Amateur Player Sylvain Berthelot Triumphs in Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event

In an exhilarating turn of events last night, recreational player Sylvain Berthelot achieved what many thought was a bygone fairy tale in poker. Amid a sea of over 7,000 competitors at the Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event in Barcelona, Berthelot outlasted a formidable field to claim the top prize.

The €1,100 buy-in Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event, part of the prestigious EPT Barcelona, drew a record-breaking 7,138 entrants, just shy of surpassing the previous year’s total. Among the top contenders were notable names such as Parker Talbot, who had made the final table the previous year, and the well-regarded Martin Zamani.

Despite the star-studded lineup, it was Berthelot, an amateur from France with just $7,443 in prior live cashes, who emerged victorious. He secured the top prize of €499,224 following a three-way deal with Martin Zamani from the United States and Santiago Nadal from Mexico.

Berthelot expressed his disbelief and joy after the win, saying, “I can’t believe it. I need my friends to pinch me because it feels like a dream. I don’t have the words. I’m really happy. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I can’t explain how I feel.”

Here are the final standings for the event:

Sylvain Berthelot’s victory is a testament to the enduring allure of poker, where dreams can still come true, even for the underdog.