So Nice!

We were treated royally that Saturday at the Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice, where the sun and players met for the fourth Super Satellite. From 2pm poker was played non-stop. Roland Rozel won out of more than 400 players and gave a wonderful performance.

Players received a warm welcome and the organisation was perfect. There could not have been a better start to the tournament in Nice, which is located on the English Promenade facing the Mediterranean Sea. What can one say about the big room reserved for the tournament then? Well it is quite simply one of the most beautiful rooms seen today, with a refined atmosphere and a Harlequin décor. All of these elements made for a wonderful day of poker! And it has been like this since the beginning of the Tour…


407 players took their places around the tables. Amongst them were some of the best poker players, such as Valérie Damidot, Estelle Denis, Virgine Efira, Alice Taglioni, Raymond Domenech and Fabrice Soulier. Partouche Poker Tour regulars such as Remy Biechel winner at Saint-Amand and François Tardieu winner at Lyon Vert came to try their luck in the extra tournament which took place at 9.30pm. It had 210 players and was brilliantly won by Jean-Pierre Lacombe (15,200 €) against Frédéric Brunet and Rachid Ben Rezkallah.

The structure of the Super Satellite was the same as the preceding ones: 5,000 chips and blinds of 25 and 50 at the beginning with increases every 25 minutes. And just like the PPT stops before, the crazy pace was a bit too rough for a number of players. So by one o’clock, 42 players were already knocked out.

Valérie Damidot, Virginie Efira and Fabrice Soulier were knocked out of the tournament early, but Estelle Denis, Raymond Domenech and particularly Alice Taglioni gave very good performances. Raymond Domenech left in 150^th place, followed quickly by his companion Estelle Denis. According to Alice Taglioni, she messed up several goes. There was no luck for the gorgeous actress who had already showed off her talent at the first Super Satellite in Saint-Amand. Some players stood out by the number of chips they had, such as Richard Loufrani with 40,000 chips and Jean-Paul Pasqualini with 33,000.

At first in this Super Satellite there was a real race between the main players in terms of chip count. Their names? Pierre Zurcher (170,000), Arthur Canadas (115,000) and William Saad (90,000). These three players shared the position of chip leader, even though they did not make it to the final table. The final table of the final 8 players was also full of talent: Sébastien Defrance, Roland Rozel, Marc Lindorfer, Bernard Grafouillere, Yuefang Jiang, Jean-Baptiste Cazaruc, Stéphane Blacas and David Bagnard. The final was won by Roland Rozel with Yuefang Jiang coming second. Well done!

So to conclude, this fourth Super Satellite was a success on all levels, from the welcome to the final table, and we had an amazing day of poker. The Palais de la Méditerranée was a dream venue in which to organise this fourth PPT stop in April. The next tournament is on the 24^th May in Aix-en-Provence. So come along, it will be great!









FINAL RANKING FOR THE NICE SUPER SATELLITE

Here is the final list of qualifiers for the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event. Out of 407 participants at this fourth Super Satellite in Nice, 40 have won a ticket for the Grand Final in Cannes. The prizepool was 50,000 euros and the winner was Roland Rozel who won 15,000 euros. The other 39 players split the rest of the prizepool. Final ranking for the Nice Super Satellite with prizepool details:

