Jérôme Balthazar wins the WaSOP XIV Main Event

The triumph of Jérôme Balthazar (79.495€)

Finalist at the BPC 2023 (9th), Jérôme Balthazar had a short final... enough to sign his biggest poker win yet! The mark has now been erased, as with his title at this WaSOP, the Belgian will double his Hendon Mob.

"It was straight through," Jérôme confides a few minutes after his success, almost astonished by his run. "I'm very tired so I'm less caught up in the emotion... with the deal we were 'only' playing for 10K so I'm a bit detached even though I'm of course very happy," the champion continued.

Exhausted but happy, Jérôme was proud to have "won the third biggest of the year in Namur after the BPC and the CPS". "It was a great series with a big field, frankly it's impressive so I wasn't expecting it," says the champion, humbled after cashing 142 times his stake while dominating a field of 1,601 entrants.

"In the final I said to myself that it was possible, before it's too far... but after passing Jack 9 suit against Queen 3, which came after two preflop all-in moves, I said to myself that I was back in the big stacks. Then I said to myself that with the players in front of me I could do something if the artes were with me," continues the boss before concluding. "It's great to win at home!

Alain Fleurent Runner-up (€67,285)

France's Alain Fleurent bowed out after a hard-fought head's up where everything came down to an all-in confrontation with Queen Ten Brick... Alain had Jack 9 for a straight draw on both ends, but fell to 5 blinds after hitting nothing to pass the opponent's Ace-Queen...

Alain Fleurent came back to 10 blinds, but went all in with King 3 to fall to King Ten. One table later, victory went to the last Belgian in the field, Jérôme Balthazar, already a BPC finalist! 

WaSOP XIV Main Event Payout €550 (1601 players - 720 234€ prizepool)

• Champion - Jérôme Balthazar €79,495 + €2,200 CPS Main Event ticket
• Runner Up - Alain Fleurent €67,250 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 3rd - Saman Nasseri €59,840 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 4th - Petar Radlovic €45,920 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 5th - Jonathan Dartevelle €28,350 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 6th - Isaac Borghouts €21,870 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 7th - Mouss Amaouche €16,750 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 8th - Adrien Amorella €12,820 + €2,200 CPS Main Event Ticket
• 9th - Benoit Kuhn €10,040

Results compet: