The 2018 EPT Barcelona Main Event Starts Today!
It's time for the Main Event! At noon local time, cards will be in the air for the first of two starting days for the 2018 EPT Barcelona Main Event, the most popular Main Event of the PokerStars European Poker Tour. The EPT Main Event will play out over the course of seven days before a new champion is crowned on Sunday, September 2.
Sebastian Malec from Poland is the defending champion after winning the last EPT in Barcelona back in 2016 by defeating a 1,785-strong field for €1,122,800. Last year, under the PokerStars Championship banner, online qualifier Sebastian Sorensson proved poker miracles still exist by turning a $200 satellite win on PokerStars into a championship title and €987,043. According to The Hendon Mob, the improbable win over the 1,681 other players is Sorensson's first — and only — cash to date. The Swede hasn't been spotted in Barcelona yet but might just return to try for the back-to-back victory.
A total of three $30,000 Platinum Passes will be awarded as well during the Main Event. Logically, the winner of this event will receive the first one on top of his victory. The second one will be awarded to the longest lasting PokerStars qualifier, both live and online. At PokerNews, we will track and keep you up to date on who the remaining qualifiers are as the tournament progresses. The third and final Platinum Pass will be up for grabs in the Crazy Pineapple Flipout at the start of Day 2.
Today will see ten levels of 60 minutes each being played out, with a 20-minute break scheduled after every two levels. A 75-minute dinner break is scheduled after level 6. A single reentry is allowed for those that run out of chips during their first attempt. The shot clock will be in play later this tournament, shortly before the money is reached, after which each player receives six time bank cards of 30 seconds each. PokerNews will be on the floor to provide start-to-finish coverage of this popular event over the next seven days, so don't go anywhere!
Day 1a Blind Structure
| Level | Time | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 min | 100 | 100 | |
| 2 | 60 min | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| BREAK 20 min | ||||
| 3 | 60 min | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 4 | 60 min | 100 | 300 | 300 |
| BREAK 20 min | ||||
| 5 | 60 min | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 6 | 60 min | 200 | 500 | 500 |
| DINNER BREAK 75 min | ||||
| 7 | 60 min | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 8 | 60 min | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| BREAK 20 min | ||||
| 9 | 60 min | 500 | 1000 | 1000 |
| 10 | 60 min | 600 | 1200 | 1200 |
PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event Champions
| # | Month | Year | Players | Buy-in | Winner | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September | 2004 | 229 | €1,000 | Alexander Stevic | Sweden | €80,000 |
| 2 | September | 2005 | 327 | €4,000 | Jan Boubli | France | €416,000 |
| 3 | September | 2006 | 480 | €5,000 | Bjørn-Erik Glenne | Norway | €691,000 |
| 4 | August | 2007 | 543 | €8,000 | Sander Lyloff | Denmark | €1,170,700 |
| 5 | September | 2008 | 619 | €8,000 | Sebastian Ruthenberg | Germany | €1,361,000 |
| 6 | September | 2009 | 478 | €8,000 | Carter Phillips | United States | €850,000 |
| 7 | November | 2010 | 757 | €5,000 | Kent Lundmark | Sweden | €825,000 |
| 8 | August | 2011 | 811 | €5,000 | Martin Schleich | Germany | €850,000 |
| 9 | August | 2012 | 1,082 | €5,000 | Mikalai Pobal | Belarus | €1,007,550 |
| 10 | September | 2013 | 1,234 | €5,000 | Tom Middleton | United Kingdom | €942,000 |
| 11 | August | 2014 | 1,496 | €5,000 | Andre Lettau | Germany | €794,058 |
| 12 | August | 2015 | 1,694 | €5,000 | John Juanda | Indonesia | €1,022,593 |
| 13 | August | 2016 | 1,785 | €5,300 | Sebastian Malec | Poland | €1,122,800 |
| PSC | August | 2017 | 1,682 | €5,300 | Sebastian Sorensson | Sweden | €987,043 |
