Sometimes he is in Las Vegas, sometimes in Monaco or in Dublin; Paul Testud travels the world in search of tournaments. On the 15^th March he touched down in Lyon for the third Super Satellite of the Partouche Poker Tour, where he created a stir by finishing 10^th and winning himself a ticket for the Main Event in Cannes. In Lyon “Paulo” proved that he is definitely a member of the French poker elite. It is not over yet for this world poker player.

Joseph Joubert said: “amazing things only amaze once, but what is admirable is to be admired more and more”. Around a poker table, Paul Testud is the kind of player one cannot stop looking at. He has luck, craziness, talent, wisdom as well as good humour. In Lyon, at the third Partouche Poker Tour Super Satellite, Paul Testud had a broad smile as he collected his chips. And one could understand why…he was the chipleader by far with a big pot within his reach. Paulo arranged his chips in a huge pyramid while his opponents desperately tried to catch a glimpse of it, all the while keeping an eye on the game. It was a surreal situation, a real treat for the spectators.

“Often a winner and a good loser”

When he loses Paul Testud still keeps his good humour, even if he hardly enjoys it. In Lyon he was the main chipleader, but a bad round strongly compromised his place at the final table and then François Tardieu knocked him out of the race for good: “When there were only 13 players left playing I had a pair of queens, I decided that I should do something. I raised big so that I would not be bothered by ace-king or ace-queen. The person before me went all in so I called it. And you know the rest… he had a pair of aces. Having said that, it would never have happened if in the end there was a prize of 1,000,000 euros. I would never have paid!” After this terrible round, Testud’s chip count was considerably decreased. François Tardieu finished the job with Ace-king against Testud’s Ace-2. But Paulo still left smiling, satisfied with his tournament and his fun night of poker.

“An impressive list of wins”

But Paulo is not only a fun player to watch and he is not just happy to be sitting at a poker table. No, he is in actual fact a giant starved of chips! This lover of 7 Stud, his preferred version, has one of the longest list of wins in France today (even if it is not the actual longest) and it is growing month after month. He has been travelling around the world for nearly 10 years to win his opponents’ chips and has so far won 10 tournaments around the world of different versions of poker. From these wins combined he has made 1,077,131 dollars, or close to 850,000 euros. His best performances were in the United States, notably in Las Vegas. He made 69,985 dollars by winning the Bellagio Cup III in June 2007, came second in the World heads up Championship in May 2007 winning 19,397 dollars and he even won 75,485 dollars in April 2005 by coming 17^th in the Five-Star World poker Classic. Not forgetting of course his many side tournament wins in Europe, which according to him always contain the best poker players in the world. It is not surprising that in our January – February season of “live poker”, he was ranked the 10^th best player in France…

“A poker monster”

However when he is asked what his favourite memory is, he replies: “There are so many! I remember a tournament in Montpellier of 100 players. I had won the tournament and its 30,000 francs prize - a very good memory. I have other funnier memories which are also just as eventful. In Dublin, during the Irish Winter Tour, I had a double pair of Ace-Jack. My opponent had a 3 and 4 and kept playing his 4 (laughs). I continued to attack until I went all in. I did not regret a thing when I saw that he had a four (laughs)”. Out of all his amazing achievements, he has only held onto these anecdotal moments which define the Grand Paulo throughout his long years of poker playing. Paulo is one of a kind, a monster of poker who always impresses. That is why this old veteran of the green table will scare more than one at the Palm Beach in Cannes next September. We are already rushing to be there!

François Tardieu, winner of the Side Event and Super Satellite at Lyon, has taken part in one of the best poker hold’em experiences. He looks back over this emotionally intense and varied weekend in Lyon. It was a weekend that the Maestro is not ready to forget and we understand why…

So François, how do you feel after Lyon where you won two tournaments in 48 hours?
Exhausted…having played more than 20 hours over the two days. But I am also particularly satisfied with my successful performances. Having said that, I have to admit, for future participants, that I never had AA or KK during the two days. So one must always be patient and opportunistic and never give up hope.

What does it mean to you to win your first big poker tournament, especially coming from a backgammon background?
I was already on a final table at the European Poker Master in the Aviation Club de France where I finished 7th. At the time I had less experience and felt like I failed. Then I understood that it could be possible to win first place if I worked on my game a bit more. Which I did at Lyon with a little help from luck. That does not mean that I cannot improve more. On the contrary, I count on improving my game.

Did your backgammon experience help you during the weekend?
After the dinner break, my chip count was quite low. I knew however from experience, particularly in Backgammon, that the most desperate cases are never fully lost and one has to always do one’s best to have luck on one’s side. That is what I did.

“I sometimes play close to 100 tournaments each week“

Which of these games do you play most at the moment? And which one do you prefer?
The games I like are chess, backgammon and poker. I have played these games now for 20 years. I like chess for its purity and beauty, backgammon for its challenge and ability overcome chance with technique and finally poker for the strategic combinations and the human dimension.

