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Hugo Girard of France Crowned Champion of the 2024 WPT Prime Paris Championship

Hugo Girard Triumphs at the WPT Prime Paris Championship

The world of poker has once again shown its thrilling side with the successful conclusion of the €1,100 WPT Prime Paris Championship, held at Club Circus Paris. This year’s event attracted a remarkable 1,242 entrants across five starting flights and featured an impressive prize pool of €1,192,320 (approximately US $1,285,559), distributed among the top 156 players.

Rising Star: Hugo Girard

Among the talented competitors was Hugues “Hugo” Girard, who demonstrated his exceptional poker skills by nearly going wire-to-wire at the final table. After three intense days of play, Girard emerged victoriously, pocketing €170,000 (~US $183,294) and securing a coveted seat at the 2024 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December.

The final table culminated in a gripping showdown. It took 124 hands to reduce the field from eight players down to the final two, with Girard ultimately facing Mathieu Goncalves. The heads-up battle was equally tense, and it wasn’t until Hand #242 that Girard sealed his victory. Goncalves, with a king-nine, pushed all-in, while Girard called with king-seven. The flop revealed two additional sevens, giving Girard a set and sending Goncalves to a second-place finish with a prize of €117,120 (~US $126,279).

Final Table Recap

The final table produced a thrilling spectacle, which was live-streamed on the Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook channels of PMU Poker. Below are the final results:

Place Player Prize
1 Hugo Girard €170,000 (~US $183,294)
2 Mathieu Goncalves €117,120 (~US $126,279)
3 Kostya Zaks €85,200 (~US $91,863)
4 Baptiste Audoli €63,700 (~US $68,681)
5 Etienne Silva de Oliveira €48,700 (~US $52,508)
6 Oleksii Ievchenko €38,100 (~US $41,079)
7 Ludovic Amblard €30,400 (~US $32,777)
8 Samuel Fournier €24,500 (~US $26,416)

While Girard and Goncalves took the lion’s share of the spoils, other notable cashes included Kevin Garcia (10th – $17,251) and Andy Black (44th – $5,068), demonstrating the competitive field throughout the tournament.

Highlights from a Thrilling Tournament

Hugo Girard’s victory marks a new career-high for the talented French player, who has lifetime tournament earnings exceeding $770,000 according to Hendon Mob. This win surpasses his previous best finish in the 2024 Winamax Poker Tour Grande Finale Event where he placed second for $137,772.

The tournament also featured notable hands that kept fans on the edge of their seats. One significant moment involved WPT Global Ambassador Conor O’Driscoll, who faced Kostya Zaks in a critical hand. O’Driscoll found himself all-in with pocket kings but was ultimately eliminated when Zaks caught runner-runner to make a flush.

O’Driscoll’s exit at 31st place with a prize of $7,332 was a reminder of the unpredictable nature of poker, where anything can happen at any moment.

Future Events in the WPT Circuit

As the WPT wraps up its exciting event in Paris, attention shifts to the next stop on the tour—the $5,000 WPT bestbet Scramble Championship, scheduled to take place from November 15-19 in Florida.

With thrilling moments and impressive play, the WPT Prime Paris Championship has reinforced the enduring popularity of poker across Europe and beyond. Stay tuned for further updates as the World Poker Tour continues its globe-trotting adventure, showcasing the best the poker world has to offer.

Hugo Girard Celebrating
Hugo Girard celebrating his victory with supporters!

Photos courtesy of World Poker Tour (WPT)


This article was crafted by Chad Holloway, PR & Media Manager for PokerNews. As a podcast host and 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner, Chad brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the world of poker.

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