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Xiaosheng Zheng advanced to Day 4 of the 2026 EPT Barcelona Main Event and finished 8th overall.

2026 EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 3 | Xiaosheng Zheng advances to Day 4 in 8th place; 98BB aims for the €1.37 million championship.

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    On August 25th local time, Day 3 of the 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona €5,300 Main Event concluded. 205 players who had already cashed returned to Casino Barcelona, and after five levels of play, only 67 remained to cash. Chinese player Xiaosheng Zheng became the biggest focus of the Chinese contingent in this round. He finished Day 3 with 1,465,000 chips, ranking 8th out of the remaining 67 players. This translates to a starting chip depth of 98 big blinds on Day 4, allowing him to continue his pursuit of the EPT Main Event final table and the €1,370,050 first-place prize. With 1,823 entries, only 67 remain, and the champion will take home €1.37 million. The EPT Barcelona €5,300 Main Event ultimately recorded 1,823 entries, creating a total prize pool of €8,841,550. Entering Day 3, all 205 players had secured their prize money. Starting from Level 16, after five levels of elimination, only 67 players qualified for Day 4. All players advancing to Day 4 were guaranteed at least €19,900, with the ultimate champion taking home €1,370,050. Once the final nine players reach the final table, each player's prize money will exceed six figures in euros. EPT Barcelona Main Event Core Data: Buy-in €5,300; Total Entries 1,823; Total Prize Pool €8,841,550; Day 3 Starting Players 205; 67 Advancing to Day 4; Day 4 Minimum Guaranteed Prize €19,900; Champion Prize €1,370,050. Xiaosheng Zheng ranked 8th overall with a deep chip stack of 98BB. Among the 67 Day 4 qualifiers, Xiaosheng Zheng ranked 8th with 1,465,000 chips, and was also the only Chinese player in the top ten. A chip depth of 98 big blinds means Zheng still has ample room to maneuver as he enters the next stage, and the gap with the leaders is not insurmountable. Brazilian player Fabricio Nociolini rapidly accumulated chips towards the end of Day 3, ultimately taking the chip lead with 2,510,000 chips and 167 big blinds. Joris Ruijs is second with 2,185,000, and Alexandru Toderita is third with 1,970,000. EPT Main Event Day 4 Start Top 10 Rank Player Country/Region Chips Big Blinds 1 Fabricio Nociolini Brazil 2,510,000 167 2 Joris Ruijs Netherlands 2,185,000 146 3 Alexandru Toderita Romania 1,970,000 131 4 Seb

Zhiqiang Shen wins the 2026 WSOP Online Mini Main Event championship and gold bracelet.

2026 WSOP Online | Zhiqiang Shen wins Mini Main Event, taking home $747,500 and a gold bracelet

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    The 2026 WSOP Online continued its bracelet competition on GGPoker, with Event #7:$500 Mini Main Event crowning its champion on August 26th. Chinese player Zhiqiang “panzhanle” Shen emerged victorious from a massive field of 12,113 entries, claiming a $747,545 first-place prize and his career WSOP bracelet. This $500 buy-in event generated a total prize pool of $5,753,675, with 1,208 players advancing to Day 2 and sharing the winnings. Notable players such as Andrey Pateychuk, Brunno Botteon, Ole Schemion, Ognyan Dimov, Chris Klodnicki, Martin Finger, Joao Vieira, Rayan Chamas, and Audrius Stakelis all secured their prizes. After 12,113 entries, only 9 Chinese players made it to the final table. Following a massive Day 1 and Day 2 run, only 9 players remained. Japanese player Seiichi “Ditto1031” Kanemitsu entered the final stage with the largest chip stack, while Chinese players Zhiqiang Shen and Ziqian “Lucky_Bear” Wang also held significant positions, giving the Chinese contingent a crucial role in the championship race. Ziqian Wang finished in 4th place, earning $342,583. The final table began with Nikolaos “Silk Master” Angelou-Konstas being eliminated in 9th place, taking home $93,443. Ignacio “Nashman12” Sagra and Mauricio “maucirio” Rocha then finished in 8th and 7th place respectively, taking home $121,162 and $157,109. Vladislav “Northern_lights” Chechenin was eliminated in 6th place, earning $203,727. With Brazilian Rafael “rafayamaki” Yamaki eliminated in 5th place, the tournament is set to be won by an Asian athlete. Chinese athlete Ziqian Wang fought his way to the final four but ultimately failed to advance further, finishing in 4th place and earning $342,583.

Zheng Xiaosheng advances to Day 4 of the 2026 EPT Barcelona Main Event with 98BB.

EPT Barcelona | Zheng Xiaosheng advances to Day 4 of the main event with 98BB; Scott Margereson wins the title, surpassing $5 million in career prize money.

International news

    The 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona event entered its second half. After Day 3 of the €5,300 EPT Main Event, the initial field of 1,823 entries had dwindled to 67. Chinese player **Xiaosheng Zheng** bagged 1,465,000 chips (equivalent to 98 big blinds), starting Day 4 in eighth place on the leaderboard, continuing his pursuit of the €1,370,050 first-place prize and the EPT Main Event trophy. On the same day, another important title was awarded. British pro Scott Margereson secured the €2,700 EPT Second Chance, emerging victorious from 844 entries to earn €361,060; this prize officially brought his live tournament winnings past $5 million. From 1,823 entries in the EPT Main Event, only 67 remain. The champion will receive €1.37 million. The €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event ultimately recorded 1,823 entries, creating a total prize pool of **€8,841,550**. At the start of Day 3, 205 players remained. After five 90-minute levels, only 67 players qualified for Day 4. All qualifiers are guaranteed at least €19,900, with the champion taking home **€1,370,050**. EPT Barcelona Main Event Data: Buy-in €5,300, Total Entries 1,823, Total Prize Pool €8,841,550, Day 3 Starting Players 205, Day 4 Qualifying 67, Day 4 Minimum Guaranteed €19,900, Champion Prize €1,370,050. Zheng Xiaosheng, with 1.465 million chips and 98BB, is ranked eighth. The most important focus for the Chinese contingent right now is Zheng Xiaosheng. After Day 3, he held 1,465,000 chips, ranking eighth overall with 98 big blinds, and was the only Chinese player in the top ten starting chip stacks for Day 4. EPT Main Event Day 4 Starting Top Ten Rankings Player Country/Region Chips Big Blind 1 Fabricio Nociolini Brazil 2,510,000 167 2 Joris Ruijs Netherlands 2,185,000 146 3 Alexandru Toderita Romania 1,970,000 131 4 Sebastian Malec Poland 1,950,000 130 5 Eduardo Kalil Brazil 1,950,000 130 6 Edward Pak USA 1,505,000 100 7 Grzegorz Kozieja Poland 1,475,000