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.

The 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona event has entered its second half. After Day 3 of the €5,300 EPT Main Event, the initial field of 1,823 entries has dwindled to 67. Chinese player **Xiaosheng Zheng** has bagged 1,465,000 chips (equivalent to 98 big blinds) and is currently eighth on the leaderboard starting Day 4, continuing his pursuit of the €1,370,050 first-place prize and the EPT Main Event trophy.

On the same day, another important champion emerged on another front. British professional poker player Scott Margereson won the €2,700 EPT Second Chance, emerging victorious from 844 entries to claim €361,060; this prize also officially brought his total live tournament winnings to over $5 million.

The EPT Main Event has shrunk from 1,823 players to 67, with the champion receiving €1.37 million.

The final score for this year's €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event was...1,823 peopleThis resulted in a total prize pool of **€8,841,550**.

Day 3 started with 205 players remaining. After five 90-minute levels, only 67 players qualified for Day 4. All qualifiers are guaranteed at least €19,900, while the ultimate champion will receive **€1,370,050**.

Zheng Xiaosheng has 1.465 million chips, ranking eighth with 98BB.

The most important focus for the Chinese team right now is Zheng Xiaosheng.

After Day 3 ended, he held1,465,000 ScoreboardWith 98 big blinds, he ranked eighth overall and was the only Chinese player in the top ten of the Day 4 starting chip count.

EPT Main Event Day 4: Top 10

For Zheng Xiaosheng, his current 98 big blinds is still a fairly healthy deep scorecard. Although there is a gap between him and the leader Fabricio Nociolini, he still has plenty of room to maneuver as he enters Day 4.

Nociolini leads with 2.51 million, Malec challenges for its 10th anniversary and wins again.

Day 3 chip leader was a Brazilian player.Fabricio NocioliniObtain.

He quickly accumulated chips in the final stages, eventually bagging the bag with 2,510,000 chips and 167 big blinds, making him the only player to break the 2.5 million mark. Joris Ruijs finished second with 2,185,000 chips, while Alexandru Toderita came in third with 1,970,000 chips.

Another important storyline comes from Sebastian Malec.

Malec is precisely2016 EPT Barcelona Main Event ChampionReturning to the same stage after ten years, he is ranked fourth with 1,950,000 chips, and still has a chance to win the Barcelona Main Event again on the tenth anniversary of his victory.

In addition, 2015 Barcelona champion John Juanda, 2023 champion Simon Wiciak, 2010 EPT Grand Final champion Nicolas Chouity, and 2005 EPT London champion Mark Teltscher also successfully advanced, ensuring that Day 4 still has several EPT Main Event champions.

Scott Margereson, 844 people, Second Chance crowned king

While the main event competition continued, the €2,700 EPT Second Chance was officially awarded to the champion.

This event attracted a total of844 peopleThis created a total prize pool of €2,046,700, with the top 127 players advancing to the money. Ultimately, British player Scott Margereson fought his way to the Heads-Up, defeating Natasha Mercier to claim the €361,060 first-place prize.

€2,700 EPT Second Chance Final Table

Margereson reaches another career milestone with a single title surpassing $5 million.

Margereson, known in the online scene as "Aggro Santos," has previously accumulated nearly $5 million in live tournament winnings.

With this €361,060 income, he officially crossed the threshold...$5 million career bonusThe threshold. PokerNews points out that this is Margereson's third-highest single prize in his career.

His two previous higher scores were $696,740, the 2018 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown champion, and €423,700, the 2025 PokerStars Open Malta champion.

The final three finishers in this Final Four – Margereson, Natasha Mercier, and Cherish Andrews – have a combined career live prize money exceeding $13 million, making this championship match exceptionally prestigious.

Benny Glaser misses out on the 8-Game title, Max Herulf crowns champion.

A new champion was also crowned at the EPT Barcelona Mixed Game Arena.

In the €3,200 buy-in 8-Game event, mixed game starsBenny GlaserHe fought his way to the championship singles match, but ultimately failed to win the title.

Swedish athleteMax HerulfHe defeated Glaser in Heads-Up to win the champion's prize of €51,730; Glaser finished as runner-up and took home €33,480.

Glaser, a long-time WSOP mixed-game specialist, once again demonstrated his multi-card competitiveness, but ultimately missed out on the EPT championship trophy.

Manuel Stojanovic adds another €320,000 PLO title.

Another high-stakes PLO tournament has also concluded with the championship match.

The €15,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Unlimited Re-Entry program had 79 participants.Manuel StojanovicHe ultimately defeated Konstantinos Bouloutsos to claim the title, winning **€320,474**.

Stojanovic had just finished as runner-up in a $100,000 PLO event at Triton Montenegro, earning $1,402,000, and now he has won a high-stakes PLO championship in Barcelona, continuing his strong performance in the four-card poker arena recently.

Zheng Xiaosheng continues his push for deeper tiers in the EPT main tournament.

With the Second Chance and several side event champions emerging, the biggest news story for EPT Barcelona remains focused on the €5,300 Main Event.

The 67 players will resume the competition on Day 4, and Zheng Xiaosheng is ranked eighth with 98 big blinds, putting him in the most advantageous position among the Chinese team.

With the number of participants reduced from 1,823 to 67, all survivors are now close to the nine-player Final Table. The champion's prize of €1,370,050, the EPT Main Event trophy, and the challenge of reaching the finals amidst a field of former champions will all further intensify the competition.

For Chinese card game enthusiasts, the most direct focus is:Can Zheng Xiaosheng translate his 1,465,000 chips and 98BB lead into a deeper ranking, or even reach the final table of the EPT Barcelona Main Event?

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