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EPT Barcelona 2026 introduces a new "180,000-Cash-to-Money" format, where players automatically lock in prize money and a Day 2 seat once they reach 180,000 chips. The €5,300 Main Event and the €100,000 Super High Roller will be held concurrently.
EPT Barcelona 2026 introduces a new "180,000-Cash-to-Money" format, where players automatically lock in prize money and a Day 2 seat once they reach 180,000 chips. The €5,300 Main Event and the €100,000 Super High Roller will be held concurrently.
The European Poker Tour (EPT) will return to Barcelona on Sunday, with thousands of players flocking to Casino Barcelona for one of the biggest stops on the poker schedule.
The EPT Barcelona will be held from August 16th to 29th, with a packed schedule, and the highlight as always is the €5,300 EPT Main Event. But perhaps the most eye-catching new highlight is PokerStars' brand-new €2,200 "Reach €180,000 to enter the prize pool" tournament, which offers players a completely different path to claiming the prize money.
Players who accumulate 180,000 chips will automatically receive a seat for the next day and lock in the prize money, completely eliminating the pressure of traditional prize bubble.
"If you enjoyed our qualifying, you'll love the '180,000 chips and you're in the money' rule," said EPT Tournament Director Toby Stone. "Reach 180,000 chips, pack your bags, and lock in Day 2's prize money. No bubble pressure. Just pure poker and action."
This is just one of many highlights of the exciting schedule, with the €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event, the €100,000 Super High Roller, and the €10,300 EPT High Roller all to look forward to, along with the late summer sun, ocean, and sangria. Here are some of the highlights of the schedule:
EPT Barcelona Schedule Highlights
| Tournament | date | Buy gold |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars Open Main Event | August 16 to 22 | €1,650 |
| Reaching 180,000 will get you into the prize pool. | August 17 to 27 | €2,200 |
| PokerStars Open Cup | August 20-21 | €825 |
| PokerStars Open High Roller Tournament | August 21 to 23 | €2,700 |
| EPT Super High Roller | August 21 to 23 | €100,000 |
| EPT Main Event | August 22 to 29 | €5,300 |
| EPT Mystery Bounty Tournament | August 25 to 27 | €3,250 |
| EPT High Roller | August 27 to 29 | €10,300 |
Year after year, Barcelona remains one of the most popular destinations for the EPT, and the 2025 event was particularly memorable, with Thomas Eychenne emerging victorious in the third-largest Main Event lineup in EPT history, winning over €1.2 million in prize money.
"EPT Barcelona is where the poker world comes together. It's a stage for legends to defend their status, a cradle for rising stars, and a place where unforgettable moments become part of poker history," said Cedric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events at PokerStars.
"Few destinations can compare to Barcelona in August. The city's vibrancy, atmosphere, and international appeal make it the perfect host for top poker tournaments. But what truly sets EPT Barcelona apart is the opportunity it offers. Every year, online qualifiers and recreational players sit at the same table as the game's biggest stars, all vying for their place in poker history," Billot continued.
PokerNews will be on-site throughout the festival, providing readers with live updates, news, interviews, videos, and event results from Casino Barcelona.
"Reaching 180,000 to enter the prize pool" is one of the events I'm most interested in this year.
Once you approach 180,000 chips, the whole situation changes. Do you continue playing to try and accumulate more chips, or do you accept the prize money and a seat for day two? This is a very different decision than you would normally face in a tournament.
Of course, there's also the €5,300 EPT Main Event, which is always one of the highlights of the schedule. It's going to be two exciting weeks.
Off-field fun
Just as you'd expect from EPT, there's much more to it than poker. Organizer PokerStars has prepared a full schedule of exciting events to help players unwind during the festival.
Off-site activities include karaoke, quiz and games night, welcome reception, sports competitions and a "guess the hand" contest, with prizes and mini Spades to be won.
In addition, if you want to stay active in the Catalan capital, the EPT wellness community will be hosting daily yoga and Pilates classes from August 18 to 27.
Poker fans or players who are unable to travel to Barcelona can still follow the tournament online, with a seven-day live stream starting August 23 on PokerStars' Twitch and Facebook channels.
The broadcast will be available in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and German, with Portuguese being added for the first time this year.
