It was in September 2004 when the very first PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) was held at Casino Barcelona. Today marks the start of the 21st edition, and Barcelona remains the most popular stop.
The buy-in in 2004 was just €1,000, and the 229 participants at the time were already an impressive turnout. Sweden’s Alexander Stevic went down in history as the very first EPT champion and took home €80,000 in prize money. Also at the final table was Luca Pagano, who would later become a Team PokerStars Pro and is now responsible, along with his team, for the PokerStars Live Room at Casino Campione. By the following year, the buy-in had risen to €4,200, and by 2006, it had increased to €5,000. In the meantime, from 2007 to 2009, the buy-in was as high as €8,000, but starting in 2010, it remained virtually unchanged at €5,300.
Until 2017 (when the EPT was played as the PokerStars Championship), the Main Event was a freezeout tournament. When the series switched back to the EPT in 2018, the biggest change to the Main Event was the introduction of one re-entry per player. This helped boost entry numbers, but in reality, player numbers have remained roughly at the 2014–2015 level.
Despite tax-related difficulties, the event is still a favorite among many players; only Germans and Austrians are now staying away—due to the arbitrary tax proceedings against Hossein Enssan and Ole Schemion. Barcelona has always been a very successful venue for the German-speaking community, with three champions and numerous final tables to date.
The largest Main Event to date was recorded in 2022 following the COVID crisis. There were 2,294 entries, and winner Giuliano Bendinelli also secured the highest prize money in the history of EPT Barcelona with 1,491,133.
All EPT Barcelona Main Event Winners
| Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize Money |
| 2004 | 229 players | €229,000 | Alexander Stevic (Sweden) | €80,000 |
| 2005 | 327 players | €1,300,000 | Jan Boubli (France) | €416,000 |
| 2006 | 480 players | €2,304,000 | Bjorn-Erik Glenne (Norway) | €691,000 |
| 2007 | 543 players | €4,181,100 | Sander Lyloff (Denmark) | €1,170,700 |
| 2008 | 619 players | €4,952,000 | Sebastian Ruthenberg (Germany) | €1,361,000 |
| 2009 | 479 players | €3,832,000 | Carter Phillips (USA) | €850,000 |
| 2010 | 758 players | €3,790,000 | Kent Lundmark (Sweden) | €825,000 |
| 2011 | 811 players | €4,055,000 | Martin Schleich (Germany) | €850,000 |
| 2012 | 1,082 players | €5,247,700 | Mikalai Pobal (Belarus) | €1,007,550 |
| 2013 | 1,234 players | €5,984,900 | Tom Middleton (UK) | €942,000 |
| 2014 | 1,496 players | €7,255,600 | Andre Lettau (Germany) | €794,058 |
| 2015 | 1,694 players | €8,215,900 | John Juanda (Indonesia) | €1,022,593 |
| 2016 | 1,785 players | €8,657,250 | Sebastian Malec (Poland) | €1,122,800 |
| 2017 | 1,682 players | €8,157,700 | Sebastian Sorensson (Sweden) | €987,043 |
| 2018 | 1,931 entries | €9,365,350 | Piotr Nurzynski (Poland) | €1,037,109 |
| 2019 | 1,988 entries | €9,641,800 | Simon Brandstrom (Sweden) | €1,290,166 |
| 2022 | 2,294 entries | €11,125,900 | Giuliano Bendinelli (Italy) | €1,491,133 |
| 2023 | 2,120 entries | €10,282,000 | Simon Wiciak (France) | €1,134,375 |
| 2024 | 1,975 entries | €9,578,750 | Stephen Song (USA) | €1,290,386 |
| 2025 | 2,045 entries | €9,918,250 | Thomas Eychenne (France) | €1,217,175 |
In 2026, the EPT Barcelona will once again feature a packed tournament schedule, offering plenty of options for mid-stakes players and high rollers alike. Players who prefer games other than No-Limit Hold’em will also find plenty to enjoy.
European Poker Tour – EPT Barcelona 2026
Date: August 16–29
Location: Casino Barcelona, Barcelona
Events: 79, including satellites
Buy-ins: €1,100 to €100,000; satellites starting at €175
Schedule –>> click