Bubble Approaches with Jacob Amsellem Leading EPT Barcelona Main Event
Day 2 of the €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona saw another 117 players jump in before registration closed, bringing the final tally to 2,045 entries and a massive €9,918,250 prize pool. That makes this edition the third-largest Main Event in EPT history, with 303 players guaranteed at least €8,550 and a staggering €1,436,000 set aside for the eventual champion.
The field played four 90-minute levels inside Casino Barcelona, and by the time chips were bagged, only ten eliminations separate the remaining players from a guaranteed payday.
Those that are unlikely to feel any bubble pressure are the likes of France’s Jacob Amsellem, who leads the way with 802,000, Finland’s Lauri Saaskilahti (640,000), and Poland’s Michal Kil (594,000). They are closely followed by Oskar Jonsson (582,000), Antonio Santichio (565,000), and Dario Pieruzzini (560,000), while Cesar Garcia (529,000) and Jason Wheeler also bagged among the leaders.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob Amsellem | France | 802,000 | 201 |
| 2 | Lauri Saaskilahti | Finland | 640,000 | 160 |
| 3 | Michal Kil | Poland | 594,000 | 149 |
| 4 | Oskar Jonsson | Iceland | 582,000 | 146 |
| 5 | Antonio Santichio | Brazil | 565,000 | 141 |
| 6 | Dario Pieruzzini | Italy | 560,000 | 140 |
| 7 | Cesar Garcia | Spain | 529,000 | 132 |
| 8 | Jason Wheeler | United States | 525,000 | 131 |
| 9 | Silius Moll | Norway | 519,000 | 130 |
| 10 | Damien Gayer | France | 511,000 | 128 |
Day 1b chip leader Anton Kraous kept his momentum with 500,000, while Day 1a pacesetter Daiki Shingae slipped back but remains alive on 168,000. Former EPT champions are also well represented, with Dominik Panka (400,000), Dimitar Danchev (206,000), Simon Brandstrom (204,000), Steve O'Dwyer (188,000), and Sebastian Malec (96,000) all making it through the day.
Marle Spragg (55,000) and Kenny Hallaert (42,000) return short-stacked, while Ramon Colillas built to 290,000. Notables Adam Hendrix (436,000), Javier Zarco (424,000), Daniel Rezaei (413,000), Julien Sitbon (314,000), Yuri Martins (303,000), and Aram Zobian (167,000) will also return for Day 3.
Payouts
When the bubble does burst, a min-cash is worth €8,550. Reaching the final table guarantees at least €132,800, while the top three spots are reserved for truly life-changing sums. The eventual champion will walk away with €1,436,000, while the runner-up earns €898,350 and third place collects €641,200 from the nearly eight-figure prize pool.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. local time on Wednesday, August 27, as the 313 remaining players return for Day 3 of the EPT Barcelona Main Event. Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates as the bubble bursts and the race toward the €1,436,000 top prize continues.