Full schedule of off-site activities
| date | Activity | time | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/17 | Karaoke Night | 19:00-22:00 | La Taverna – Player Lounge |
| 8/18 | PokerStars held a public welcome reception. | Starting at 18:30 | Sofitel Blue Terrace |
| 8/18 | Yoga | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/19 | Q&A Night | 19:30-22:30 | La Taverna – Player Lounge |
| 8/19 | Pilates | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/20 | Mindfulness Yoga with Maca | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/21 | Game Night | 18:00-21:00 | La Taverna – Player Lounge |
| 8/21 | Yoga | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/22 | Pilates | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/23 | EPT Welcome Cocktail Party | Starting at 18:40 | Sofitel Blue Terrace |
| 8/23 | Mindfulness Yoga with Maca | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/24 | Pilates devices | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/25 | Sports competition | 19:00-22:00 | La Taverna – Player Lounge |
| 8/25 | Yoga | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/26 | Guess the hand | 19:30-22:30 | La Taverna – Player Lounge |
| 8/26 | Mindfulness Yoga with Maca | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/27 | Pilates devices | 09:00-11:00 | Maritim by Claror |
| 8/28 | Wine Tasting | 19:00-22:00 | La Taverna – Player Lounge |
PokerStars live league points are waiting for you!
EPT Barcelona will also offer players another opportunity to climb the PokerStars Live League rankings, with the competition reaching its midpoint in December at EPT Prague, which will be the fourth and final EPT event of 2026 after Barcelona.
Danilo Donnini currently leads the low-stakes leaderboard, followed by Andrew Hulme and Conor O'Driscoll, while Hulme tops the mid-stakes leaderboard and O'Driscoll is second.
Juan Pardo of Spain leads the high-stakes rankings, while Klemens Roiter of Austria (last year's runner-up) is in second place.
A total of €157,500 PokerStars LIVE Points will be awarded to the top three players in each of the three tiers. The top 30 players in each tier will also qualify for the 2027 inaugural EPT Special €100,000 Live Free Tournament.
With the world's top names, online qualifiers, and recreational players gathering at Casino Barcelona, EPT Barcelona will once again be one of the busiest two weeks in the European poker schedule.
2026 EPT Barcelona Full Schedule
The following is the complete EPT Barcelona schedule, including all matches, dates, times, and buy-ins:
| date | time | Buy gold | Events and Championships |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/16 | 12:00 | €1,100 | #3 NL Texas Hold'em – Single Re-buy Day 1 |
| 12:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 40-minute level – Single re-entry per event Day 1/A | |
| 12:00 | €190 | #2 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 100,000 chips to qualify" - No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 12:00 | €1,100 | #4 Seniors Tournament (50 years and older) - Single Re-entry Day 1 | |
| 16:00 | €370 | #5 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to qualify" - Single re-entry | |
| 18:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 30-minute level – Single re-entry day 1/B | |
| 19:00 | €5,200 | #6 €5,200 NL Texas Hold'em 6-Max No-Limit Rebuy Day 1 | |
| 21:00 | €600 | #8 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 100,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seats Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 21:00 | €370 | #7 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to qualify" - Single re-entry | |
| 8/17 | 11:00 | €370 | #9 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "50,000 Chips Required to Secure a Seat" - Single Re-entry |
| 11:00 | €1,100 | #3 NL Texas Hold'em – Single Re-entry Final | |
| 11:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 40-minute level – Single re-entry day 1/C | |
| 11:00 | €1,100 | #4 Seniors Tournament (50+) - Single Re-entry Final | |
| 12:00 | €5,200 | #6 €5,200 NL Texas Hold'em 6-Max No-Limit Rebuy Final | |
| 14:00 | €10,200 | #10 €10,200 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 15:00 | €550 | #12 NL Texas Hold'em - "Reach 180,000 to enter the prize pool" - Single re-entry (limited to 300 players) Day 1 | |
| 15:00 | €3,250 | #11 Senior High Roller (50+) - Single Re-entry Day 1 | |
| 18:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 30-minute level – Single re-entry day 1/D | |
| 19:00 | €370 | #13 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "50,000 Chips Required to Secure a Seat" - Single Re-entry | |
| 21:00 | €2,100 | #15 Super Fast Match – Freeze Match | |
| 21:00 | €600 | #14 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 100,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seats Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 8/18 | 10:30 | €370 | #16 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "50,000 Chips Required to Secure a Seat" - Single Re-entry |
