third place.
Heads-up play began with Naegelen holding the lead, and he quickly widened the gap. Ribouchon managed a double-up with ace-jack, but his comeback was short-lived. On the final hand, Naegelen’s pocket deuces held up in a flip, securing him the National Poker Series title.
Side Event Highlights
In the side events, Adem Agoudjil won the €200 Ten 9/7-Max for €13,400, while Tanguy Perez took down the €400 Jack Mystery 7-Max for €15,200 plus €600 in bounties. Laurent Michot triumphed in the €600 Ace Heads-Up, pocketing €10,556. The festival wrapped up with a late-night victory for Jérémy Palvini, who bested a field of 136 to win the €800 Queen 8-Max for €20,400.
Palvini’s win also secured him a top spot on the National Poker Series leaderboard. Throughout the festival, €5 from each buy-in was collected to form a prize pool that reached €14,380, rewarding the most consistent players. The top 14 finishers on the leaderboard each received a €1,000 ticket for the WSOP Circuit event, set to take place at the Pasino Grand from April 10-22.
