Kayhan Mokri Leads as Marcelo Simoes and Simon Brandstrom Chase a Repeat on Day 3
They’ve already made it this far in a record-shattering field of 2,294 players and survived the money bubble. Now the 210 remaining on Day 3 of the €5,300 2022 PokerStars and Barcelona©Casino European Poker Tour Main Event have their eye on the final table and, ultimately, the €1,714,000 top prize.
Leading the way is Norway’s Kayhan Mokri, who has just $21,000 in live tournament earnings but 1,303,000 chips, nearly 300,000 more than his closest challenger.
That happens to be someone who is no stranger to lifting an EPT trophy. Just three months ago, Marcelo Simoes beat a field of 1,073 in Monte Carlo to win €939,840. He currently sits in second place with 1,068,000 as he tries to become only the third player with multiple EPT titles, and the first ever to go back-to-back.
Another player with good memories of Casino Barcelona is Simon Brandstrom. The Swedish pro has had three years to call himself the reigning EPT Barcelona champion and has put up a valiant defense of his title, taking 473,000 into Day 3. Another past winner here, 2016 champion Sebastian Malec, is sitting on 156,000.
2022 EPT Barcelona Day 3 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Kayhan Mokri | Norway | 1,303,000 | 217 |
| 2 | Marcelo Simoes | Brazil | 1,068,000 | 178 |
| 3 | Scott Margereson | United Kingdom | 993,000 | 166 |
| 4 | Radoslav Stoyanov | Bulgaria | 926,000 | 154 |
| 5 | Joris Ruijs | Netherlands | 879,000 | 147 |
| 6 | Sebastian Toro Henao | Colombia | 824,000 | 137 |
| 7 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | 814,000 | 136 |
| 8 | Usman Ulhaq | United Kingdom | 800,000 | 133 |
| 9 | Alexandre Landrom | Frace | 775,000 | 129 |
| 10 | Catalin Ciurea | Romania | 770,000 | 128 |
Former PCA champions Maria Lampropulos (517,000) and Chino Rheem (365,000), as well as 2017 Prague champion Kalidou Sow (502,000) and 2014 Monte Carlo champion Antonio Buonanno (622,000), are also still alive in the hunt to add another EPT crown.
Other notable names on Day 3 include Artur Martirosian (814,000), Gaelle Baumann (408,000), Timothy Adams (387,000), and PokerStars ambassador Benjamin Spragg (144,000), while Stephen Chidwick (148,000) and David Peters (36,000) find themselves near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Day 3 will begin at noon local time on Level 17, with blinds at 3,000-6,000 and a 6,000 big blind ante. Play will consist of six 90-minute levels, with a 20-minute break after each level and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 20. A shot clock will be introduced starting today, with players receiving five time bank cards.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand providing updates throughout Day 3 as the ultimate prize, victory in this record-setting event, inches closer and closer.
. Tien Dung Pham bet out 25,000 from the big blind and Paulina "Poker Bunny" Loeliger made the call on the button. 
hit the turn and Pham checked to Loeliger who bet 50,000, which was called. The 
completed the board and Pham checked again. Loeliger took a moment before moving all in, covering the 90,000 stack of Pham who went deep in the tank. After using several time bank cards, Pham elected on a fold, sending the huge pot to Loelinger.
flop. The 
turn gave a bit of extra hope with a flush draw, but the 
river bricked out as Spragg's ladies were the death of him, and the last red-spade representative in the field was eliminated.
from middle position and was called by Giovanni Petroni in the small blind.
turn before Petroni led out for 35,000 on the 
river. 
. Chidwick had 
for the rivered flush, but Martirosian showed 
for a higher flush to send Chidwick to the rail.
with Davies in the cutoff and Torensen on the button. Davies checked the flop and Torensen fired a bet of 30,000. Davies called.
river put quads on the board and Davies again used a time bank as he sat stoically in his chair. Eventually, he announced "all in," only to get snapped off by Sorensen. Davies tabled 
to give Bendinelli a straight to eliminate Cierco and double through Rheem, who was irritated with how the hand played out. 
fell on the river to give him two pair, tens and deuces, and a double up.
turn Wang kept the aggression up with another bet, this time to 60,000. 
