Full House Expected as Final Starting Flight of EPT Barcelona €5,300 Main Event Kicks Off at Noon
With the first starting flight of the €5,300 Main Event at the 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona now done and dusted, attention inside Casino Barcelona turns to the second and final starting flight, kicking off at noon local time.
Yesterday’s opening flight drew a field of 635 entries, generating a prize pool of €3,079,750, with 193 of those players advancing to Day 2 after navigating ten levels of play.
When those entering today look back at yesterday’s Day 1a flight for inspiration, they will see Michael Dwyer atop the leaderboard. The Irishman bagged twelve starting stacks to end the day with 357,000, finishing just clear of Matteo Cecchetti (345,000) and Mark Teltscher (324,000), who were the only other two players to clear the 300,000 chip mark by the end of play.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Dwyer | Ireland | 363,500 | 303 |
| 2 | Matteo Cecchetti | Italy | 345,000 | 288 |
| 3 | Mark Teltscher | United Kingdom | 324,000 | 270 |
| 4 | Andrija Cvetkovic | Croatia | 287,500 | 240 |
| 5 | Eros Calderone | Italy | 282,000 | 235 |
| 6 | Vito Recchimurzo | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 262,500 | 219 |
| 7 | Ivo Colaco | Portugal | 260,500 | 217 |
| 8 | Eduardo Escada | Brazil | 251,500 | 210 |
| 9 | Jose Criado | Spain | 224,500 | 187 |
| 10 | Remi Derossi | France | 223,000 | 186 |
Day 1b will mirror the structure used for the opening flight, with players starting with 30,000 chips and working through ten 60-minute levels. Blinds begin at 100/100, with a 100 big blind ante, and a short break is scheduled at the end of every two levels. A 75-minute dinner break will take place after Level 6, around 6:40 p.m. local time.
Late registration will remain open throughout Day 1b and will close at the start of Day 2. However, each player is allowed just two entries in total across the entire EPT Main Event, including Day 1a and Day 2.
EPT Barcelona Day 1b Structure
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante | Duration (Min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 60 |
| 2 | 100 | 200 | 200 | 60 |
| Break | 20 | |||
| 3 | 100 | 300 | 300 | 60 |
| 4 | 200 | 400 | 400 | 60 |
| Break | 20 | |||
| 5 | 200 | 500 | 500 | 60 |
| 6 | 300 | 600 | 600 | 60 |
| Dinner Break | 75 | |||
| 7 | 400 | 800 | 800 | 60 |
| 8 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 60 |
| Break | 20 | |||
| 9 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 60 |
| 10 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 60 |
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