| 11:00 | €550 | #12 NL Texas Hold'em - "Reach 180,000 to enter the prize pool" - Single re-entry (limited to 300 players) Final Round | |
| 11:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 40-minute level – Single re-entry day 1 per event / E | |
| 12:00 | €3,250 | #11 Senior High Roller (50+) - Single Re-entry Final | |
| 12:30 | €20,000 | #17 €20,000 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 18:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 30-minute level – Single re-entry per event Day 1/F | |
| 21:00 | €3,150 | #19 Super Fast Match – Freeze Match | |
| 21:00 | €1,155 | #18 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 8/19 | 10:30 | €370 | #20 PokerStars Open Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to qualify" - Single re-entry |
| 11:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 30-minute level – Single re-entry day 1 per game / G | |
| 12:30 | €25,000 | #21 €25,000 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 17:30 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 20-minute level – Single re-entry per game Day 1/H | |
| 21:00 | €1,155 | #22 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 8/20 | 11:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 60-minute level – Single re-entry per game on Day 2 |
| 12:30 | €30,000 | #23 €30,000 Super High Roller Warm-up – No Limit Re-entry | |
| 13:30 | €825 | #24 PokerStars Open Cup – Day 1 of Single Re-entry | |
| 21:00 | €1,155 | #25 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 8/21 | 11:00 | €2,700 | #27 PokerStars Open High Roller – 40-Minute Level – No-Limit Rebuy Day 1 / A |
| 11:00 | €620 | #26 PokerStars Open High Roller Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 11:00 | €825 | #24 PokerStars Open Cup – Single Re-entry Final | |
| 11:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 60-minute level – Single re-entry per game on Day 3 | |
| 12:30 | €100,000 | #28 EPT Super High Roller - No Limit Re-entry Day 1 | |
| 18:30 | €2,700 | #27 PokerStars Open High Roller – 20-Minute Level – No-Limit Rebuy Day 1 /B | |
| 21:00 | €1,155 | #29 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 8/22 | 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 1/A |
| 12:00 | €1,155 | #30 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 12:00 | €2,700 | #27 PokerStars Open High Roller – 50-Minute Level – No-Limit Re-entry Day 2 | |
| 12:00 | €1,650 | #1 PokerStars Open Main Event – 60-minute level – Single re-entry per match – Final Day | |
| 12:30 | €100,000 | #28 EPT Super High Roller - No Limit Re-entry Day 2 | |
| 13:00 | €2,200 | #32 PL Omaha – Unlimited Repurchase Day 1 | |
| 17:00 | €1,155 | #33 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 18:00 | €25,000 | #34 EPT PL Omaha High Roller – No-Limit Re-entry Day 1 | |
| 21:00 | €600 | #35 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 100,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seats Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 8/23 | 11:00 | €1,155 | #36 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry |
| 12:00 | €25,000 | #34 EPT PL Omaha High Roller – No-Limit Re-entry Final | |
| 12:00 | €2,200 | #32 PL Omaha – Unlimited Re-entry Finals | |
| 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 1 /B | |
| 12:00 | €2,700 | #27 PokerStars Open High Roller – 60-Minute Level – No-Limit Rebuy Final Day | |
| 12:30 | €100,000 | #28 EPT Super High Roller – No-Limit Re-entry Final | |
| 14:00 | €50,000 | #37 €50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance – Unlimited Re-entry | |
| 17:00 | €1,650 | #38 Pot Limit Omaha High-Low – No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 21:00 | €2,100 | #40 Super Fast Race – Freeze Race | |
| 21:00 | €1,155 | #39 EPT Main Event Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 8/24 | 12:00 | €2,700 | #42 EPT Second Opportunity – 30-minute level – Unlimited repurchase day 1/A |
| 12:00 | €620 | #41 EPT Second Chance Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 Chips to Secure a Seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry | |
| 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 2 | |
| 14:00 | €15,000 | #43 PL Omaha €15,000 – Unlimited repurchase | |
| 16:00 | €3,200 | #44 8-Game – Unlimited Repurchase Day 1 | |
| 19:00 | €2,700 | #42 EPT Second Opportunity – 20-minute Level – Unlimited Repurchase Day 1/B | |
| 21:00 | €1,050 | #45 Super Fast Race – Freeze Race | |
| 8/25 | 12:00 | €730 | #46 EPT Mystery Bounty Tournament Qualifier - "Reach 50,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - Single Re-entry |
| 12:00 | €3,200 | #44 8-Game – Unlimited Repurchase Finals | |
| 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 3 | |
