France Poker Series (FPS)

The France Poker Series (FPS) was established in 2010 and is a poker tournament circuit organized Pokerstars. It caters to both amateur and professional poker players, with tournaments held at various locations across France, as well as tournaments in Morocco and Monaco.

These tournaments featured a range of buy-ins to accommodate players with different skill levels and bankrolls.

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2024

Tournaments

2024 FPS Aix-les-Bains
France Poker Series - FPS Aix-les-Bains

The Hendon Mob

Season 1 (2010-11)

The inaugural FPS season saw six stops, all in mainland France, culminating in FPS Paris. This event was the largest of the six, with Germany's Marvin Rettenmaier emerging as the winner, topping a field of 567 players.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
May-10FPS Beaulieu149€ 157,345Jose Ignacio BarberoArgentina€ 40,123
Sep-10FPS Divonne399€ 421,344Serge DidisheimSwitzerland€ 108,894
Oct-10FPS Saint-Amand228€ 235,488David JaouiFrance€ 42,175
Nov-10FPS Lyon228€ 342,144Christophe MonninFrance€ 88,444
Dec-10FPS Forges-les-Eaux265€ 279,440Mathieu ThiryFrance€ 75,000
Feb-11FPS Paris567€ 979,776Marvin RettenmaierGermany€ 244,036

Season 2 (2011-13)

A bumper eight-stop schedule greeted players on the second season of the France Poker Series, with two stops in Mazagan, Morocco accompanying a veritable selection of French destinations.

The largest in this second season belonged to Deauville, won by Patrick Braga, with the event attracting 828 players, proof of the event's popularity right from the start.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Nov-11FPS Mazagan305Dhs 3,579,785Anas TadiniMoroccoDhs 900,000
Jan-12FPS Deauville329€ 315,840Ludovic SultanFrance€ 82,000
Mar-12FPS Snowfest Evian296€ 284,160Veronika PavlikovaCzech Republic€ 70,000
May-12FPS Amnéville317€ 304,320Ben DobsonEngland€ 70,000
Jun-12FPS Gujan-Mestras172€ 165,120Florian DesgouttesFrance€ 43,000
Oct-12FPS Mazagan208Dhs 2,219,360Karim RharbaouiMoroccoDhs 505,000
Nov-12FPS Paris715€ 709,738Mateusz RypulakPoland€ 150,000
Jan-13FPS Deauville828€ 794,880Patrick BragaCanada€ 165,000

Season 3 (2013-14)

The schedule for Season 3 helped the tour continue to grow, with each event larger than the last, culminating in Niels van Leeuwen winning the first FPS Main Event to attract over 1,000 players and generate over €1,000,000 in total prize pool in Deauville.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Mar-13FPS Snowfest Evian280€ 268,800Neil RaineEngland€ 60,000
May-13FPS Amnéville417€ 400,320Ibrahim FelianiFrance€ 92,000
Sep-13FPS Sunfest Cannes559€ 536,640Giedrius GradeckasLithuania€ 92,000
Nov-13FPS Paris818€ 811,980Rodolphe DethiereFrance€ 153,000
Jan-14FPS Deauville1,095€ 1,051,200Niels van LeeuwenNetherlands€ 175,000

Season 4 (2014-15)

In 2014, Yury Nesterenko became the first player to win two FPS Main Events, and he did it in spectacular fashion after winning back-to-back events in Monte Carlo and Cannes. His first victory came in the second-largest FPS Main Event to-date, and just six months later he doubled his tally for combined cashes of over €240,000.

Another shocking story in 2014 was the cancellation of FPS Paris, scheduled for November that year. Following an operation by French police at Cercle Cadet, the room French authorities decided to close the venue down for an "undetermined amount of time", forcing PokerStars management to cancel the upcoming FPS.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Apr-14FPS Monte Carlo837€ 811,890Yury NesterenkoUkraine€ 150,000
Oct-14FPS Sunfest Cannes582€ 558,720Yury NesterenkoUkraine€ 91,000
Jan-15FPS Deauville1,355€ 1,300,800Anthony ApicellaFrance€ 197,000

Season 5 (2015)

With no Deauville in the FPS schedule this year, the tour returned to FPS Monte Carlo while there were also debut stops in Lille and Enghien. The events were a huge success, with the 1,000 player mark almost surpassed in two events, for what would have been only the third time in history — and the first time outside of Deauville.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Apr-15FPS Monte Carlo993€ 963,210Sebastian SupperGermany€ 177,000
Jul-15FPS Lille745€ 715,200Bart LybaertBelgium€ 122,000
Dec-15FPS Enghien940€ 902,400Arnaud DesbrosseFrance€ 147,000

Season 6 (2016)

Building on the success of the 2015 stop, FPS Monte Carlo finally surpassed 1,000 players as Stephane Dossetto won €218,000 for topping a 1,261 player field and defeating Niall Farrell heads-up. It was an all-France year with Fabrice Casano and Gabriel Nassif also winning FPS titles.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Apr-16FPS Monte Carlo1,261€ 1,223,170Stephane DossettoFrance€ 218,000
Jul-16FPS Lille726€ 696,960Fabrice CasanoFrance€ 121,000
Sep-16FPS Deauville615€ 590,400Gabriel NassifFrance€ 113,030

Following this season, the FPS was discontinued, with regional tours replaced by PokerStars Festivals. These were in turn discontinued in 2018.

Season 2022

In 2022, the France Poker Series returned with three events. FPS Monte Carlo attracted a record field of 1,918 players, almost 600 more than the previous record, while Divonne held its first event since the inaugural season and second-ever event back in 2010.