It must have taken a huge amount of concentration and endurance to win two tournaments in a row? What is your secret? And according to you, what are the qualities one needs to win this type of tournament?
Many qualities are needed to win a poker tournament. They are not that different to those needed to win other tournaments. I would say that one needs discipline, patience, a big capacity to think under pressure, a bit of maths, a good memory, good control of one’s emotions and lots of other things. I certainly don’t claim to have mastered all of these qualities, but I have been improving them during the many competitions I have participated in over the years.

How did you find the events at the Pharaon and the Lyon Vert?
Well organised and the staff were friendly and competent, particularly Maxime Masquelier who directed these events personally. All of that makes Groupe Partouche the leader when it comes to organising poker in France and I am sure they will have even more success in the future. The structure of the Super Satellite was quite appropriate although there could have been an extra level at the beginning, which would have meant the event would have started and hour earlier. Having said this, I am sure that the Main Event in Cannes, which lasts several days, will be of a standard that will put the biggest international tournaments to shame.

At what moment did you think that the Super Satellite could be yours?
When there were only 42 players left for 41 qualifying places, I has an Ace and King of hearts with a good chip count, I waited a bit to be sure I has my ticket for Cannes and then I went all in. It paid off, I won and I became the chip leader. I then said that I would not fold again even though I knew the fragility of being the chip leader in a tournament.

You gave us a great chip leader demonstration on the final table. You gave the impression of always being in control. Was it really that way in your head?
I went onto the final table calmly. I definitely had a little advantage since I sometimes play close to 100 tournaments each week, so I know some little tricks. But at the showdown without the cards there is nothing one can do…a little bit of luck helped things.

“it was nothing personal“

Did you feel at the time that the other players at the table got annoyed with you?
It was not like that, it was nothing personal. I just play the game that seems right to me in the moment. There was an atmosphere of fair play around the table, despite everyone being tired.

You came to Lyon for Cannes after your failure at Saint-Amand. If you would have lost again, would you have tried again at the next Super Satellite?
It was effectively my second try. Being relatively headstrong I would have without a doubt tried a third time if I thought I had a good chance of qualifying.

Now on to the Main Event in Cannes with its 2,000,000 Euro prize pool, how will you prepare?
The event in Cannes is over 4 days, so I think I will simply prepare my physical condition. If I have the chance to win a bit in this tournament, it would be a shame to fail because I loose energy or concentration.

Do you want to add anything else François? I want to congratulate the other qualifiers of this stop, as well as all the players who showed a great spirit and fair play whilst staying competitive.

Thank you François and well done again!

It was brief and intense but great. François Tardieu gave a good lesson in poker as he got rid of his opponents round by round at the final table. Playing his role as the chip leader to semi-perfection, the backgammon champion never gave his opponents a chance. This is how it went…

François Tardieu’s victory at the final table had everyone in agreement; the backgammon champion was certainly the best player that night. Blinds of 20,000 and 40,000, a 4,000 ante and three players remaining with more than 300,000 chips: François Tardieu, Aurélien Angenieux with 364,000 and Bruno Balvay with 325,000. Cédric Torrent, from Casino de Plouescat, had the least with only 85,000 chips and was knocked out first by a flush from Yves Enderli. It was a great poker moment. Enderli went all in , 174,000 with , Cédric Torrent followed with . Final table : . Torrent was out. Then François Tardieu became active. When Christian Venturini went all in at 144,000 with , Tardieu had . The pot went up to 567,000. the table deal brought nothing and Tardieu eliminated Christian Venturini. At Rémy Mougel’s go to beat the Grand Tardieu. He went all in at 173,000 with but was knocked out by the Maestro with . Tardieu won the bet with a pair or 10s . Mougel was out.

“Hurricane Tardieu”

“To the next!” said Tardieu with his giant stack of chips. Rotger and his few chips had no other choice but continue. After Tardieu raised 120,000 with , Laurent Rotger completed his bet by adding . A pair of kings at the Flop against a pair of 8s at the Turn . It was over for Rotger. Hurricane Tardieu took all the chips in his path and carried on around the table. He accumulated close to 1,000,000 chips. Next victim was Yves Enderli. Same story: big raise from Tardieu of 150,000 with , Enderli with went all in at 160,000. Tardieu lined himself up and got a pair of 3s at the flop . Enderli was out…

Tardieu had so many chips he didn’t know where to put them: “I don’t know anymore how much I have”. Then Aurélien Angénieux, who had let pass the hand before, went all in without looking at his next cards. Tardieu had . Angenieux put down his cards , the table had an Ace . Angenieux was out.

“The Maestro brings about the coup de grace”

Bruno Balvay was trembling trembled at his go; Tardieu had more that 90% of the chips. The blinds rose again from 40,000 to 80,000. Discovering a pair of 7s , Tardieu did not pussyfoot. He went all in and was called by Balvay with . The table was dealt : . A full house for Tardieu. The Maestro accepted his win of a place at the Main Event gracefully. Patience, boldness, talent and a bit of success allowed the master Tardieu to win both the Side Event at the Pharaon and the Super Satellite at Lyon Vert. We respect you Master Tardieu!

