PSO Namur: Jean Vincent Lehut Claims the Main Event Title

Drama Unfolds on the Final Day
 

As many fans know, the start of June in Namur, Belgium belonged to the PokerStars Open series, with the Main Event shattering records. The 1.100€ buy-in event drew a staggering 1.572 entries, creating a prizepool of 1.490.256€ and making a definitive mark as the biggest live poker tournament in Belgian history.

Nine players returned for the final day, including Slovakia’s own Jozef Cibicek, who had cruised through the field and entered the final table as the chip leader. Early action saw the big stacks asserting dominance and picking off shorter stacks. With five players remaining, Jean-Vincent Lehut, the French contender, overtook Cibicek for the first time—and from that moment was virtually unstoppable.

Heads-Up for the Trophy
 

Lehut eliminated two more opponents and brought a commanding 2:1 chip advantage into heads-up play against Cibicek. Still, nothing was set in stone; with deep stacks of 120 to 60 big blinds, the structure left plenty of room for both players to maneuver.

While many expected a drawn-out and tense heads-up match, the duel was settled in under thirty minutes. The decisive hand played out on a board of J h 7 h 4 h Q s 6 s. Cibiček, after two check-calls, fired off an all-in with K h Q d. Lehut took nearly two minutes to consider the situation before making the correct call with two pair: 7 d 4 s. That call sealed the tournament and locked up the title for Lehut.

Despite falling short in heads-up play, this run marks the biggest score of Cibiček’s live tournament career. The 153.500€ payday pushes his HendonMob total close to 600,000 dollars, putting him at No.16 on Slovakia’s all-time money list.

The champion, France’s Jean-Vincent Lehut, is a well-known force in the online high-stakes cash game scene. Before this event, his top tournament cash was 30.200€. That number is now history: as the new PSO Namur champion, Lehut takes home 238.000€ alongside the trophy. “It’s an incredible feeling—I still can’t believe it! I almost skipped the trip, but managed to book a room at the last minute. I’m so glad I made it to Namur!”

Sources – PokerNews, TheHendonMob, Flickr, YouTube