Yoann Kamnew yono gamesinisky Wins Record

Table Of Contents

• Results of the Winamax Poker Tour 2025
• Winner’s Reaction
• No Back-to-Back Win for Jérémy Cauchard

For this 2025 edition of The Grand Finale of the Winamax Poker Tour, Winamax and Texapoker chose to leave Paris for the first time ever in 14 years and head to the Pasino Grand in Aix-en-Provence. A winning decision, as the tournament broke all records: 357,000 entries in the online qualifiers, 9,505 participants across the 11 live qualifying freerolls, and 3,503 entries in the €500 Main Event. But in the end, only one player triumphed at Monday’s final table: Yoann Kaminisky.

Wearing the local team Olympique de Marseille jersey, he raised the champion’s sword and took home €175,000 after defeating Patrice Espinasse heads-up — a player who qualified through a freeroll stage and turned €0 into €127,500 thanks to his second place.

Results of the Winamax Poker Tour 2025

Winner’s Reaction

The 28 year-old panel beater jumped into this WiPT from Day 1A — his very first €500 buy-in tournament. Despite an unsuccessful first bullet, the second one hit the mark. And it’s safe to say he experienced this deep run with great intensity, never hiding his emotions. Proof of that? His victory roar, which woke up all of Aix-en-Provence, sounded like a release after all the pressure he had built up. “I barely slept the night before the final table, my mind was racing,” he calmly admitted right after his win.

Already the day before, starting from the final three tables redraw, he had been particularly expressive every time he found himself in all-in and call situations. “I thought I was done,” he said, recalling a flip with 22 players left. Later, with a clenched fist, he celebrated his winning hands during the big battle he fought against Oscar Genix (14th - €10,000), which truly put his nerves to the test. He eventually knocked out Genix by cracking Aces on the river, after having already doubled through the opponent he considered “the most dangerous,” the 11th in the 2025 WSOP Main Event Malcolm Franchi (16th - €8,080).

Upon reaching the final table, Kaminisky’s mantra was clear: “I knew I had nothing to lose but everything to gain.” But it wasn’t until the heads-up that the father of a young boy began to believe victory was truly possible, after he eliminated Jean-Yves Lestrade in third place in a massive pot thanks to a set hit on the turn.

This hand propelled him into a strong chiplead for the final showdown against Espinasse, which ended swiftly in victory. “I didn’t have my shot during the heads-up, so no regrets,” said Espinasse, who graciously congratulated the winner. “Make good use of it,” he told Kaminisky as he left.

The qualifier, whose achievement deserves recognition, need not worry — Kaminisky is keeping his feet firmly on the ground despite this massive success. “I’ll have a bankroll to play a bit more live, but I’m not going to do the circuit. I was supposed to play the €250 WSOP-C next week in Aix-en-Provence, but I think I’ll skip it. I promised my son a house with a pool, so that’s the plan.”

No Back-to-Back Win for Jérémy Cauchard

The main attraction heading into the final table was Jérémy Cauchard, who had a unique chance to pull off an incredible back-to-back win after he finished first out of 3,448 entries in last year’s edition. But as the shortest stack among the nine finalists, he needed an early double-up to keep hope alive. That’s exactly what happened just minutes after play resumed, before he double-up a second and a third time.

The defending champion even managed to climb into the chip counts after taking a big pot from Lestrade. But minutes later, the cold shower came from Espinasse in a preflop confrontation of Ace-Queen of clubs vs. Ace-Queen, which turned into a flush for the freeroll qualifier. Shortly after, the same two players went all-in again. Espinasse was ahead and stayed ahead, ending Cauchard’s extraordinary run just before the dinner break. Cauchard didn’t manage the back-to-back, but on top of the €170,000 he won last year, he still walks away with €35,700.

“I’m a little gutted, but I’m really proud of what I accomplished,” said the 2024 champion right after his elimination. “Last year, I was among the chip leaders the whole way, but this year it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I tried to hang on because I came in super short, but it’s been a crazy journey — so honestly, just happiness.”

The Winamax Poker Tour will hit the road across France again next year for another edition. In the meantime, the Winamax team will stop in Marrakech from May 20 to 25 for the Sismix, then discover Aix-les-Bains from September 16 to 21 for a brand-new WPO.

PokerNewswill of course be on site to cover these events… but for now, the live reporting team will stay at the Pasino Grand, where the WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event will take place from April 17 to 21.