PokerStars is introducing a format twist at EPT Barcelona this year with a €2,200 tournament called “In the Money at 180,000,” scheduled to run August 17–27 at Casino Barcelona: any player who accumulates 180,000 chips during Day 1 immediately bags their stack, locks up a Day 2 seat, and secures a cash — eliminating the traditional money bubble entirely. EPT Tournament Director Toby Stone described the mechanic as giving players the ability to instantly bag and lock up a Day 2 cash the moment they hit that chip threshold, according to PokerNews.
The new event is part of a broader festival running August 16–29, headlined by a €5,300 EPT Main Event scheduled for August 22–29. The wider schedule also includes a €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event, a €10,300 EPT High Roller, and a €100,000 Super High Roller, giving players a range of buy-in options across the fortnight. Last year’s Main Event, won by Thomas Eychenne for more than €1.2 million, drew what PokerNews described as the third-largest Main Event field in EPT history, setting a high bar for the 2026 edition.
Off the felt, the festival’s schedule includes karaoke, quiz and games nights, welcome drinks, a sports match-up, and a Guess the Hand competition, with the EPT Wellness Community hosting daily yoga and Pilates sessions from August 18 to August 27. On the broadcast side, seven days of live streaming are planned from August 23 on PokerStars’ Twitch and Facebook channels in six languages — English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Brazilian Portuguese — with the Portuguese-language stream making its debut at the festival this year.
The PokerStars Live League adds another competitive layer to the trip for regulars on the tour. A total of €157,500 in PokerStars LIVE credit will be distributed among the top three finishers in each of the three league tiers — Low, Medium, and High — while the top 30 players in every tier will qualify for a special €100,000 live freeroll at the first EPT stop of 2027, according to PokerNews.
