Frenchman Marius Conan has won the £1,250 888LIVE London Main Event at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino, collecting £91,170 after beating Nathan Cohen heads-up. According to PokerNews, it is the second-largest live score of his career and pushes his lifetime live earnings beyond $500,000.
For UK-based players, the result is a useful data point on how a London festival final table plays out when a seasoned international pro lands in a field dominated by local regulars. We have been following the series closely, including our earlier report on the 888LIVE London Mini Main Event, and the Main Event adds the final piece of the picture.
The Field and the Structure
The Main Event attracted 379 entries at £1,250 each. PokerNews did not publish the total prize pool in its report, and a separate headline on the same page advertised a £250,000 guarantee for the Main Event. At 379 entries the arithmetic suggests the field cleared that guarantee, but because the exact pool was not reported, we will stick to the confirmed facts: 379 entries, nine paid places at the final table, and a first prize of £91,170.
London remains one of the most competitive live markets in Europe. A £1,250 buy-in sits in the sweet spot where recreational players can afford to take a shot while professional grinders find enough edge to make the trip worthwhile. The 379-runner field is also a meaningful size: big enough to require multiple days, small enough that a player can realistically navigate the field without needing a double run-good streak every level.
Final Table Payouts
The final table payouts, as reported by PokerNews:
- Marius Conan (France): £91,170
- Nathan Cohen (UK): £60,550
- Nicu Toderascu (UK): £39,730
- Nikolay Ponomarev (UK): £26,220
- Michael Hewes (UK): £17,860
- Guang Yang (UK): £12,870
- Pascal Pflock (Germany): £9,900
- Robert Buky (UK): £7,960
- Alexios Zervos (Greece): £6,580
Notice how the payout ladder grows. From ninth to eighth is a jump of £1,380. From second to first it is £30,620. This is a textbook illustration of why ICM pressure peaks in the last three or four players. Early in the final table, a bust costs a player little in dollar terms, so ninth through sixth often plays out quickly. Once you reach the top three, each elimination is worth tens of thousands of pounds, and decisions about calling an all-in become much tighter.
How the Final Day Unfolded
Play began at 1 p.m. local time with Conan as chip leader holding 2,225,000. Alexios Zervos went out in ninth place, followed by Robert Buky, Pascal Pflock, Guang Yang, Michael Hewes, Nikolay Ponomarev and Nicu Toderascu. Heads-up, Conan built what PokerNews described as a large lead against Nathan Cohen and closed the match when he hit a straight on the river.
Starting a final table as chip leader is a significant advantage, but it is not a guarantee. In a nine-handed final table the chip leader's win probability is typically meaningfully higher than a fair share (one in nine), yet still well below fifty percent. Conan converted by avoiding the major pitfall of a large stack: playing too many marginal pots against opponents who are happy to wait for premium hands. Seven of the nine finalists came from the UK, which reflects how well local regulars know each other's tendencies, so a visitor who can take advantage of that familiarity without being exploited has an edge.
Who Is Marius Conan?
Conan is the younger brother of high roller Arthur Conan, who has more than $4 million in live earnings and was on hand after the victory. Marius has credited his brother with much of his poker development. His résumé before this win included a 2017 WSOP Circuit Main Event title in Paris and a deep run at EPT Barcelona in 2018. After the win he said, "Winning a tournament, especially live, is always something special," and added: "I will be back in London for sure."
The family connection is interesting from a strategy perspective. Many of the best tournament players today learned in a collaborative environment, sharing hand histories, running solver sessions and debating ranges with a sibling or training partner. A player whose development was shaped by a high-stakes mentor often brings a more disciplined approach to bubble and final-table spots, which is exactly what you want when the money jumps get large.
UK Runner-Up: Nathan Cohen
Nathan Cohen's £60,550 for second place is a strong result for a UK player who beat 377 others to reach heads-up. The difference between his payday and first is £30,620, which is real money but not the difference between a good and a ruined week. For most regulars the main takeaway from such a finish is that heads-up is a different game, with ranges much wider and positional leverage more important than at a full table.
It is worth studying how often heads-up matches turn on one or two big pots. Conan hit a river straight to win, which is the type of moment that decides tournaments but can be misattributed to skill. In reality the better player gets their chips in with a slight edge more often, and the edge compounds across many hands. If you want to improve this part of your game, our poker strategy hub has guides on heads-up play, and the equity calculator lets you check how much edge a given hand has before you commit.
What This Means for Players
The 888LIVE London series is one of the few UK stops that mixes strong guarantees with mid-range buy-ins. If you are a recreational player considering a trip, here are some practical points based on the result:
- Field composition matters. With seven of nine finalists from the UK, local knowledge counts. Visitors should expect opponents who play regularly together and adjust accordingly.
- Bankroll for variance. A £1,250 buy-in with 379 runners means you will bust most of the time. Use a sensible bankroll management rule, such as no more than one to two percent of your roll on a single event.
- Look for online routes. Many players qualify through online satellites. Our online vs live poker guide compares costs and edges of the two formats, and the satellite options on our tournaments page are worth checking before you pay full price.
The Bigger Picture
Marius Conan is not a new name, but this win reasserts him on the European scene. His brother Arthur has long been a fixture in high rollers, and the pair now share a notable result in London within the same year. The live poker economy depends on stories like this: international pros crossing borders, finding soft-ish fields, and delivering results that fuel the next round of festival marketing.
For the series itself, the 379-entry Main Event, a clean final table and a charismatic winner who promises to return are exactly what organisers want. For players, the message is practical: study the payout structure, respect the ICM pressure at the end, and remember that a river straight can undo months of careful play, or reward it.