1.Rozel Roland 15 000 euros
2. Jiang Yuefang 6 000
3. Defrance Sébastien 3 500
4. Lindorfer Marc 3 000
5. Pagnard David 2 500
6. Graffouillere Bernard 2 000
7. Blacas Stéphane 1 000
8. Cazaruc Jean-Baptiste 1 000
9. Bedrossian Franck 500
10. Canadas Arthur 500
11. Mansour Vincent 500
12. Srikah Hassan 500
13. Zurcher Pierre 500
14. Albert Laurent 500
15. Lopes Da Silva Carlos Manuel 500
16. Saad William 500
17. Goletto Stéphane 500
18. Clementi Claudio 500
19. Tsan Sap-Nhi 500
20. Aouizerat William 500
21. Kessas Benjamen 500
22. Larrouy Emile 500
23. Fernandes Brito Francis 500
24. Maisonneuve Sébastien 500
25. Barrière Pierre 500
26. Barret Yannick 500
27. Olive stéphane 500
28. Caffiaux Alfred 500
29. Lacharme Patrick 500
30. Slavicek Boris 500
31. Allion Fabrice 500
32. Muleta Patrick 500
33. Roperto Ludovic 500
34. Zeroual Fouad 500
35. Arnaudies Sébastien 500
36. Brizon Jean-Michel 500
37. Achab Sofiane 500
38. M’Jot Youssef 500
39. Flessia Cécile 500
40. Prados Antonio 500


NUMBER OF QUALIFIERS PER CASINO

1. Nice Palais de la Méditerranée 5
2. Le Lydia 3
3. Palm Beach Cannes 3
4. Saint-Amand les Eaux 3
5. Arcachon 2
6. Beaulieu 2
7. Juan les Pins 2
8. La Grande Motte 2
9. Le Lyon Vert 2
10. Aix-en-Provence 1
11. Bandol 1
12. Divonne 1
13. La Ciotat 1
14. Forges-les-Eaux 1
15. Le Pharaon de Lyon 1
16. Palavas 1
17. Pornichet 1
18. Royat 1
19. Salies de Béarn 1

Saturday's menu: POKER!

This Saturday it's poker in Nice. It is the Partouche Poker Tour's fourth Super Satellite of 2008 and the Palais de la Méditerranée is also organising an extra tournament for 180 players at 8.30pm. And this is not all, because there will also be 4 cash game tables from 4pm. What an impressive plan!

It will be a weekend of fun in Nice! This Saturday at 4pm the Partouche Poker Tour's fourth Super Satellite will begin. An intense and physical tournament that will give 10% of the best players a place in the Main Event in Cannes. The structure of the tournament has not really changed from previous PPT stops: 5,000 chips and blinds of 25 and 50 at the beginning and increasing every 25 minutes. The tournament is scheduled to begin at 4pm and registration closes at 3pm. Along side this main event will be an extra tournament for 180 players. It will start at 9.30pm at the Espace Méditerranée Level -1. It is already possible to register. Like the Palais Méditerranée it has the reputation of looking after its guests with 4 cash game tables available from 4pm in the traditional games room on the 1^st floor. Buy-in fees of 500, 1,000 and 2,000 euros. There will be competition in Nice!

Summary of the poker event in Nice

Saturday 19^th April 2008

Super Satellite in Nice: registration: 1,075 € payable at the venue, in Partouche casinos or at the Group’s head office – 141 rue de Saussure, 75017 Paris. Tournament scheduled to begin at 4pm.

Extra tournament: at the Espace Méditerranée Level- 1. 180 players, begins 9.30pm. Registration: 250 € + 35 € payable at the venue.

4 Texas hold’em tables: located in the traditional games room on the 1^st floor. Open from 4pm, buy-in fees of 500 €, 1,000 € and 2,000 €.

The PPT goes to Nice!

Guess what has resumed its tour around France to bring you another fantastic tournament? With 6 days until the Super Satellite in Nice, the Palais de la Méditerranée is getting ready for the fourth Super Satellite of the 2008 Partouche Poker Tour! Hundreds of Texas hold'em players are coming from all over France and even Europe. Let the show begin!

Nice is the antepenultimate stop of the Partouche Poker Tour, one of the last Super Satellites where you can qualify directly for the Main Event in Cannes. It will be a major event taking place in a unique location: the Palais de la Méditerranée; a true poker leader in France. Having already obtained 7 places for the Grand Final at the Palm Beach, this hotel in Nice has already proved, that in terms of poker, its resident players have no need to envy other players in France. Furthermore the players from Nice are formidable card players, we witnessed their great performance at the Divonne-les-Bains Super Satellite where there were 5 qualifying players for Cannes from Nice. This Saturday is in their terrain and we are expecting a similar performance.

