Everything You Need to Know About the Spin & Go Championship Live
After a successful inaugural outing in Prague last December, the Spin & Go Championship Live returns for its second edition at EPT Barcelona.
This time, boasting a prize pool of €275,000, a select group of 81 lucky qualifiers will battle through four rounds to crown the next champion.
With a bespoke stage, custom-designed playing cards, and two full days of live-streamed action, this promises to be a tournament unlike anything poker fans have seen before. Got questions? Let's answer them!
The Format
Just like in Prague, where Spain’s Carlos Gurdiel captured the first-ever Spin & Go Championship Live title, 81 qualifiers will now descend on Barcelona for two intense days of play that will decide the new champion.
Rounds 1 & 2 (Saturday, August 30)
Round 1 will be divided into three heats (13:00, 16:00 and 19:00), each featuring 27 players. Competitors will face off on nine three-handed Spin & Go tables, with three match wins required to advance.
Round 2, also held on Saturday, brings back the 27 survivors to see who will make Day 2.
Rounds 3 & 4 (Sunday, August 31)
Nine players will return for Round 3. Match victories award €48,000 in total prizes, with the top prize rising to €20,000.
The Grand Final (Round 4) will decide the ultimate champion. Played on a single feature table, the winner will walk away with €100,000. Second and third places will collect €35,000 and €15,000 respectively.
Who will conquer Barcelona and etch their name into Spin & Go history? All will be revealed on Sunday.
The Prizes
A win in the first round secures players €1,000 and making it to the final nine locks up a player €3,000. However, the big prizes come into play at the final table with a cool €100,000 awaiting the winner.
- 1st – €100,000
- 2nd – €35,000
- 3rd – €15,000
Additionally, every player who wins a round will draw a card. If they draw the Spin Card, they'll get to spin the wheel with a chance to win additional cash prizes!
The Qualifiers
With 81 qualifiers, here are eight who have won their way to Barcelona and will hope to be crowned the latest Spin & Go Championship Live champion!
Rafaela Leite Figueiredo (Brazil)
From crochet entrepreneur to Spin & Go pro in under a year, Rafaela Leite Figueiredo is back in Barcelona after railing her husband in Prague, only this time as a qualifier herself. Coached by her husband, she calls playing this event a “dream come true.”
Vito Barone (Italy)
A physiotherapist-turned-pro and former PokerStars ambassador, Vito Barone was the first Italian to hit 5,000,000 VIP points. Known for his patience and calm, he qualified via the leaderboard and says his only goal is to enjoy the ride.
Steven Clyde Rosel-Navarro (France)
Once a farmer in the Philippines, Steven Clyde Rosel-Navarro lost everything to a typhoon and rebuilt his life in France. Now working in a furniture shop, he relies on Spin & Go’s for his daily poker fix, and says bluffing him won’t be easy.
Cyril Perril (France)
A taxi driver from Perpignan, Cyril Perril is taking his first-ever seat in a live poker event, and it’s at the Spin & Go Championship Live. An aggressive player who hates long tournaments, he says just qualifying is already the biggest win of his life.
Andre Cerqueira Correa (Brazil)
A prosecutor at Brazil’s Central Bank and former Labor Judge, Andre Cerqueira Correa squeezes Spin & Go’s around a busy career fighting financial crime. Inspired by pros Andre Akkari and Alexandre Gomes, he’s finally back at the tables after a long break.
Scott Hobson (Canada)
On his first trip to Europe, Vancouver healthcare manager Scott Hobson is also playing his first major poker event. A longtime recreational player, he says a cash here would be the perfect wedding gift before tying the knot in September.
Christopher Runas (Philippines)
A 52-year-old businessman who once owned a production company in Manila, Christopher Runas now grinds Spin & Go’s around his advertising work. With 16 years of poker experience, he says he’s “super excited” for Barcelona.
Eduardo de Ortegal (Brazil)
At 59, real estate broker Eduardo de Ortegal is one of the oldest players in the field, with just one prior live cash. After finishing second on the final leaderboard, he calls qualifying for Barcelona a “life-changing experience.”
The Strategy
What strategies can we expect from the 81 qualifiers? Short-handed play, shallow stacks, and heads-up situations dominate the format, requiring players to adapt quickly.
Despite the live setting, the structure mirrors online Spin & Gos: blinds rise fast, forcing aggressive chip accumulation. Lose fold equity, and your path to victory becomes far tougher.
Position is vital. Expect seasoned players to open with small raises (min-raise or 2.1–2.3x the big blind) to reduce risk against all-in shoves while still applying preflop pressure.
As blinds escalate, players inevitably reach push-or-fold territory, where survival depends on perfect timing and a sound push-fold chart. With multiple wins required to progress, precision and discipline are key to turning a deep run into a €100,000 payday.
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