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

On August 25th local time, Day 3 of the €5,300 Main Event at the 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona concluded. 205 players who had already cashed returned to Casino Barcelona, and after five levels of play, only 67 players 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 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.

Only 67 teams remain from 1,823 applicants; the champion will receive €1.37 million.

The EPT Barcelona €5,300 main event attracted 1,823 entries, resulting in a total prize pool of €8,841,550.

By Day 3, all 205 players had secured their prizes. Starting from Level 16, after five rounds of elimination, only 67 players earned a ticket to Day 4.

All players who advance to Day 4 have secured at least €19,900, while the ultimate champion will take 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 Key Data

Xiaosheng Zheng finished 8th overall, advancing with 98BB deep score.

Among the 67 Day 4 finishers, Xiaosheng Zheng is ranked 8th with 1,465,000 chips, and is also the only Chinese player in the top ten.

A chip depth of 98 big blinds means that Zheng still has ample room to maneuver as he moves into the next stage, and the gap with the leading group is not insurmountable.

Brazilian player Fabricio Nociolini quickly accumulated chips towards the end of Day 3, eventually taking the chip lead with 2,510,000 chips and 167 big blinds. Joris Ruijs finished second with 2,185,000 chips, while Alexandru Toderita came in third with 1,970,000 chips.

EPT Main Event Day 4 Starting Top 10

Several former EPT champions are still vying for the title.

Besides Zheng, this year's Main Event Day 4 still features several players who have previously stood on the highest stage of the EPT Main Event.

The most attention-grabbing player is Sebastian Malec. This Polish player is the 2016 EPT Barcelona Main Event champion. Ten years later, he has returned to the deep end of the same event and is currently ranked fourth with 1,950,000 chips. He still has a chance to challenge for the Barcelona title again on the tenth anniversary of his victory.

John Juanda, the 2015 EPT Barcelona Main Event champion, also advanced with 990,000 chips; 2023 champion Simon Wiciak continues to compete with 415,000 chips.

In addition, Nicolas Chouity, the 2010 EPT Grand Final champion, holds 1,050,000 chips, and Mark Teltscher, the 2005 EPT London champion, also survives with 695,000 chips.

Remaining Players' Prize Money Tiers

With the number of participants reduced to 67, the prize money for the main event will increase dramatically.

Scott Margereson beat 844 other competitors to win the Second Chance title.

While the main event was in full swing, the €2,700 EPT Second Chance also determined its champion.

The competition attracted 844 participants, creating a total prize pool of €2,046,700, with 127 players making it into the money.

British professional poker player Scott “Aggro Santos” Margereson fought his way to the final heads-up match and ultimately defeated Natasha Mercier to win the championship and a prize of €361,060.

This achievement also officially brings Margereson's total live tournament winnings to over $5 million. This is his third-highest single live tournament winnings, behind only the €$696,740 from his 2018 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown victory and the €423,700 from his 2025 PokerStars Open Malta win.

€2,700 EPT Second Chance Final Table Results

Benny Glaser misses out on the 8-Game championship.

Other side events also produced champions one after another.

In the €3,200 8-Game event, mixed game veteran Benny Glaser made it to the final one-on-one match, but ultimately lost to Swedish player Max Herulf.

Herulf thus took home the €51,730 prize, while Glaser finished as runner-up and received €33,480.

Manuel Stojanovic wins another high-stakes PLO championship

The €15,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Unlimited Re-Entry was topped by Manuel Stojanovic.

A total of 79 entries were recorded in this event, and Stojanovic ultimately defeated Konstantinos Bouloutsos in heads-up play to win the €320,474 champion prize.

Stojanovic has been performing exceptionally well in high-stakes PLO tournaments recently. He previously finished as runner-up in a $100,000 PLO event at Triton Montenegro, earning $1,402,000, and now he has added another high-stakes PLO title to his collection in Barcelona.

Zheng's next goal is the EPT Main Event final table.

The number of entries for the 2026 EPT Barcelona Main Event has been reduced from 1,823 to 67, making the competition for the title increasingly clear.

Xiaosheng Zheng entered Day 4 with 1,465,000 chips and 98 big blinds, ranking 8th overall and currently the most important contender for the championship among Chinese players.

Day 4 will begin at the 10,000/15,000 and 15,000 big blind ante levels, and is expected to consist of four 90-minute levels. With each prize jump bringing him closer to the final table, whether Zheng can translate his top-ten chip lead into a deeper ranking will be the most anticipated focus for Chinese poker fans on the next day.

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