Jason Wheeler Wins PokerStars Open Barcelona Main Event for €731,000

The European Poker Tour (EPT) is only just past the halfway point of EPT Barcelona 2026, and it's already delivered one of its standout stories. The United States' Jason Wheeler won the €1,650 PokerStars Open Barcelona Main Event for €731,000 (~$840,650), the biggest score of his 16-year EPT career, at Casino Barcelona in Spain. Running from August 16 to 29, the festival still has plenty ahead, with the flagship EPT Main Event only into Day 3 of what could be a seven-day tournament.

Running from August 16 to 29, the festival still has plenty ahead, with the flagship EPT Main Event only into Day 3 of what could be a seven-day tournament.

Jason Wheeler Wins the PokerStars Open Barcelona Main Event for €731,000

Jason Wheeler has been a familiar face on the EPT for the better part of two decades, with cashes dating back to the 2010 EPT London stop, but the €1,650 PokerStars Open Barcelona Main Event delivered the biggest score of his career. Including re-entries, the tournament attracted 4,333 entries and built a €6,239,520 prize pool, and Wheeler outlasted the field to defeat Sweden's Alexander Ivarsson heads-up for the title.

The win pushed his career live tournament earnings to $6,627,471, comfortably surpassing his previous best of €570,000 for a runner-up finish at the 2017 EPT Prague Main Event.

Wheeler, who also won a WSOP bracelet in 2021, rated the Barcelona victory right alongside it. "It's right up there next to the bracelet, pretty much," he said afterward, crediting a renewed focus on the game after stepping back for several years to raise a family.

Tom Fuchs Wins the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller for €1,126,540

Wheeler wasn't the only player to land a big score in Barcelona this week. Germany's Tom Fuchs took down the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller for €1,126,540, the second seven-figure result of his career.

€100,000 EPT Super High Roller Final Table Results

Thomas Eychenne Wins the PokerStars Open High Roller, Then Falls Early in the Main Event

France's Thomas Eychenne, last year's EPT Barcelona Main Event champion, added another title to his run in Catalonia by winning the €2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller for €589,395 from a 1,551-entry field, defeating Virgile Turchi heads-up.

PokerStars Open High Roller Final Table Results

Thomas Eychenne lands gold again at #EPTBarcelona, while Ottomar Ladva's incredible high roller hot streak continues. All the latest from Catalonia.

👉 https://t.co/h44AYWF4ca pic.twitter.com/PqqYHW1D34

— PokerStars Blog (@PokerStarsBlog) August 24, 2026

Eychenne's bid to defend his Main Event title was short-lived. As the reigning champion, he entered as a late registrant once the PokerStars Open High Roller wrapped, but was the first player eliminated once play resumed after the opening break on Day 2.

Side Events Roundup

Grzegorz Kozieja Leads the EPT Main Event Into Day 3

Whilst side events continue to crown champions, the €5,300 EPT Main Event has been steadily building toward its own conclusion. The tournament drew 1,823 entries and generated an €8,841,550 prize pool, with the top 271 finishers guaranteed at least €8,600 and the eventual champion set to collect €1,370,050 along with the Golden Shard trophy.

Poland's Grzegorz Kozieja bagged the overall chip lead at the end of Day 2 with 1,040,000, the only player to cross the million mark. "Super happy," Kozieja said after learning he'd finished the day on top.

Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

Five former EPT Main Event champions remain in contention heading into Day 3: Mark Teltscher (502,000), Sebastian Malec (488,000), Anton Wigg (404,000), Simon Wiciak (336,000), and John Juanda (226,000), alongside poker Hall of Famer Barny Boatman (206,000).

Day 3 gets underway at 12pm local time on August 25, with the field playing down through five 90-minute levels before bagging up for Day 4.

The #EPTBarcelona 2026 Main Event once again boasts staggering numbers, enough to rank it among the biggest in tour history. Find all the stats here.

👉https://t.co/qfAXzGr2Sj pic.twitter.com/XHDMd6uMbg

— PokerStars Blog (@PokerStarsBlog) August 24, 2026

Players from 65 countries entered the Main Event, with Italy and France the best represented nations at 11% each, followed by Spain on 7% and the United Kingdom on 6%.

Remaining EPT Main Event Schedule

With five more scheduled playing days still ahead of the Main Event alone, EPT Barcelona 2026 still has its biggest moments to come. Stay tuned to Somuchpoker for continued coverage of the action from Casino Barcelona.

All data and images courtesy of the European Poker Tour and PokerNews.