The 2025 edition of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona will be remembered as one of the largest and most competitive stops in the tour’s history. The €5,300 Main Event drew 2,045 entries, generating a prize pool of €9,918,250, the third biggest in EPT Barcelona history.
After a marathon week of world‑class competition at Casino Barcelona, France’s Thomas Eychenne was crowned champion, lifting the trophy and taking home €1,217,175.
Eychenne Wins EPT Barcelona Main Event
The Main Event attracted entrants from 88 different countries, solidifying Barcelona’s reputation as the most international stop on the European Poker Tour. At the final table, Eychenne faced off against some of the most formidable players in Europe and beyond, ultimately defeating Romania’s Stefan-Sebastian Ionita heads‑up to secure the title.
The Frenchman, widely considered one of the top players in his country, could not hide his emotions after victory. “It’s amazing, I’m struggling to come down from the cloud I’m on right now. It’s an amazing feeling,” he said.
Ionita earned €1,117,175 for his runner‑up finish. Italy’s Umberto Zaffagnini took third place for €641,200, while Poland’s Tomasz Brzezinski finished fourth for €493,250. Colombia’s Julian Pineda, Anton Suarez of Sweden, Marc Foggin of the UK, and Spain’s Cesar Garcia rounded out the eight‑handed final table.
This year’s EPT Barcelona Main Event turnout outpaced 2024 and continued Barcelona’s decade‑long run as a flagship stop on the tour.
Super High Roller Adds Star Power
The €100,000 Super High Roller once again attracted poker’s elite. This year saw 47 entries, a gain over 2024, creating a prize pool of more than €4.5 million. German standout Leon Sturm topped the field to win the trophy and a career‑best score of €1.4 million.
Sturm’s victory reinforced his growing reputation at the high‑roller level and added to the festival’s record‑breaking prize distribution.
PokerStars Open Breaks Records
Another highlight was the PokerStars Open Barcelona Main Event, held with a buy‑in of €1,650 for the first time. The tournament smashed records, drawing an enormous field of 5,036 entries from 90 countries to create a prize pool of €7,251,840 — the largest PokerStars Open in history.
French player Alexis Nicolai, who runs a taxi ambulance company, emerged as champion, securing the biggest payday of his life: €772,000. The amateur’s stunning result was one of the standout stories of the festival.
Kleist Wins Spin & Go Championship
The Spin & Go Championship Live also returned for its second edition during Barcelona. The format — designed to bring PokerStars’ popular online three‑handed, randomized prize‑pool game to the live stage — once again grabbed headlines.
81 online qualifiers earned their way to the event and battled through four rounds of six matches. Brazil’s Guilherme Kleist, a dedicated Spin & Go grinder, defeated compatriot Joao Nascimento heads‑up at the final table. Poland’s Krystian Lisowski finished third.
Kleist’s victory earned him €75,000plus €5,500 in Spinner prizes, along with a package to the next Spin & Go Championship, scheduled for EPT Paris 2026. His win epitomized the goal of the format: giving online specialists a chance to shine in a live championship setting and validated PokerStars’ experiment in building a live series around its most popular online product.
Tournament Leaders and League Rankings
Beyond the headline winners, EPT Barcelona also had major impact on the PokerStars Live League, where players accumulate points across live events.
Klemens Roiter of Austria surged into the lead in the High leaderboard, overtaking Enrico Camosci, thanks to a 1,514‑point haul in Barcelona.
In the Medium leaderboard, Gerard Rubiralta Cortes jumped into first place with 980 points, moving ahead of Luke Marsh.
Steinn Du Karlsson extended his lead atop the Low leaderboard, while Andreas Froehli vaulted into second, surpassing Soraya Estrada Gonzalez and David Docherty.
Looking Ahead on the PokerStars Live Calendar
Following Barcelona, PokerStars Live’s 2025 schedule remains packed with high‑profile events. The tour continues with:
- EPT Malta (October 1–12)
- PokerStars Open Manchester (October 20–26)
- NAPT Las Vegas (November 3–12)
- EPT Prague (December 3–14)
- PokerStars Open Cannes (December 16–21)
As covered in our summer preview PokerStars EPT Barcelona Returns with Packed Festival Schedule, Barcelona was always positioned to be a standout — and with its record‑breaking prize pools, it more than delivered.
With over €9.9 million awarded in the Main Event, multiple record tournament fields, and breakout champions across the schedule, EPT Barcelona 2025 reaffirmed its place as the crown jewel of the European poker calendar.
From Thomas Eychenne’s seven‑figure payday to Alexis Nicolai’s breakthrough Open victory and Guilherme Kleist’s Spin & Go Championship run, the stop once again proved why Barcelona is a must‑play destination for poker players around the globe.
