Images courtesy of PokerStars
Over the years, European Poker Tour Barcelona has grown to become one of the favorite destinations for tournament players from all over the world. Drawn in equally by rich prize pools and everything the city has to offer beyond the felt, this particular stop continues to raise the bar.
Thus, expectations for the 2025 EPT Barcelona were high, and PokerStars came through once again. There were too many highlights to mention them all, but the massive Main Event and electrifying Spin ^ Go Championship Live certainly stood out.
On one side, players got to enjoy a classic tournament experience with massive fields and eye-watering prize pools. On the other, there was this futuristic, fast-paced event that transferred the online experience into a real life one.
Put together, it created a truly unique and mesmerizing vibe that players are sure to remember for many months to come, ensuring that Barcelona is circled on their calendars for the next year well ahead of the next year’s event.
The Main Event Smashes It Once Again
Year after year, it is the EPT Barcelona Main Event that continues to set records for the PokerStars’ largest live tour. This time around, while it came short of becoming the largest ever, the tournament drew in 2,045 entries, making it the third-biggest Main Event in European Poker Tour’s history.
The large attendance translated into a prize pool of €9.9 million, with 304 players making money. The bubble stage lasted a little while, as no one was keen to walk away with nothing to show for their efforts having come so close.
Following an extend hand-for-hand period, the bubble had finally burst, and those with some chips still in front of them could let out a sigh of relief as they were now guaranteed to take home at least €8,550.
For most, though, it was just the first important step towards the coveted EPT trophy and the first place prize of €1.4 million. Experienced pros and hopeful amateurs still in the field were all eyeing a seat at the final table, hoping for a run of good cards when it matters the most.
One More for France
It took several more days to reach that final table, but the action eventually got down to eight players, all of them guaranteed a hefty six-figure payday.
Six of those eight made it to the final day and they returned for the ultimate skirmish to see who’d walk away with the EPT Barcelona trophy and a guaranteed seven-figure payday.
In the end, two players picked up over million euro, as Thomas Eychenne from France and Romanian Stefan-Sebastian Ionita made a heads-up deal. With that, both players locked up just over €1.1 million, leaving €100,000 to play for.
Eychenne, who is widely considered one of France’s most talented players, managed to close the deal and secure the trophy plus another €100k, pocketing a total of €1,217,175.
Thomas Eychenne is the #EPTBarcelona Main Event champion. 🏆
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) August 31, 2025
The Frenchman collects €1,217,000 for the win, after striking a heads-up deal with Sebastian Ionita, who takes home €1,117,000. 👏 pic.twitter.com/Rq6VszX4by
EPT Barcelona Main Event Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Country | Payout |
| 1 | Thomas Eychenne | France | €1,217,175. |
| 2 | Stefan-Sebastian Ionita | Romania | €1,117,175 |
| 3 | Umberto Zaffagnini | Italy | €641,200 |
| 4 | Tomasz Brzezinski | Poland | €493,250 |
| 5 | Julian Pineda | Colombia | €379,350 |
| 6 | Anton Suarez | Sweden | €291,800 |
| 7 | Marc Foggin | United Kingdom | €224,450 |
| 8 | Cesar Garcia | Spain | €172,700 |
Spin & Go Championship Live One to Remember
While the Main Event is the one tournament that steals all the focus at any EPT, things were a bit different in Barcelona this time around. Everyone was buzzing for the Spin & Go Championship Live, and the event did not disappoint.
PokerStars went all out with the setup, preparing the stage that boasted a very futuristic design that fit perfectly with the fast-paced nature of this unique tournament.
The whole thing was designed more as an e-sports event, with the audience gathered on the rail to follow the action. This was an invite-only tournament, featuring players who managed to qualify online and select PokerStars pros, which further helped amplify the atmosphere.
It all started with 81 players spread across 27 tables. To advance, a player had to get to four wins. Those 27 had to do the same to get through Round 2. Then, the last nine faced off across three tables, until only three players emerged with four wins to have the official final table of the Spin & Go Championship Live in Barcelona.
Every Spin & Go featured a familiar format copied from the online environment. Players start with 500 chips and levels go up every five hands. The starting stack is 25 big blinds, but thing escalate very quickly, creating non-stop action.
On top of regular prizes, winners also had a chance to pull a Spin card, taking them to a big wheel where they had a chance to win even more money. So, to say it was a lot would be an understatement, but every minute of it was heaps of fun.
However, biggest money was reserved for the final three as there was €150,000 up for grabs at the final table and huge pay jumps separating the winner (€100k) and the third-place finisher (€15k).
When it came down to it, the last three players decided this payout structure was too much pressure so, before the play began, they agreed to make it somewhat flatter, with €75k to the winner, €42.5k for the runner-up, and €32.5k for the third-place finisher.
This was a perfectly reasonable decision, given that all three were online qualifiers playing for a hefty amount of money.
The Final Spin
It was Brazilian João Nascimento who got off to a flying start in the final round, picking up two wins right off the bat. The excitement in the crowd was palpable as it seemed like Nascimento was on his way to make quick work of his opponents.
The Brazilian was one card away from making it 3-0-0, but an unlucky river allowed his compatriot Guilherme Kleist to stick around. This was the beginning of an end for João’s sun run.
From that point on, it was all about Guilherme Kleist. After surviving that river, he managed to seize the win in that match and proceeded to line up three more victories in a quick succession to finish the job.
Vamos!
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) September 1, 2025
🇧🇷 Guilherme Kleist took down the Spin & Go Championship Live at #EPTBarcelona, winning €75K 👏
Read all about his victory 👉 https://t.co/DFyN1Wa5ta pic.twitter.com/3DzWMDB5IS
Of course, the final table was a three-handed affair, but Poland’s Krystian Lisowski simply couldn’t get anything going. He finished in third place without recording a single win. It wasn’t for the lack of trying, but cards simply refused to cooperate.
Barcelona Spin & Go Championship Top Three Finishers
| Position | Player | Country | Payout |
| 1 | João Nascimento | Brazil | €75,000 |
| 2 | Guilherme Kleist | Brazil | €42,500 |
| 3 | Krystian Lisowski | Poland | €32,500 |
Once More, EPT Barcelona Shows How It’s Done
With the 2025 EPT Barcelona in the books, players will move on to new destinations, chasing some other trophies and titles. But all of those who got to witness the event first-hand are certain to walk away with great memories, which is largely why players keep coming back year after year.
The next EPT is set for October, and players won’t have to make too much of an adjustment when it comes to weather conditions as this one takes place in Malta.
As for the Spin & Go Championship Live, PokerStars has already announced it will be back for the next season. After the inaugural one in Prague and the one that had just wrapped up in Barcelona, the 2026 event is scheduled to take place in Paris.