Meanwhile, Anthony Apicella became the second player to win two FPS Main Events, adding FPS Aix-en-Provence, in its debut season, to his FPS Deauville title from 2015.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Apr-22FPS Monte Carlo1,918€ 1,841,280Lucas ScafiniBrazil€ 250,000
Oct-22FPS Divonne628€ 603,020[PLAYER="nicolas-hamouni"]Nicolas Hamouni[/PLAYER]France€ 113,670
Nov-22FPS Aix-en-Provence779€ 747,840Anthony ApicellaFrance€ 141,200

Season 2023

The France Poker Series went from strength to strength with not one, but two events breaking the 2,000 player mark in 2023 as PokerStars regional tours continued to flourish.


Poker in Paris: A Brief History of Poker and Gambling in the Capital


Japan's Daisuke Ogita won not only the largest FPS Main Event in history, but took home the largest first prize after beating a field of 2,138 players to win €307,160. The event also broke the record for largest FPS Main Event prize pool in history, with €2,052,480 being awarded to players.

DateEventFieldPrize PoolWinnerCountryPrize
Feb-23FPS Paris2,071€ 1,988,160Alan GoasdoueFrance€ 287,830
Apr-23FPS Monte Carlo2,138€ 2,052,480Daisuke OgitaJapan€ 307,160
Jul-23FPS Stade Jean-Bouin Paris1,384€ 1,328,640Lorenzo ArduiniItaly€ 211,000
Oct-23FPS Aix-les-Bains475€ 456,000Alban JuenFrance€ 90,070
Nov-23FPS Aix-en-Provence611€ 586,560Sahil ChutaniIndia€ 110,400

Season 2024

The France Poker Series will return in 2024 as part of the 2024 EPT stops in Paris and Monte Carlo.

FPS All-Time Money List

RankPlayerCountryCashes
1Daisuke OgitaJapan$ 342,502
2Marvin Guido RettenmaierGermany$ 335,075
3Yury NesterenkoUkraine$ 321,781
4Alan GoasdoueFrance$ 309,599
5Lucas ScafiniBrazil$ 262,889
6Stephane DossettoFrance$ 247,313
7Lorenzo ArduiniItaly$ 238,944
8Niels van LeeuwenNetherlands$ 237,031
9Fabio PelusoItaly$ 236,132
10Nicolas HamouniFrance$ 222,630

Stats correct as of January 1, 2024

Top 10 Largest FPS Main Events

RankDateEventEntrantsMain Event WinnerPrize
1Apr-23FPS Monte Carlo2,138Daisuke Ogita€ 307,160
2Feb-23FPS Paris2,071Alan Goasdoue€ 287,830
3Apr-22FPS Monte Carlo1,918Lucas Scafini€ 250,000
4Jul-23FPS Stade Jean-Bouin Paris1,384Lorenzo Arduini€ 211,000
5Jan-15FPS Deauville1,355Anthony Apicella€ 197,000
6Apr-16FPS Monte Carlo1,261Stephane Dossetto€ 218,000
7Jan-14FPS Deauville1,095Niels van Leeuwen€ 175,000
8Apr-15FPS Monte Carlo993Sebastian Supper€ 177,000
9Dec-15FPS Enghien940Arnaud Desbrosse€ 147,000
10Apr-14FPS Monte Carlo837Yury Nesterenko€ 150,000

Stats correct as of January 1, 2024

Top 10 FPS First Place Payouts

RankDateEventMain Event WinnerPrize
1Apr-23FPS Monte CarloDaisuke Ogita€ 307,160
2Feb-23FPS ParisAlan Goasdoue€ 287,830
3Apr-22FPS Monte CarloLucas Scafini€ 250,000
4Jul-23FPS Stade Jean-Bouin ParisLorenzo Arduini€ 211,000
5Jan-15FPS DeauvilleAnthony Apicella€ 197,000
6Apr-16FPS Monte CarloStephane Dossetto€ 218,000
7Jan-14FPS DeauvilleNiels van Leeuwen€ 175,000
8Apr-15FPS Monte CarloSebastian Supper€ 177,000
9Dec-15FPS EnghienArnaud Desbrosse€ 147,000
10Apr-14FPS Monte CarloYury Nesterenko€ 150,000

Stats correct as of January 1, 2024

France Poker Series (FPS) Destinations

The France Poker Series has visited 17 destinations in three countries. As of the end of the 2023 season, the most popular destinations, having each hosted the FPS on five occasions are Paris, Monte Carlo and Deauville, despite not hosting an event since 2016.

Six destinations have hosted FPS events twice: Lille, Mazagan, Cannes, Amnéville, Aix-en-Provence and Divonne, with eight destinations hosting on a single occasion.

  • 5: Paris, Monte Carlo, Deauville
  • 2: Lille, Mazagan, Cannes, Amnéville, Aix-en-Provence, Divonne
  • 1: Evian, Enghien, Gujan-Mestras, Aix-les-Bains, Beaulieu, Saint-Amand, Lyon, Forges-les-Eaux

France Poker Series (FPS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who has won multiple France Poker Series (FPS) titles?

Two players have won two FPS titles: Anthony Apicella and Yury Nesterenko. Apicella won FPS Deauville in 2015 (€197,000) and FPS Aix-en-Provence in 2022 (€141,200) while Yury Nesterenko won back-to-back FPS Main Event titles in 2015, winning FPS Monte Carlo in April (€150,000) and following that up with FPS Sunfest Cannes in October (€91,000)

What is the largest France Poker Series (FPS) Main Event?

The largest FPS Main Event came in April 2023, when 2,138 players entered the FPS Monte Carlo Main Event. The winner was Japan's Daisuke Ogita who won €307,160.

What is the biggest France Poker Series (FPS) first prize?

The largest FPS Main Event first prize came in April 2023, when Japan's Daisuke Ogita won the FPS Monte Carlo Main Event, defeating a field of 2,138 players.