EPT Barcelona Main Event Surpasses 2,000 Entries Once Again

The official figures are in for the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Foremost Occasion, they usually paint a really spectacular image.

Final yr’s Foremost Occasion introduced in a discipline of 1,975 entries, however in 2025 the turnout edged upward, reaching 2,045 entries and producing a prize pool price €9,918,250. Out of this monumental sum, the eventual champion will probably be awarded €1.4 million, with 303 ending positions set to be paid.

This marks the third event that the Foremost Occasion, which carries a buy-in of €5,300, has managed to attract greater than 2,000 entries. In reality, it stands because the third-largest EPT Foremost Occasion within the tour’s historical past, although it nonetheless got here up round 250 entries in need of surpassing the all-time document. That document belongs to the 2022 version, which drew a staggering 2,294 entries.

Nonetheless, this yr’s occasion holds a specific significance because it represents the twentieth version of EPT Barcelona. The extremely regarded poker competition first arrived within the Spanish metropolis in 2004, only one yr after Chris Moneymaker’s historic World Sequence of Poker triumph triggered the worldwide poker growth. That debut version attracted solely 229 contributors, that means that in twenty years the Foremost Occasion discipline has elevated almost tenfold.

2025 EPT Barcelona Foremost Occasion Numbers:

Entries: 2,045
Prize Pool: €9,918,250
Locations Paid: 303
First-Place Prize: €1,436,000

The 2025 EPT Barcelona Foremost Occasion formally started on August 24. Very similar to in earlier years, the match included two opening flights. Day 1A registered 715 entries, barely increased than the 696 recorded in 2024, whereas Day 1B contributed 1,213 entries, additionally up in comparison with final yr’s 1,194. Each Day 1 flights permitted a single re-entry choice. As well as, late registration remained obtainable via the early ranges of Day 2, throughout which one other 117 gamers entered, finally pushing the overall variety of entries to 2,045.

Because of this, the match completed simply in need of the €10 million prize pool milestone, leaving the winner nonetheless assured a hefty €1.4 million payday. A complete of 303 gamers will probably be paid, with the minimal money set at €8,550.

The sphere additionally showcased a outstanding degree of worldwide variety, with gamers hailing from 82 completely different nations. France accounted for the biggest share of contributors, fielding 191 gamers. They have been adopted by Italy with 135, Spain with 129, the UK with 92, and the USA with 90.

On the time of writing, greater than 400 gamers stay in competition. A number of the high-profile names nonetheless competing embrace Steve O’Dwyer, on-line legend Niklas “Lena900” Astedt, and a set of former EPT Barcelona Foremost Occasion champions. Amongst them are Simon Wiciak, winner of the 2023 version, Simon Brandstrom, the 2019 champion, Sebastian Malec, who triumphed in 2016, and the defending titleholder, Stephen Music. PokerStars ambassadors Kenny Hallaert, contemporary off a fourth-place end within the WSOP Foremost Occasion, together with the couple Ben and Marle Spragg, are additionally nonetheless within the discipline.

Sturdy Fields Throughout the Competition

The 2025 EPT Barcelona has now reached the latter phases of the competition, although a number of extremely anticipated occasions are nonetheless on the schedule. These embrace the EPT Thriller Bounty, which comes with a €3,250 buy-in and runs from August 27 to 29, and the distinguished EPT Excessive Curler, that includes a €10,300 buy-in and set to happen between August 29 and 31.

Thus far, the competition has constantly produced excellent numbers throughout a wide range of occasions. The PokerStars Open, which ran from August 18 to 24 with a buy-in of €1,650, attracted a record-setting 5,035 entries and constructed an infinite €7.2 million prize pool. France’s Alexis Nicolai captured the title and a winner’s payout price €772,000.

Different occasions additionally delivered large turnouts. Occasion #6, the €10,200 NLH Thriller Bounty, drew 77 entries for a complete prize pool of €746,900. The €3,250 NLH Senior’s Excessive Curler introduced in 56 entries to generate €162,960 in prize cash. The always-popular PokerStars Cup, which this yr featured a diminished buy-in of €825, drew 1,894 entries, making a prize pool of €1.3 million. Sweden’s Alexander Ivarsson emerged victorious, incomes €211,680.

The PokerStars Open Excessive Curler, which had a €2,700 buy-in, produced one of many largest fields outdoors the Foremost Occasion, attracting 1,728 entries. That created a prize pool exceeding €4 million. The title went to Finland’s Eero Abbey, who secured simply over €500,000 for his victory.

The Spin & Go Championship Stay can be set to return this weekend, happening from August 30 to 31 with a assured prize pool of €275,000.

The EPT Barcelona Foremost Occasion is at the moment shifting via Day 2 and the sector is approaching the cash bubble. The match will play right down to its conclusion on August 31, at which level the winner will stroll away with the coveted trophy and a life-changing €1.4 million high prize.