Record-Breaking WiPT Finale: Sacha Cohen Takes the Sword

The Winamax Poker Tour has officially outgrown its own expectations. The 2026 Grande Finale in Aix-en-Provence shattered its goals, recording 3,610 entries and generating a prize pool north of €1.5 million. 

When the dust settled at the Pasino Grand Partouche, it was Sacha Cohen who stood alone at the summit. The 27-year-old professional parlayed a dominant Day 3 performance into a €180,000 payday, successfully transitioning from a Call of Duty commentator to a major live poker champion in one of the most competitive environments the French circuit has ever seen.

The final table was a microcosm of the modern poker dream, featuring everything from a "Battle Royale" champion in Hervé Gouzil to a submariner electrician, Guillaume Anthonioz, who turned a short stack into an eighth-place finish. Cohen, however, was the protagonist of the week. 

After a "crazy run" in the final minutes of Day 3 saw his stack explode from 19 million to 50 million, he entered the final day with the momentum of a freight train. He navigated a final nine that saw early casualties like Samuel Bifarella and Bertrand Vizioz before reaching a three-handed battle where the chips were almost perfectly even.

The showdown with Lucien Cervettaz was one for the record books. Cohen admitted to a "low-variance" strategy for much of the final table, but he was forced to shift gears as Cervettaz picked off several of his bluffs with King-high. 

The match saw both players on the brink of elimination multiple times, but Cohen’s composure, and a timely pair of fives against King-Queen, eventually paved the way to the title. With the WiPT sword now in his possession, Cohen indicated his next targets are Prague and the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, where he hopes to match the bracelet won by his father nearly 30 years ago.