2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

€5,300 Main Event
Day: 6
Event Info
2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
€1,217,175
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€9,918,250
Total Entries
2,045
Level Info
Level
37
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Players Info - Day 6
Entries
11
Players Left
6
Players Left 1 / 2,045
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€5,300 Main Event

Day 6 Completed

Third Time's the Charm as Sebastian Ionita Takes Chip Lead Over Final Six at the EPT Barcelona Final Table

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Sebastian Ionita
Sebastian Ionita

Sebastian Ionita’s PokerStars European Poker Tour resume wasn’t a long and distinguished one before he came here to Barcelona: two main events, zero cashes. But the Romanian is making the most of his third opportunity, as Ionita takes the chip lead with 14,725,000 over the final six into the last day of the EPT Barcelona Main Event.

“It feels very good, but at the same time, it’s very hard. There are very good players here. The chips are pretty tight. Anything can happen, we all know,” Ionita said after the six players who made their way through a starting field of 2,045 bagged up their chips for the night. “Everyone who plays poker knows how it works. It can go very good, but it can also go very bad. All you can do is play your best hands, play the best you can.”

EPT Barcelona Final Six Chip Counts

PlacePlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Sebastian IonitaRomania14,725,00059
2Thomas EychenneFrance11,375,00046
3Julian Pineda LozanoColombia9,700,00039
4Umberto ZaffagniniItaly9,525,00038
5Anton SuarezSweden8,400,00034
6Tomasz BrzezinskiPoland7,625,00031

Ionita came into the event with around $300,000 in live earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, his highest career score of $177,000 coming from a third-place finish in an event in Cyprus in May. His EPT results have all come from Eureka events, including 263rd in Prague last December. He had only played two EPT Main Events before Barcelona with no success, but he’s one step closer to achieving a goal he set for himself long ago.

“It was always my dream to become a professional poker player, and winning an EPT title, I think, will get me closer,” he said. “It will mean a lot to me. Especially my first time here in Barcelona playing. This is my third EPT. My first two that I played, I haven’t cashed, and this, the third one, the chip leader at the final table.”

Ionita still has to overcome a talented group of five opponents that will try to snatch away the Golden Shard trophy and €1,436,000 top prize tomorrow. In second place sits French high roller Thomas Eychenne (11,375,000), who can usually be found competing against some of the biggest names in the game in some of the largest buy-in events in the world. Eychenne’s $2.7 million in live earnings include a final table run in a PokerStars event, when he finished in seventh place in the 2023 PSPC for $801,000.

Thomas Eychenne
Thomas Eychenne

Colombia’s Julian Pineda Lozano (9,700,000) and Umberto Zaffagnini of Italy (9,525,000) sit in the middle of the pack, while Anton Suarez (8,400,000) and Tomasz Brzezinski (7,625,000) round out the six who return tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. local time to play down to a champion.

Remaining Payouts

PlacePrize
1€1,436,000
2€898,350
3€641,200
4€493,250
5€379,350
6€291,800

Day 6 Action

Day 6 began with 11 players returning to Casino Barcelona, hoping to secure a spot at the EPT Barcelona final table. Suarez had a massive chip lead with 15,340,000, while two Frenchmen, Youssef Zereg and Yohan Rascar, were at the bottom of the counts at the start of the day.

Zereg had a dream start, picking up aces on the first hand, then making quads on the second to double off Pineda Lozano. Rascar wasn’t as fortunate, as he called off his last 850,000 on the turn with a pair of nines but ran into Brzezinski’s tens.

Pineda Lozano was all in for 2,900,000 with two deuces and racing against Suarez’s ace-queen on the final table bubble. Suarez picked up a straight draw on the flop to go with his overcards, but Pineda Lozano held on through the turn and river to double up. Sergio Carro Marin then fired three bullets against Suarez until the river gave Suarez a flush. Suarez moved all in and Marin folded, leaving himself on a short stack. He was eliminated shortly after when Brzezinski made two pair on the river to beat his turned pair of kings, setting the nine-handed final table.

Suarez still maintained a big advantage over the field with 16,275,000 at the start of the final table, with Ionita (10,290,000) and Eychenne (10,195,000) trailing far behind. Zereg had blinded back down to less than 1,000,000 when he got his last chips in with ace-five against Eychenne’s sixes. Eychenne spiked a set on the flop, then improved to a full house on the turn to leave the sharp-dressed Zereg drawing dead and heading to the rail as the first casualty of the final table.

Cesar Garcia then moved all in for 975,000 in the big blind and Suarez called under the gun. Garcia’s ace-jack had Suarez’s ace-ten dominated as both players flopped an ace, but Suarez hit two pair on the river to bust Garcia in eighth. On the next hand, Marc Foggin was all in for 1,800,000 against Brzezinski. Both players showed ace-king and were poised to chop the pot until the turn gave Brzezinski a flush, ending Foggin’s run in cruel fashion.

Marc Foggin
Marc Foggin

Suarez was still comfortably in the lead, but one hand changed all that. Heads-up against Ionita on a seven-five-high flop, Suarez bet 275,000 and Ionita called with a pair of fives. The turn paired sevens and Suarez bet another 650,000. Ionita again called and saw a queen fall on the river, where Suarez slid out a massive bet of 2,600,000. Ionita went deep into the tank, burning up five time banks before he called with two pair. Suarez could only show jack-high and handed over the pot, and with it the tournament chip lead for the first time in the day.

Anton Suarez
Anton Suarez

Ionita later explained that the size of Suarez’s river bet aroused his suspicion. “I was thinking. he bet very big on the river. If he wanted to represent a seven…he knew I had a weak hand like a five, and if he wanted me to call his value, he would’ve bet smaller. Not that big. His bet was very polarized. I put him on eight-nine, ten-eight, jack-eight, hands like this,” Ionita said.

