Thomas Eychenne: the French professional who fulfilled a dream at EPT Barcelona 2025

The European Poker Tour (EPT) returned to Casino Barcelona in the summer of 2025 with a festival that attracted thousands of players from around the world. When the €5,300 Main Event concluded on 31 August 2025, the huge field of 2,045 entrants – the third-largest turnout in EPT history – had been reduced to one champion. Thomas Eychenne, a 35-year-old professional from France who lives in Malta, won the PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event, earning €1,217,175 after agreeing to a deal with Romanian runner-up Sebastian Ionita.

The victory was more than a big payday: it was Eychenne’s first live tournament title after years of near-misses and marks a watershed moment for French poker.

Eychenne grew up in Lyon, France and discovered poker while studying at business school. He started playing online during this period, experimenting with a variety of formats before realising that heads-up and short-stack play suited him best. Those early online battles nurtured both his technical skills and a competitive drive that would later serve him well in high-pressure live tournaments.

In 2011 Eychenne relocated to Malta, seeking a vibrant poker scene and better opportunities. There he met his long-time partner (the couple became engaged in 2024) and immersed himself in both online and live poker. He built a reputation as a hard-working pro; for a time he ran a coaching and staking team, mentoring younger players.

Eychenne’s high-profile streaming success generated curiosity about how he would fare in live tournaments. He made deep runs but repeatedly fell just short of victory. In April 2023 he finished second in the €25,000 High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo for €323,100 after already placing seventh at the 2023 PSPC in the Bahamas.

These results, combined with multiple high-roller cashes, pushed his live earnings above $2.7 million, yet a first title remained elusive. He also claimed 47th place in the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event and regularly final-tabled EPT side events. French media nicknamed him “La Watch,” and the weight of consistently finishing runner-up began to feel “mental.”

Despite the near-misses, Eychenne kept studying. He specialised in heads-up play – not only at no-limit hold’em but also across Pot-Limit Omaha 4- and 5-card – and insisted that such focus would eventually provide an edge. Before the Barcelona finale he said: “I have played lots of hands heads-up, whether it’s PLO4, PLO5, Hold’em. I have a better understanding.”

The 2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event attracted 2,045 entries, creating a prize pool of more than $11.5 million in US dollars. This turnout was the third-largest for any EPT championship.

The top 304 finishers were paid, with notable deep runs from 2025 WSOP Main Event finalist Adam Hendrix (84th) and 2019 PSPC champion Ramon Colillas (32nd).

By Day 6 just six players remained; Romania’s Sebastian Ionita led with Eychenne close behind. Eychenne overtook the lead early on Day 7 when he caught Julian Pineda Lozano bluffing. However, he briefly fell to the short stack before regaining momentum with a crucial double-up when his pocket fives rivered a straight against Umberto Zaffagnini’s ace-jack.

The final table was a diverse mix of nationalities – a testament to EPT Barcelona’s international appeal.

• Youssef Zereg exited in ninth place when Eychenne called with two sixes and improved to a full house.
• Sweden’s Anton Suarez ran a queen-pair into trip fives and finished sixth.
• Colombia’s Julian Pineda Lozano busted in fifth when his king-four could not overcome Ionita’s pocket eights.
• Poland’s Tomasz Brzezinski fell in fourth after his king-five lost a race to Zaffagnini’s pocket tens.
• Italy’s Umberto Zaffagnini departed in third after Eychenne’s rivered straight overcame pocket fives.

With stacks nearly even, Eychenne and Ionita agreed to chop the prize pool, locking up €1,117,175 each and leaving €100,000 and the EPT trophy to play for. Eychenne used the interlude to remind his opponent that he specialised in heads-up play. He later explained that he had “a better understanding” of heads-up formats and therefore expected to gain an edge.

Once play resumed he took down most pots, building a sizeable lead.

The final hand reflected his experience: Ionita limped the button and Eychenne raised with A♣K♣. Ionita jammed A♥6♣ for 14.45 million, and Eychenne snap-called. The board ran out 9♦5♥3♦Q♥K♦, giving the Frenchman top pair, top kicker and the victory.

Ionita, gracious in defeat, still collected €1,117,175 under the deal and celebrated his career-best finish.

*Eychenne and Ionita negotiated a heads-up deal, so their payouts reflect the agreed amounts.

For Eychenne, lifting the Golden Shard trophy fulfilled a long-held dream. After his victory he said: “It feels just amazing. It’s my first tournament win. I obviously didn’t expect to win when entering a 2,000-player field… My work paid off today.”

He acknowledged the role of luck but emphasised the years of study and preparation that made the moment possible. Asked about the mental burden of multiple second-place finishes, he admitted that consistently finishing runner-up “gets mental at some point” but predicted that he would now play with less pressure. Friends from Paris surprised him by flying to Barcelona to support him; he told that their presence “means a lot.”

The win is also significant in the broader context of French poker. French media described Eychenne as “a jewel of European poker” whose victory places him alongside other French EPT champions. Live-Poker highlighted that he delivered a “true poker masterclass,” outplaying Ionita and collecting €1,217,000 to push his total live earnings above $4 million. CardPlayer noted that the win came with 2,160 Player of the Year (POY) points, moving him close to the top 100 in the 2025 standings.

Eychenne himself recognised the historical weight of the title; he mentioned that the EPT began in Barcelona two decades ago and said it was “crazy” to see his name alongside past champions. He promised to return to defend his title, praising Barcelona’s food, sun, beach and organisation.

Eychenne’s path to the 2025 EPT Barcelona title is marked by resilience, innovation and a willingness to share knowledge. He continues to coach aspiring players through a staking team and to experiment with bankroll challenges that inspire online audiences. His migration from Lyon to Malta and his presence on streaming platforms demonstrate a modern professional who embraces both live and online environments.

While his EPT victory delivers financial security and a place in the history books, Eychenne remains focused on improvement. After his win he noted that heads-up poker still involves variance and insisted that his edge, though real, was small. Such humility suggests that the newly crowned champion will not rest on his laurels.

With the European Poker Tour scheduled to visit Malta in October 2025, Eychenne will have the opportunity to compete on home soil and attempt to extend his remarkable run. Whether streaming an ambitious bankroll challenge, mentoring up-and-coming players or battling at the highest stakes, Thomas Eychenne now carries the confidence of a champion and the admiration of the global poker community.