Seat 8: Joseph Carlino, 49, Lyon, France

Every so often the EPT throws up a real character and there’s no doubt that Joseph Carlino – the all-singing, Tae Kwon Do-kicking bon vivant who has been entertaining EPTLive viewers for two days - is one of them. He came to Deauville after qualifying online for the FPS Main Event - and then won his EPT Main Seat in a live satellite. The ebullient part-time actor, who runs a restaurant in Lyon, is also a karaoke fan and amateur magician and having the time of his life here at Casino Barriere. He’s been playing poker since at least 2009 but now guaranteed by far his biggest lifetime cash. In fact, the €58,820 he’s guaranteed for making the final is way more than all his other live cashes put together.