So who will dare to challenge these kings of Texas hold’em at the Palais Méditerranée? Who will accompany the 33 qualifiers from Saint-Amand, the 34 from Divonne and the 43 from Lyon Vert to the Main Event in Cannes? Who will try their luck to win the million euros promised to the winner of PPT2008. Find out on Saturday!

To participate in the Nice Super Satellite, nothing could be simpler. You can:

• Register at a Partouche casino or directly at the head office: 141 bis rue de Saussure - 75017 Paris.

• Register online at www.partouchepokertour.com

* Satellite fee: 125 euros
* Super Satellite fee: 1,075 euros

A tribute to the best henchmen

Whether they are short, tall, slim or well built, the Partouche Poker Tour croupiers all have one thing in common: they are all good - even excellent! They show a great knowledge of the game and fantastic stamina during the tournaments. As we are half way through the Tour, it is only right to pay homage to them.

There are 60 croupiers per Super Satellite at the Partouche Poker Tour who come from all over France simply for the love of Texas hold’em. From Saint-Amand to Lyon, the Partouche Poker Tour croupiers have all worked hard during the different stops, with hardly any mishaps. Ten or so million hands were dealt and millions of flops laid out by the real experts. There are many people who envy these “made in Partouche” henchmen. Each week the croupiers come around the PPT tables to please the players with their love for poker, constant smiles and reliable hands. Well done again ladies and gentlemen and see you soon in Nice!

Aurélien Gallen: “Show stamina!”

Trained croupier, Aurélien Gallen is today head of the game. That is to say he watches the tables and sorts out conflicts between the players. A perfect master of Texas hold’em is therefore required so that “everything works like clockwork”. We met him during the last Super Satellite at Lyon Vert where he spoke about the difficulties but also the beauty of being a croupier.

Hello Aurélien, what qualities are needed to be a good croupier?
One must have stamina above all else! To work at a tournament until 5.30am, concentrate with the PPT the next day, work at a second side tournament and then have a meeting on the Monday, one needs to be very tough. All the croupiers must therefore be congratulated for this work which demands a lot of effort. A good knowledge of the game is also obviously crucial.

All the croupiers present here are all obviously able to deal with such a job…
Of course, the PPT croupiers are carefully chosen. They are all capable of working at such an event and of handling the stress and the amount of work. A croupier can deal between 300 and 500 hands during one tournament. That requires a lot of concentration and a certain physical condition.

I assume participating in the Partouche Poker Tour must be a great achievement…
It is very special given that the Super Satellites are such great events. Not all the croupiers in France get a chance to participate in such a tournament. That is why we are happy to come back each month. It is also an opportunity to meet up with colleagues. Relationships are made. But aside from that, it is always a real pleasure to do a good job and see people happy and pleased with us.

A little word about the players?
The majority of the players are very polite, but some, particularly in cash games, can be rude. If a croupier has the misfortune to deal one hand badly out of 200, some players will not hesitate to throw their cards in his face. This is not very nice behaviour to watch, but even worse to endure. I think a good poker player must stay dignified whatever the situation.

Fabrice Tiozzo: “I would love to one day participate in the Partouche Poker Tour!”

1.85m and 80kg, 50 professional fights in 18 years of his career of which 48 were victories, Fabrice Tiozzo was one of the terrors of the ring before hung up his gloves in 2006. The World champion of boxing was at the Lyon Vert Casino for the Partouche Poker Tour’s third Super Satellite. A very “punchy” tournament, he told us.

Hello Fabrice, what gives us the honour of your visit to this magnificent Lyon Vert Casino?

It is simple, one hears a lot about poker at the moment. I have watched it a lot on TV but I don’t really know how to play. Some friends are participating in this Lyon Vert Super Satellite, so it was a good opportunity to come and see how such an event works. And I have to say it was worth the trip.

