Cartes Production is proud to count the Ligue Française de Poker among its partners. Here is everything you need to know about the LFP, how it works and how to register your club.
The Ligue Française de Poker in brief
The LFP is a non-profit association under the French law of 1901, founded in 2009 and operating as a federation. It brings together around fifty amateur poker clubs spread across some twenty regional sectors, from Alsace to Occitanie via Brittany, Hauts-de-France and the Paris region (Île-de-France). Season 17 kicked off in September 2026.
Its goal: to help amateur players progress to a level that opens the door to tougher competitions, by rewarding attendance, consistency and performance for both players and clubs.
- Advising and supporting clubs with their administration and the organisation of their events.
- Standardising tournament rules thanks to the official ROPTA rulebook, translated by the FFPA.
- Informing clubs about French gambling legislation, so that they stay within the law.
- Preventing addiction and raising awareness of gambling-related risks.
A 100% freeroll French poker championship
No buy-in, no money at stake: every LFP championship is a freeroll tournament. The prizes (entries to major competitions, poker trips, coaching, equipment for clubs) are provided by the League's partners. The sporting programme is split into three parts.
The live championship: 5 inter-club rounds per sector
The heart of the LFP is its live rounds: five MTT tournaments per season, played on the same dates in every sector and hosted in turn by the affiliated clubs.
| Round | Date (season 17) |
|---|---|
| MTT 1 | Sunday 8 November 2026 |
| MTT 2 | Sunday 6 December 2026 |
| MTT 3 | Sunday 10 January 2027 |
| MTT 4 | Sunday 31 January 2027 |
| MTT 5 | Sunday 14 March 2027 |
The format is the same everywhere: No Limit Hold'em freezeout, 20,000-chip starting stack, tables of 8 to 10 players, 9-handed final table, and self-dealt play (no dealer) until the final table. A side event (15,000 chips, 15-minute levels, 60 players maximum) is played in the afternoon to pick up team points and extra tickets.
Each round counts towards both the individual ranking and the team ranking: a club must field at least 4 licensed players to compete as a team. The winner of each round qualifies directly for the national final, and the next 10% earn a “springboard ticket”.
The online championships on Winamax
Alongside the live events, the LFP runs four online championships on its partner poker room Winamax: a Hold'em championship and an Omaha championship, each split into a Winter season and a Spring season of 7 rounds. Hold'em rounds are played on Wednesdays, Omaha rounds on Thursdays, at 8-handed tables with 20,000 starting chips. The winner of each championship earns a ticket to the live final.
The national grand final
The climax of the season, the season 17 national final will take place during the week of 13 to 19 June 2027. It brings together the round winners, the top 20% of players from each sector, the online championship winners, players who have collected 3 springboard tickets and the repechage entries. Two titles are at stake:
- Individual French Champion, with prizes from the partners and a free entry to defend the title the following season.
- French Champion Club, contested by teams of 4 to 8 players split into four groups (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs).
Season 16: Abuzif Poker Club crowned French champion
The season 16 team final went right down to the wire. Abuzif Poker Club, founded in 2016 in Faverolles (Eure-et-Loir) and third after the first round, won by a single point ahead of Chaumontel Poker Club. Soissons Poker completed the podium. In the individual event, a player from Albi Poker Club (Occitanie) topped the final ranking.
The full roll of honour from previous seasons can be found in the LFP Hall of Fame.
How to register your club and players with the LFP
The club licence: free of charge
Club membership of the Ligue Française de Poker is free. Conditions:
- be a poker club set up as a non-profit association under the French law of 1901;
- be registered with the prefecture, with publication in the Journal Officiel des Associations;
- accept the LFP's statutes and internal regulations.
In return, the club gets its own space on the League's website to present itself and announce its events, registers its players for the rounds, benefits from the tools provided (tournament structures, rulebook, administrative support) and can host an LFP round.
The individual licence: €25 per season
Every member of an affiliated club can take out an individual licence for €25 a year. You must be of legal age and not be subject to any gambling ban. The licence gives access to the live championship, all the online championships, the LFP's special tournaments and the benefits negotiated with the partners.
To comply with regulations, a free-entry channel covering 20 to 30% of seats is also opened on the LFP's social networks 15 days before each round.
Register your club with the LFP · Start an amateur poker club
Hosting an LFP round: the equipment you need
Hosting a live round often means welcoming 60 to 100 players over a single day. The requirements are simple but demanding: tables for 8 to 10 players, a 20,000 stack per player, cards in good condition and a 9-handed final table. Here is what to check before the big day.
- Tables: allow one table for every 9 players on average. For 90 entrants you need 10 tables, plus one for the side event. Folding-leg poker tables are easy to store away after the event.
- Chips: a 20,000 starting stack in self-dealt play means complete, matching chip sets on every table, with clearly legible values to avoid mistakes. See our poker chips.
- Mats: on village-hall tables, a neoprene-jersey poker mat turns any tabletop into a tournament table. A custom mat with the club's logo also makes a difference in photos.
- Cards: plan at least two decks per table, preferably plastic, so you can change decks during the tournament.
Affiliated clubs looking to kit themselves out can contact us: we can put together a quote tailored to the number of tables to equip.
Cartes Production, partner of the Ligue Française de Poker
A specialist in poker and casino equipment since 2008, Cartes Production supports the LFP alongside partners such as Winamax, Copag and the Circus group casinos. We share the League's conviction: club poker is the best school of the game, and it deserves well-organised tournaments, within a legal framework and with equipment to match.
To follow the League's news, rankings and the calendar of upcoming rounds, visit laliguedepoker.org or its Facebook group.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ligue Française de Poker?
The LFP is a non-profit association under the French law of 1901, founded in 2009, that brings together around fifty amateur poker clubs in France around a 100% freeroll French championship, played live and online.
How much does LFP membership cost?
Club membership is free. The individual licence, reserved for members of an affiliated club, costs €25 per season.
How do you become French poker champion with the LFP?
You need to qualify for the national final in June: by winning a live round, finishing in the top 20% of your sector, winning an online championship on Winamax, collecting 3 springboard tickets or through the repechage.
Do LFP tournaments cost money to enter?
No. All the championships are freerolls: players are not asked to stake anything. Only the annual individual licence has a fee.