PS Open Cannes: Piano Dealer Delacroix Dominates High Roller, Julien Sitbon leads Main Event

Main Highlights of the Festival

The luxurious setting of the French Riviera and the prestigious Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, renowned for its famous film festival, became the stage for a new star on the poker map: PS Open Cannes. This event marks the conclusion of the inaugural season of the new PS Open series, which, since 2025, has brought popular regional events under one dynamic brand.

The festival in Cannes, running from December 16 to 21, 2025, offered players a packed schedule featuring several key tournaments:

• PS Open Main Event: The flagship event with a €1,100 buy-in and an enticing €1,000,000 guarantee.

• High Roller: A two-day tournament with a €2,200 buy-in that attracted top-level players.

• Mystery Bounty Cup: A popular format with a €400 buy-in.

• Second Chance: A €550 buy-in tournament for those seeking another shot at success at the event’s conclusion.

French 'Pianist's' Dominance in High Roller

The first major highlight of the festival was the €2,200 High Roller. The tournament recorded a total of 162 entries, creating a prize pool of €311,040, which was distributed among the top 23 players.

The winner was 31-year-old Frenchman Clément Delacroix, a professional piano dealer and repairer, whose victory of €72,760 marked the biggest triumph of his career. Delacroix, who originally came to Cannes for a short getaway, delivered a dominant performance at the final table.

In the heads-up, he faced compatriot Romain Mahiou. What seemed to be a quick finish turned into a bit of drama. Delacroix started the heads-up with an 8:1 lead, but Mahiou managed to double his stack three times. However, in a relatively balanced stand-off, Delacroix finally defeated his opponent in a preflop showdown with pocket queens against nines.

Former Actor Julien Sitbon in the Leading Role of the Main Event After Day 2

The PS Open Main Event with a €1,100 buy-in attracted a massive field of 1,202 entries. The total prize pool exceeded the guaranteed million, reaching €1,153,920. The winner will take home a hefty €195,700.

The current tournament leader is the well-known French player and WSOP bracelet holder Julien Sitbon, who bagged a massive stack of 1,485,000 into Day 3. Sitbon, with a past career as a film actor, has proven his experience and maintained pace alongside only Day 1C leader Michel Marcone. Among those advancing to Day 3 are other intriguing names, such as EPT Paris 2023 finalist Henri Kasper (850,000) and five-time EPT title winner Paul Tedeschi (445,000).

After the second day of play, only 65 players remain in the hunt for the title. They are guaranteed a minimum payout of €2,990, but all eyes are on the final table where tens of thousands will be distributed. The tournament resumes today with the plan to play down to the final table.

PS Open Main Event - Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 2:

PS Open Cannes has confirmed that the new series has already built a strong identity in its first season and can attract a high-quality international field. The conclusion of the Main Event is yet to be written, but it’s already clear that Cannes provided a dignified and visually appealing finale to the inaugural season of PS Open, as evidenced by the following festival snapshots.

Sources: PS Live, Flickr, PokerNews