EPT Barcelona 2025: Frenchman Nicolai Triumphs at PS Open, Jorstad Leads Final in Super High Roller

Alexis Nicolai Extends French Dominance in PS Open
 

The record-breaking €1,650 EPT Barcelona PS Open has crowned its champion. Out of a staggering 5,036 entries, Frenchman Alexis Nicolai emerged victorious, taking home the EPT Shard trophy and a life-changing €772,000. Nicolai continues the French winning streak after Sylvain Berthelot and Lucien Cohen captured the PS Open titles in the past two years.

Starting the final table as a shortstack with his trademark 'fisherman's' hat, Nicolai made a stunning comeback. In heads-up against Hong Kong's Mengshi Tian, Nicolai was on the brink of elimination but orchestrated a series of bold all-ins to secure the biggest win of his career. The final hand and a fortuitous river ultimately sealed the deal for him.

In the crucial hand, Nicolai went all-in pre-flop with 9 s 9 h, while Tian called with 7 s 7 d. The flop of T c 7 c 4 d gave Tian a set, but the turn 8 d and river J s completed a straight for the Frenchman.

“It's a dream. I still can't believe it. Maybe it will sink in tomorrow when I go back to work,” said Nicolai, a taxi service manager, after the victory that nearly tripled his career earnings.

Jorstad Leads Final Six in Super High Roller
 

The prestigious €100,000 Super High Roller has reached its final chapter. From an original field of 47 entries, only six finalists remain, vying for a share of the massive €4,559,940 prizepool. Each player is guaranteed at least €319,200, but all eyes are on the top prize of €1,573,140.

Leading the way is Norway's Espen Jorstad, with 4,785,000 chips (120 big blinds). The 2022 WSOP Main Event champion holds a significant lead with a chance to add another major victory to his resume. Jorstad also eliminated fellow Norwegian and two-time defending champion Kayhan Mokri, whose dream of a third consecutive title ended in a cooler with a set versus full house.

The final six offer a star-studded lineup—Americans David Coleman and Jesse Lonis, German talent Leon Sturm, seasoned Latvian Aleksejs Ponakovs, and Thailand's Punnat Punsri, winner of the Mystery Bounty at this festival, continue in the mix.

Shingae Leads Main Event after Day 1A
 

The flagship tournament of the festival, the €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event, kicked off on Sunday with the opening flight Day 1A. It attracted 715 players, with 221 advancing to the next day. By comparison, the Day 1A field in 2024 saw 697 entries, culminating in a total of 1,975 entries. A slight increase over last year is anticipated, possibly even challenging the all-time record set at EPT Barcelona 2022, which had 2,294 entries—the largest-ever Main Event field in European Poker Tour history.

Leading the field after the first day is Japan's Daiki Shingae, bagging a stack of 444,000 (370 big blinds), positioning himself strongly for the days ahead. Shingae, with live earnings around $138,000, looks to make a career-defining achievement in Barcelona.

Day 1A was packed with action, highlighted by two incredible four-of-a-kind hands. Joaquin Duran scored a memorable double-up when the dealer turned his aces into quads. Shortly afterward, Nicola Danselmo hit quad tens on the flop, securing his progression, though Duran didn't survive the first day.

Several familiar faces faced an early exit—defending champion Stephen Song and 2023 winner Simon Wiciak bowed out. Former footballer Gerard Piqué and local star Leo Margets, a standout at this year's WSOP Main Event, also won't be continuing.

On the flip side, online phenom Niklas Astedt and 2019 Main Event winner Simon Brandstrom positioned themselves favorably. Meanwhile, attention is on American Rania Nasreddine, who reached two EPT Main Event final tables last year, including in Barcelona.

Source: Flickr, PokerStars, PokerNews