Arnaud Mattern

French poker player Arnaud Mattern studied languages at university, excelling in English, Spanish and Russian. The lure of the professional backgammon circuit proved to be too much of a draw however, and he soon left his studies to play full time. Being a game based heavily on skill and numbers, backgammon shares many similarities with poker, and Arnaud was able to join the list of other successful backgammon players who have successfully managed to make the switch to poker, and get paid off handsomely along the way.

Even when he become French backgammon champion in 2006, the promise of huge prize pools was enough to make Arnaud dedicate his time to poker, and he was about to make his mark on the scene. He began playing online, learning the skills needed to take on everything from Limit and No Limit cash games to MTT’s and Sit & Go’s. He also started hitting the live scene, and by 2006 had picked up his first two significant tournament wins in Italy and London, good for over $60,000. After more consistent cash finishes, Arnaud got the breakthrough he was looking for in December 2007. He played at EPT Prague and won, beating a field of 554 other players to take his first major title and $1,038,010 in cash. Since then he has continued to run hot in major events around the world. He’s cashed at the World Series of Poker*several times, including a top 30 finish at the WSOPE* Main Event in September 2009, worth $42,729. There have also been other EPT cashes, including a fifth place finish for $91,230 at EPT Warsaw in November 2008.

With a powerful determination to win every time he sits down to play, Arnaud is a genuine force in European poker. He currently has his sights set on becoming the first player to win two European Poker Tour titles, and is keen to cement his place as one of France’s highest earning players. He is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online using the screen name ‘FrenchKiss’.