After the enormous success of the weekend of poker at Lyon, Lyon has become without a doubt the Texas hold’em capital of France. The two tournaments, at Pharaon and Lyon Vert, were full. The Super Satellite had a record number of 415 participants. The star of the weekend was none other than the backgammon champion François Tardieu, winner of the Pharaon tournament and the Super Satellite the following day. He gave a fantastic performance…

The whole Texas hold’em family was together this weekend at Lyon, with a record number of 415 participants. The structure of the tournament was the same as at the previous PPT stops. Blinds of 25 and 50, 5,000 chips per player to begin with and blinds increasing every 25 minutes. The organisation of the Lyon Vert Super Satellite was quite simply amazing. Set in one of the most beautiful casinos in France the show took place in two magnificent rooms each with different atmospheres. What more could one ask for?

16.00, the players were all there. It was an opportunity to meet some familiar people such as Robert Cohen, François Tardieu, Michel Cohen, Paul Testud or even Alexander Dreyfus and also guests such as Fabrice Tiozzo. With a prestigious venue, great people and perfect organisation, one could not have dreamed of a better start to this long and beautiful night of poker hold’em. Like the previous stops, the tone was competitive to start with. Players were very aggressive and after just a few minutes eliminated players were already wandering the halls. An hour after the tournament started, 50 players had already been knocked out and were waiting for the Side Event for 200 players to start. Due to the incredible crowds, the Side Event raised its limit to 230 players. The winner of the Side Event was Morgan Alarson. Congratulations!

Lyon Vert was also a chance to see the most extravagant poker players in France, such as Fabrice Allion. 18.30, the dinner break interrupted the tournament. 263 players were still in the tournament, but François Tardieu was not leading with only 5,600 chips compared to an average chip count of 8,000. The chip leader was none other than Paul Testud, who qualified in Nice at the Palais de la Méditerranée. He had 22,000 chips and was way ahead of the other ten leading players who each had between 10,000 and 15,000 chips.
The meal revitalised some players, but threw others…After just 8 short minutes of play, 25 players were eliminated. The level of the game and the increase of the blinds from 300 to 600 were to blame, pushing the most vulnerable players to go all in. 21.30, round 10, blinds were 600 and 1,200, the ante was 100 and the average player chip count was 19,951. Three people were in the lead: the indisputable Paul Testud with 84,000 chips, Cédric Torrent of Plouescat with 62,000 chips and Hervé Mulatero of Bandol with 55,000. Paul Testud was ahead due to an amazing move that allowed him to win an important pot of 35,000 chips. He went all in with a 6 and a 2 in his hand against an Ace and a 5 in his opponent’s hand, the flop brought him luck: 3, 4, 5. A straight allowed him a few minutes to relax before returning to the table. At this stage of the tournament, there were only 100 players left.

At 23.00, the frantic pace was replaced by a round of close observation. The players were all keeping one eye on their opponents and their chip counts and another on the screens displaying the tournament statistics. They were waiting for the slightest mistake. Because of the importance of the blinds for some (2,000 and 4,000), it was not surprising to see good hands thrown away. Many spectators crowded around the tables, waiting for players to get knocked out. When an all-in was announced, the spectators quivered at the unveiling of the River. It was a tense atmosphere that one would expect at a big tournament, but it was also friendly. Such is the charm of the Partouche Poker Tour.

00.30, when the speaker announced two players had gone all in, the other 40 stopped playing. A heavy silence descended. The spectators held their breath until they learnt that the 42^nd player had been knocked out. The silence was pierced by a thunder of applauds when a three of a kind of two was acquired at the River. Relief was felt by the 41 happy players who were still in the game. The speaker announced that they were going to Cannes and then there was a break, both events were celebrated wholeheartedly. What a great atmosphere at Lyon! We have never heard so much noise!

From then on, the players were more relaxed. And very quickly, the names of the 8 finalists were known. The biggest excitement was the absence of Paul Testud. He was at the same table as François Tardieu, which was very unnerving and he was knocked out by the Maestro. A real shock that Tardieu won with AK against A2, the table bringing nothing. Tardieu considerably increased his amount of chips. Testud came in 10^th place according to him, followed by Remy Amandola. The 8 Lyon Vert finalists were: Aurélien Angenieux, François Tardieu, Bruno Balvay, Remy Mougel, Laurent Rotger, Yves Enderli, Cédric Torrent and Christian Venturini. The rest of the story you know, François Tardieu won both the Pharaon tournament and the Lyon Vert Super Satellite. He gave a great performance, which was a particularly amazing return after his disappointment in Saint-Amand where he didn’t manage to qualify. The Maestro left Lyon with more than 20,000 euros in his pocket and a place worth 8,500 euros for the Main event in Cannes. What a great weekend…

And as well as Elsa Fayer and François Tardieu, many thanks and congratulations goes to the whole Partouche Poker Tour team, without whom the success of the Super Satellite would not have been possible. Well done also to Maxime Masquelier made it all run smoothly, to the setting up and dismantling team and the technicians who did a colossal amount of work, to the hostesses, to the croupiers, to the catering team, to the directors and to everyone at the Pharaon and the Lyon Vert who gave us two magical evenings, and of course to our fellow journalists. We miss Lyon already…Well done everyone!