Do you occasionally play poker?

I have not played it at all, but I know the rules. It will take me time to learn before I start playing. Because if I sat at a table now, the players would only have one thought: to liquidate me.

But don’t the atmosphere and the setting make you want to learn quicker?

Of course! I like it! But as I already said, if I start now, I will massacre myself. It would be better to get a good amount of practice and preparation first. Then when I am finally ready, I can jump into the big ring.

You speak of practice and of preparation like you did when you were a boxer, do you see similarities between poker and boxing?

No because in boxing you can’t bluff (laughs). They are two different things but both are just as admirable.

Is there a chance that we will one day see you around a Partouche Poker Tour table?

Yes I think so. If I go somewhere nowadays, it is because it interests me! But I never go into things blind. I came here to soak up the atmosphere, see how it all works. I am taking my time and then we’ll see.

In any case we hope you take part one day!

Yes so do I, because it would be really fun. Poker is a great game and I think I could be quite good at it, especially in the psychological and bluffing departments. I am a very good bluffer. Even when I lie, I am telling the truth! (Laughs)

Thank you Fabrice.

François Tardieu: “Partouche is the leader when it comes to organising Poker in France”

François Tardieu, winner of the Side Event and Super Satellite at Lyon, has taken part in one of the best poker hold’em experiences. He looks back over this emotionally intense and varied weekend in Lyon. It was a weekend that the Maestro is not ready to forget and we understand why…

So François, how do you feel after Lyon where you won two tournaments in 48 hours?

Exhausted…having played more than 20 hours over the two days. But I am also particularly satisfied with my successful performances. Having said that, I have to admit, for future participants, that I never had AA or KK during the two days. So one must always be patient and opportunistic and never give up hope.

What does it mean to you to win your first big poker tournament, especially coming from a backgammon background?

I was already on a final table at the European Poker Master in the Aviation Club de France where I finished 7^th. At the time I had less experience and felt like I failed. Then I understood that it could be possible to win first place if I worked on my game a bit more. Which I did at Lyon with a little help from luck. That does not mean that I cannot improve more. On the contrary, I count on improving my game.

Did your backgammon experience help you during the weekend?

After the dinner break, my chip count was quite low. I knew however from experience, particularly in Backgammon, that the most desperate cases are never fully lost and one has to always do one’s best to have luck on one’s side. That is what I did.

“I sometimes play close to 100 tournaments each week”

Which of these games do you play most at the moment? And which one do you prefer?

The games I like are chess, backgammon and poker. I have played these games now for 20 years. I like chess for its purity and beauty, backgammon for its challenge and ability overcome chance with technique and finally poker for the strategic combinations and the human dimension.

It must have taken a huge amount of concentration and endurance to win two tournaments in a row? What is your secret? And according to you, what are the qualities one needs to win this type of tournament?

Many qualities are needed to win a poker tournament. They are not that different to those needed to win other tournaments. I would say that one needs discipline, patience, a big capacity to think under pressure, a bit of maths, a good memory, good control of one’s emotions and lots of other things. I certainly don’t claim to have mastered all of these qualities, but I have been improving them during the many competitions I have participated in over the years.

How did you find the events at the Pharaon and the Lyon Vert?

Well organised and the staff were friendly and competent, particularly Maxime Masquelier who directed these events personally. All of that makes Groupe Partouche the leader when it comes to organising poker in France and I am sure they will have even more success in the future. The structure of the Super Satellite was quite appropriate although there could have been an extra level at the beginning, which would have meant the event would have started and hour earlier. Having said this, I am sure that the Main Event in Cannes, which lasts several days, will be of a standard that will put the biggest international tournaments to shame.

At what moment did you think that the Super Satellite could be yours?

When there were only 42 players left for 41 qualifying places, I has an Ace and King of hearts with a good chip count, I waited a bit to be sure I has my ticket for Cannes and then I went all in. It paid off, I won and I became the chip leader. I then said that I would not fold again even though I knew the fragility of being the chip leader in a tournament.

