185,000 for Romain Le Dantec, winner of the CPS 2024 Main Event in front of 531 opponents! The Frenchman is starting to build up quite a track record, taking over from Max Wind, winner of the first edition which attracted 555 entrants.
Duty done. Romain Le Dantec looks happy and proud... but measured in the seconds following his success in the second edition of the €2200 CPS Main Event. Romain showed his ability to finish the job.
"(Fabian) I got him off his game, I'm satisfied with my game and what I showed," explained Romain Le Dantec, who proved beyond doubt in a final lasting over 12 hours that he "belongs to the good French players". A benchmark success in a tournament that paid its last 79 players.
The Frenchman was among the big stacks from start to finish, dominating his tables and getting his opponents where he wanted them. "Technically, it's true that the Germans were better than me, but I didn't work on my game like they did. There's no doubt about it, I don't have their skills, but I know how to put pressure on this type of player... sometimes I can make mistakes, but not today," he said, remaining modest despite his strong words.
"I hope people see me as a good player... I play every shot as if it were my last and I give it my all after I know that technically it's not perfect... sometimes that's a strength when it comes to exploiting opponents," explains the man who has just taken the lion's share of a €1,010,800 prizepool.
"I've achieved something, and it's not just variance... I felt like I had 100 blinds the whole game," adds Romain.
WSOP champion, WSOP Circuit winner, cash-game and sports betting enthusiast, this 29-year-old player from the North of France is establishing himself as another Frenchman to watch in the arena. His bluffs in a high-level final showed the talent of an aggressive player who doesn't mess around. In fact, Romain filmed himself at a TV table, setting up a few reels in the style of Dans La Tête d'un Pro. "People will be able to see that I don't leave things to chance, the shots aren't made at random", Romain Le Dantec continues.
Romain's mastery of the game and his ability to set the tempo were the keys to his biggest financial win at poker: €185,000 without a deal after a duel overturned in 25 minutes. "With Saint-Amand, this is my second home, I made a semi-final on a big game, then again at the BPC... I was on the verge of a good result and to concretize here is symbolic", admitted Romain, a regular at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur.
His final Dutch opponent, Raoul Kanme, was almost non-existent, even though he had been showing good form since the tournament kicked off last Tuesday... Romain paid tribute to his last opponents after his victory, having finished 17th in last year's BPC and dreaming of a big performance in Namur. "I'm not going to lie (his runner-up and the last two Germans in the race, ed. note), they're good profiles, but I'm at ease against competent players, I make them think," continues the Frenchman who runs bakeries in real life.
"The plan was to add a little variance to the game... make them doubt, get into their brains... that's how I get out of it, I feel like I've put them in difficulty. When I see his exit with As Dame," says Romain, before saluting "the friends who coach him on a daily basis". "Thanks to the buddies for the support... a few tips and it's perfect to surpass yourself; that's how you get ahead", assures the champion.
Probably stung by a last-longer with Omar Lakhdari at the start of the event, Romain quickly sensed that there was something to be made of this tournament. "I think I'm better than when I won my bracelet, I don't want to sound pretentious but I know what I'm doing. There are a lot fewer big spews and when I take bluff spots, I know what I'm doing", concludes the player who showed a definite maturity and knew how to respond at the right moment.
"When I made Fabian overtake me and he went back in front, it was hard in my head, but after 5 minutes I said to myself 'You're still in second place, stop worrying, if you have to lose you'll lose, but give it everything you've got'. I was happy with my play, I pushed him to the limit, he took off his headband, I feel like saying mission accomplished", added Namur's new boss.
The future looks bright for the man who finally feels "mature at poker". "Maturity is coming... it makes me want to work hard to go further. I'm going to have to work hard on the game to go further. Here I liked the marathon format, the structure... it makes you want to do that on an EPT. The truth is, I've got some work to do, but maybe as soon as Prague," concluded the undisputed winner of the CPS Main Event.
The final payout of Event #23 Main Event CPS 2024 (532 players - 79 paid - €1,010,268 prizepool)
Champion - Romain le Dantec (France) €185,000
Runner Up - Raoul Kanme (Nl) €117,500
3rd - Jorg Schneegass (Al) 84 500€
4th - Fabian Bartuschk (Al)65 000€
5th - Axel Sebire (Fr) 50 000€
6th - Ali Aram (Al) 38 400€
7th - Mathieu Gallois (Fr) 29 520€
8th - Rayane Moktavarium (Fr) 22 788€
9th - Idir Haiche (Fr) 19 000€