| 12:30 | €25,000 | #47 €25,000 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 12:30 | €2,700 | #42 EPT Second Chance – 40-Minute Level – Unlimited Repurchase Final Day | |
| 14:00 | €3,250 | #48 EPT Mystery Bounty Tournament (€1,000 Mystery Bounty) - Unlimited Repurchase Day 1 | |
| 14:00 | €10,250 | #49 PL Omaha €10,250 – Unlimited repurchase day 1 | |
| 15:00 | €1,100 | #50 NL Texas Hold'em – Single Rebuy | |
| 21:00 | €2,100 | #51 Super Fast Elimination Tournament (€1,000) - Freeze Match | |
| 21:00 | €1,050 | #52 Superfast NL Omaha High Low – Unlimited Repurchase | |
| 8/26 | 12:00 | €10,250 | #49 PL Omaha €10,250 – Unlimited Re-entry Final |
| 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 4 | |
| 12:30 | €25,000 | #53 €25,000 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy | |
| 12:30 | €5,200 | #54 TORSE – Unlimited Repurchase | |
| 12:30 | €3,250 | #48 EPT Mystery Bounty Tournament (€1,000 Mystery Bounty) - Unlimited Re-entry Day 2 | |
| 14:00 | €1,100 | #55 NL Texas Hold'em – Day 1 of the Freeze | |
| 14:00 | €5,200 | #56 PL Omaha €5,200 – Unlimited repurchase day 1 | |
| 15:00 | €1,125 | #57 EPT High Roller Qualifier - "Reach 100,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seats Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 18:00 | €2,200 | #58 NL Texas Hold'em - "Reach 180,000 to enter the prize pool" - Single re-entry (limited to 300 players) Day 1 | |
| 18:30 | €2,200 | #59 EPT 9 Game – Unlimited Repurchase Day 1 | |
| 20:00 | €1,125 | #60 EPT High Roller Qualifier - "Reach 100,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seats Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 22:00 | €1,050 | #61 Super Fast Match – Freeze Match | |
| 8/27 | 12:00 | €1,650 | #64 Mystery Bounty Tournament (€500 Mystery Bounty) - 30-minute level - Unlimited repurchases on day one / A |
| 12:00 | €1,600 | #62 EPT High Roller Qualifier - "Reach 70,000 chips to secure a seat" - Seat Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 12:00 | €550 | #63 Women's Tournament – Day 1 of Unlimited Re-entry | |
| 12:00 | €2,200 | #58 NL Texas Hold'em - "Reach 180,000 to enter the prize pool" - Single re-entry (limited to 300 players) Final Round | |
| 12:00 | €1,100 | #55 NL Texas Hold'em – Freeze Tournament Final | |
| 12:00 | €5,200 | #56 PL Omaha €5,200 – Unlimited Re-entry Final | |
| 12:00 | €3,250 | #48 EPT Mystery Bounty Tournament (€1,000 Mystery Bounty) - Unlimited Re-entry Finals | |
| 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 5 | |
| 12:30 | €10,300 | #65 EPT High Roller – 60-Minute Level – Single Re-entry Day 1 | |
| 12:30 | €2,200 | #59 EPT 9 Game – Unlimited Repurchase Finals | |
| 14:00 | €1,100 | #66 PL Omaha – Unlimited Repurchase Day 1 | |
| 19:00 | €1,650 | #64 Mystery Bounty Tournament (€500 Mystery Bounty) - 20-minute level - Unlimited re-buys on Day 1 /B | |
| 21:00 | €2,100 | #67 Super Fast Elimination Tournament (€1,000) - Freeze Match | |
| 21:00 | €175 | #68 Women's €1,100 Qualifier - "70,000 chips to qualify" - Seat Only - No Limit Rebuy | |
| 8/28 | 12:00 | €1,100 | #69 8-Game – Unlimited Repurchase |
| 12:00 | €1,100 | #66 PL Omaha – Unlimited Re-entry Final | |
| 12:00 | €550 | #63 Women's Tournament – No-Limit Re-entry Final | |
| 12:00 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Day 6 | |
| 12:30 | €10,300 | #65 EPT High Roller Tournament – 50-Minute Level – Single Re-entry Day 2 | |
| 12:30 | €1,650 | #64 Mystery Bounty Tournament (€500 Mystery Bounty) - 30-minute level - Unlimited re-entry final | |
| 13:00 | €550 | #72 €550 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy Day 1/A | |
| 13:00 | €2,200 | #71 €2,200 Deep Chips – No Limit Repurchase Day 1 | |
| 13:00 | €1,100 | #70 Women's €1,100 – Unlimited Repurchase | |
| 18:00 | €10,200 | #74 €10,200 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy Day 1 | |
| 18:00 | €1,100 | #73 6-Game Mystery Bounty Tournament (€300 Mystery Bounty) - Unlimited Re-entry Day 1 | |
| 19:00 | €550 | #72 €550 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy Day 1 /B | |
| 20:00 | €1,050 | #75 Super Fast Race – Freeze Race | |
| 8/29 | 12:00 | €330 | #76 €330 Deep Chips – Unlimited Repurchase |
| 12:00 | €10,200 | #74 €10,200 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy Final | |
| 12:00 | €1,100 | #73 6-Game Mystery Bounty Tournament (€300 Mystery Bounty) - Unlimited Re-entry Finals | |
| 12:00 | €550 | #72 €550 NL Texas Hold'em – No-Limit Rebuy Final | |
| 12:00 | €2,200 | #71 €2,200 Deep Stacks – No-Limit Rebuy Final | |
| 12:00 | €10,300 | #65 EPT High Roller – 50-Minute Level – Single Re-entry Final Day | |
| 12:30 | €3,150 | #77 €3,150 6-Player Table – Unlimited Repurchase | |
| 12:30 | €5,300 | #31 EPT Main Event – Single Re-entry Final | |
| 16:00 | €10,200 | #78 €10,200 6-Player Table – Unlimited Repurchase | |
| 18:00 | €1,050 | #79 Last Chance Super-Fast Match – Freeze Match |
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