With an exciting final table highlighting a dramatic finale of four starting flights with 1,516 competitors battling for a piece of the outstanding €667,040 prize pool, the Winamax poker Open in Bratislava came to close. Following three fierce days of poker, Belgian player Aliosha Staes triumphed and took home the prized trophy and a first-place prize of €90,000—a stunning return on his original €500 investment.
An Original viewpoint
Staes jokingly pointed out his unusual position in a final table dominated by French players: “That’s true, but I was mostly the small whale in a shark tank,” he said, clutching the trophy. He admitted the great degree of play he was facing and that it was the toughest competition he had ever come across. “There were no errors from Day 2 until the very end,” he said.
Staes is not new in the poker scene even with his triumph. Having played at Casino de Namur and even pursued professional poker for several years, he changed direction to work in IT in 2019. He still represents Team Poker One, a Belgian team that sponsors players in live events, nevertheless. Staes, however, needed no support; his solitary buy-in was all it took to earn the biggest title of his career.
Focus and Adrenaline
Staes had vowed before the last day to play fiercely and without hesitation. “I told myself, should it be required, I wouldn’t hesitate to go all in. In his post-victory interview, he said: “I had to stay focused on every hand.” His focus paid off; he stayed “in the zone” during the grueling seven-hour final table, which he said was energizing rather than draining. “Maybe it was the adrenaline; but, I felt good all through,” he said.
Staes, who is shortly to be a father, jokingly said the earnings would be useful. “Babies are expensive, thus with €90,000 I will be able to buy a lot of stuff,” he said sarcastically. Although his new obligations would take him away from the poker world for some time, he stayed dedicated to his profession back in Belgium, where he must return soon after the tournament.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Aliosha Staes | Belgium | €90,000 |
| 2 | Timothe Labassa | France | €62,000 |
| 3 | Benjamin Hammann | France | €43,000 |
| 4 | Valentin Imperatore | France | €30,000 |
| 5 | Dylan Cechowski | France | €21,660 |
| 6 | Jonathan Pastore | France | €16,000 |
| 7 | Hugo Menant | France | €12,080 |
The Activity of the Day
The last day started with seventeen players returning to fight for a spot in poker history. The first elimination came quickly when Johnny Andreassen fell victim to Dylan Cechowski in a thrilling flash-over-flush confrontation. Previously causing waves at the 2024 Winamax SISMIX series, Matthieu Lamagnere was disappointed to be dropped by Nicolas Plantin prior to the last table started.
Valentin Imperatore maintained the chip lead when the last seven were seated; Cechowski wasted no time in seizing control and swiftly eliminated Hugo Menant. Notable players included seasoned competitor Jonathan Pastore with a strong resume, but he too fell short and Imperatore, who kept climbing, eliminated him.
Following a five-hour slow down in eliminations, Imperatore finally lost against Staes with pocket aces. This helped to create a tense final three. Benjamin Hammann left Staes and Timothe Labassa to fight it out heads-up in third place, a vital all-in hand saw.
Conclusion
Staes proved his mettle again in the heads-up confrontation. His straight, essentially damaging Labassa’s hopes with top pair came from a well-timed flop. Staes therefore locked the title, the trophy, and the €90,000 award, so commemorating a turning point in his poker career.
Staes’s triumph was evident when the dust cleared on the Winamax poker Open; it was evidence of his ability and will, therefore imprinting himself on the annals of the event. Once this chapter closes, poker aficionados should be looking forward more fascinating Winamax events going forward.
