2026 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

Day: 1a
1a1b
Event Info
2026 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€7,076,150
Total Entries
1,490
Players Left
923
Average Chip Stack
48,429
Total Chips
44,700,000
Level Info
Level
5
Blinds
200 / 500
Ante
500
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
635
Players Left
193
Players Left 923 / 1,490

Poker Gods Aren't on Santichio's Side Today

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Antonio Santichio
Antonio Santichio

Jorge De Arruda was all-in preflop for about 22,000 from early position, with Antonio Santichio holding the covering stack and looking to send him to the rail from the small blind.

Jorge De Arruda: JJ All in
Antonio Santichio: AK

Santichio was the one out of his seat, despite De Arruda being the player at risk. A tablemate quickly spotted the danger and warned De Arruda, "Oh no, he's stood up."

The dealer spread the monotone 735 flop, giving Santichio even more ways to bring De Arruda's tournament to an end.

De Arruda decided to stand up himself, prompting another tablemate to ask, "Do you have a backpack?" The table clearly knew the hierarchy of poker superstitions, with the backpack trick capable of trumping the stand-up move and perhaps persuading the poker gods to spare De Arruda from the rail.

Much to his disappointment, De Arruda didn't have one. Fortunately, the poker gods were willing to overlook the technicality as the J4 completed the board, with the jack giving De Arruda a set and a double-up to almost 50,000.

Tags: Antonio SantichioJorge De Arruda