Ionita’s chip lead didn’t last for long, as Eychenne made trip fives and bet 4,000,000 on the river to get Ionita to fold ace-high. Eychenne, though, was then caught bluffing by Pineda Lozano who called a bet of 850,000 on the river holding just a pair of deuces. Pineda Lozano ended the night with a four-bet jam against Suarez, sending Suarez tumbling down to fifth place.

The action on the final day picks up on Level 33 with blinds of 125,000/250,000 and a 250,000 big blind ante. Levels will again last 30 hands each. Each player has already locked up €291,800 for making it this far, while the champion earns €1,436,000. The final table will be streamed on PokerStars’ YouTube and Twitch channels on a 30-minute delay beginning at 1 p.m.

The EPT began here in Barcelona more than two decades ago, and over the years the EPT Barcelona Main Event has grown into one of the largest and most prestigious tournaments on the poker calendar. Illustrious names such as John Juanda and Stephen Song have lifted this trophy, while new stars such as two-time EPT champ Mikalai Pobal, Sebastian Malec, and Simon Wiciak have been made. Another name will be added to the list of champions tomorrow, and PokerNews will be following all the action until the confetti rains down and the trophy is held aloft.

Tags: Anton SuarezCesar GarciaJulian Pineda LozanoMarc FogginSebastian IonitaSergio Carro MarinThomas EychenneTomasz BrzezinskiUmberto ZaffagniniYohan RascarYoussef Zereg

Play Concludes

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Day 6 of the €5,300 Main Event during the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona has concluded with six players making it through to the final day.

Stay tuned for chip counts a recap of the day's action.

Lozano Jams Out Suarez in Last Hand of Day

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Julian Pineda Lozano opened to 400,000 in the cutoff with 1010 and Anton Suarez three-bet on the button to 1,100,000 with A7.

Lozano wasn't done with the hand and four-bet jammed a stack of 8,100,000, bringing a fold from the Swede.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Julian Pineda Lozano co
Julian Pineda Lozano
9,700,000
1,500,000
1,500,000
Profile photo of Anton Suarez se
Anton Suarez
8,400,000
1,100,000
1,100,000
Day 5 Chip Leader

Tags: Anton SuarezJulian PinedaJulian Pineda Lozano

Suarez Steals the Pot from Lozano

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Anton Suarez
Anton Suarez

Anton Suarez raised with AQ from under the gun to 400,000, and only Julian Pineda Lozano called from the big blind holding K10.

Both checked after the JQK flop and the 7 rolled off on the turn. Lozano bet 350,000, which Suarez called.

When the 8 completed the board, Lozano checked, then folded after Suarez threw out a bet of 1,200,000.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sebastian Ionita ro
Sebastian Ionita
14,730,000
Day 6 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Thomas Eychenne fr
Thomas Eychenne
11,780,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Umberto Zaffagnini it
Umberto Zaffagnini
9,630,000
400,000
400,000
Profile photo of Anton Suarez se
Anton Suarez
9,500,000
1,050,000
1,050,000
Day 5 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Julian Pineda Lozano co
Julian Pineda Lozano
8,200,000
1,050,000
1,050,000
Profile photo of Tomasz Brzezinski pl
Tomasz Brzezinski
7,630,000
90,000
90,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Anton SuarezJulian PinedaJulian Pineda Lozano

Ionita Fires Twice Versus Suarez

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Anton Suarez raised AQ from the hijack, and Sebastian Ionita three-bet KQ from the small blind. Suarez called to see a flop.

Ionita tossed out a bet of 800,000 on the 85K flop, and Suarez continued with a call.

The 9 appeared on the turn, causing Ionita to fire out a second bet, this time for 2,000,000. Suarez folded and gave up the pot to Ionita.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sebastian Ionita ro
Sebastian Ionita
14,730,000
2,600,000
2,600,000
Day 6 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Anton Suarez se
Anton Suarez
8,450,000
2,200,000
2,200,000
Day 5 Chip Leader

Tags: Anton SuarezSebastian Ionita

Mama Mia! Ionita Flops the Nuts, Gets Counterfeited & Bluffed Off a Chop

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Sebastian Ionita
Sebastian Ionita

Thomas Eychenne completed in the small blind with 96 and Sebastian Ionita checked his big blind option with Q10.

Eychenne bet 200,000 on the flop of JKA and Ionita called with the stone nuts. Eychenne kept bluffing on the 10 turn (which made a flush possible) with a bet of 600,000, and Ionita called.

The Q river put Broadway on the board to counterfeit Ionita, and Eychenne tried to bet him off of it by putting out 6,000,000. It was enough to fold Ionita off a chop.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sebastian Ionita ro
Sebastian Ionita
12,130,000
1,300,000
1,300,000
Day 6 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Thomas Eychenne fr
Thomas Eychenne
11,780,000
1,480,000
1,480,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Sebastian IonitaThomas Eychenne

Zaffagnini Bets Eychenne Out

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Umberto Zaffagnini
Umberto Zaffagnini

Umberto Zaffagnini made it 400,000 to go from under the gun with KQ, and only Thomas Eychenne came along with a call from the small blind holding 99.

The dealer fanned out a monotone flop of 4K7 and Eychenne started with a check. Zaffagnini made a continuation-bet of 300,000, which Eychenne called.

Eychenne checked again when he saw the 10 turn, and Zaffagnini fired a second barrel of 750,000. Eychenne pondered for a few moments, then returned his cards to the dealer.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Thomas Eychenne fr
Thomas Eychenne
10,300,000
780,000
780,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Umberto Zaffagnini it
Umberto Zaffagnini
10,030,000
600,000
600,000

Tags: Thomas EychenneUmberto Zaffagnini

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