You gave us a great chip leader demonstration on the final table. You gave the impression of always being in control. Was it really that way in your head?

I went onto the final table calmly. I definitely had a little advantage since I sometimes play close to 100 tournaments each week, so I know some little tricks. But at the showdown without the cards there is nothing one can do…a little bit of luck helped things.

“it was nothing personal”

Did you feel at the time that the other players at the table got annoyed with you?

It was not like that, it was nothing personal. I just play the game that seems right to me in the moment. There was an atmosphere of fair play around the table, despite everyone being tired.

You came to Lyon for Cannes after your failure at Saint-Amand. If you would have lost again, would you have tried again at the next Super Satellite?

It was effectively my second try. Being relatively headstrong I would have without a doubt tried a third time if I thought I had a good chance of qualifying.

Now on to the Main Event in Cannes with its 2,000,000 Euro prize pool, how will you prepare?

The event in Cannes is over 4 days, so I think I will simply prepare my physical condition. If I have the chance to win a bit in this tournament, it would be a shame to fail because I loose energy or concentration.

Do you want to add anything else François?

I want to congratulate the other qualifiers of this stop, as well as all the players who showed a great spirit and fair play whilst staying competitive.

Thank you François and well done again!

Lyon-Tardieu, it's all over, everyone is out!

It was brief and intense but great. François Tardieu gave a good lesson in poker as he got rid of his opponents round by round at the final table. Playing his role as the chip leader to semi-perfection, the backgammon champion never gave his opponents a chance. This is how it went…

François Tardieu’s victory at the final table had everyone in agreement; the backgammon champion was certainly the best player that night. Blinds of 20,000 and 40,000, a 4,000 ante and three players remaining with more than 300,000 chips: François Tardieu, Aurélien Angenieux with 364,000 and Bruno Balvay with 325,000. Cédric Torrent, from Casino de Plouescat, had the least with only 85,000 chips and was knocked out first by a flush from Yves Enderli. It was a great poker moment. Enderli went all in , 174,000 with , Cédric Torrent followed with . Final table : . Torrent was out. Then François Tardieu became active. When Christian Venturini went all in at 144,000 with , Tardieu had . The pot went up to 567,000. the table deal brought nothing and Tardieu eliminated Christian Venturini. At Rémy Mougel’s go to beat the Grand Tardieu. He went all in at 173,000 with but was knocked out by the Maestro with . Tardieu won the bet with a pair or 10s . Mougel was out.

Hurricane Tardieu

“To the next!” said Tardieu with his giant stack of chips. Rotger and his few chips had no other choice but continue. After Tardieu raised 120,000 with , Laurent Rotger completed his bet by adding . A pair of kings at the Flop against a pair of 8s at the Turn . It was over for Rotger. Hurricane Tardieu took all the chips in his path and carried on around the table. He accumulated close to 1,000,000 chips. Next victim was Yves Enderli. Same story: big raise from Tardieu of 150,000 with , Enderli with went all in at 160,000. Tardieu lined himself up and got a pair of 3s at the flop . Enderli was out…

Tardieu had so many chips he didn’t know where to put them: “I don’t know anymore how much I have”. Then Aurélien Angénieux, who had let pass the hand before, went all in without looking at his next cards. Tardieu had . Angenieux put down his cards , the table had an Ace . Angenieux was out.

The Maestro brings about the coup de grace

Bruno Balvay was trembling trembled at his go; Tardieu had more that 90% of the chips. The blinds rose again from 40,000 to 80,000. Discovering a pair of 7s , Tardieu did not pussyfoot. He went all in and was called by Balvay with . The table was dealt : . A full house for Tardieu. The Maestro accepted his win of a place at the Main Event gracefully. Patience, boldness, talent and a bit of success allowed the master Tardieu to win both the Side Event at the Pharaon and the Super Satellite at Lyon Vert. We respect you Master Tardieu!