The Spin & Go Championship Live returns for its third edition this weekend, kicking off today at Le Palais des Congres in Paris as part of the 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) festival. The exclusive PokerStars Live event runs February 23-24 and will be broadcast live on PokerStars TV with full cards-up coverage.

Eighty-one players — all qualifiers who earned seats online or at PokerStars-sponsored live events — will take part in the two-day tournament. No buy-ins are accepted, and no re-entries are allowed, making this a truly invitational competition.

The format mirrors the fast-paced, three-handed structure of PokerStars’ online Spin & Go games. Players will begin in small, three-handed tables and advance through elimination rounds, playing down to a final table of three. Over €300,000 is guaranteed in prizes, with €150,000 reserved for the final table.

This Paris edition follows successful events in Prague and Barcelona, where the live Spin & Go format debuted to strong fan response. The defending champion, Guilherme Kleist, claimed victory at the Barcelona stop last year.

Live Cards-Up Coverage on PokerStars TV

Fans can follow the entire Championship action live, as PokerStars TV broadcasts two days of play before coverage transitions to the EPT Main Event stream. The EPT commentating team of James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton will anchor the broadcast along with Nick Walsh, Maria Ho, and Griffin Benger, providing expert analysis and plenty of banter.

All coverage will air on the PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels starting Friday, February 23 at 17:00 CET for Day 1 and continuing with the Final Day stream on Saturday, February 24 at 13:30 CET. Broadcasts will be available in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Brazilian Portuguese — extending the reach of PokerStars TV to a global audience.

A Diverse Field of Qualifiers

The 81-player field features a wide mix of recreational players, semi-pros, and seasoned online grinders from around the world — including contenders from the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Sweden, and the Canary Islands.

Among the notable stories is Kevin Joel Berman, a Los Angeles police officer who won his seat at EPT Malta; Leoncio Bello, a 66-year-old recreational player from the Canary Islands traveling with his son to record a mini-documentary of his experience; and Gustavo Laldiva Enriquez, a Mexican pro returning for redemption after an early exit in Barcelona.

Each player brings a unique path and story, reflecting what makes the Spin & Go Championship Live distinct from typical high-stakes events — it blends grassroots accessibility with top-tier live production.

Spotlight Event in a Packed EPT Paris Schedule

The Spin & Go Championship shares the stage with the €5,300 EPT Main Event and dozens of other tournaments taking place February 18-March 1. With 52 events on the calendar, including Super High Rollers and Mystery Bounties, EPT Paris marks the start of PokerStars’ 2026 live tournament season.

The Championship also awards valuable PokerStars Live League points, giving players the chance to climb leaderboards for a share of €157,500 in PokerStars Live credit throughout the season.

What to Expect During the Spin & Go Championship Live

  • Fast-paced 3-handed action modeled after online Spin & Gos
  • Exclusive seat-only event — no buy-ins or re-entries
  • €300,000 guaranteed prize pool with €150,000 for finalists
  • Global broadcast with multilanguage commentary
  • Qualifiers spanning six continents bringing diverse stories to the felt

The Spin-Off qualifier concluded yesterday, awarding the final nine seats. Now, the 81-player field is set, and all eyes turn to Paris to see who can spin their way to the top.