EPT Barcelona 2025: Ionita Leads the Final Six in the Main Event, Slovaks Shine in Side Events

Ionita Leads the Final Six in the Main Event
 

Romanian player Sebastian Ionita is experiencing a tournament of a lifetime. Not only has he made it to the final table of the EPT Barcelona 2025 Main Event, but he will also enter the last day as the chipleader with a stack of 14,725,000 chips (59 BB). The amateur player admitted he's close to achieving his lifelong goal: “I’ve always dreamed of becoming a professional poker player, and I believe winning the EPT title will take me closer to that dream.”

To claim the trophy and a €1,436,000 prize, Ionita still needs to outplay five more opponents. Trailing him is France's Thomas Eychenne (11,375,000), who has over $2.7 million in live tournament earnings but lacks a major win, a fact that strongly motivates him to change that. He has finished the day second for two consecutive days, showcasing the most consistent form. Anton Suarez, who was leading significantly after Day 5, has fallen to fifth place (8,400,000) but remains one of the most experienced players in the final six along with Eychenne.

The biggest turning point came in a hand between Suarez and Ionita. The Swedish chipleader attempted to pressure with J d 8 d. Suarez, defending the big blind with 5 d 2 d, hit a pair on the flop 5 h 4 c 7 s. While Suarez bet on the turn 7 d and river Q d, Ionita consistently called, correctly sniffing out the bluff. After this hand, Suarez's stack diminished significantly, and Ionita took the lead for the first time.

An electrifying hand played out towards the day's end, promising a thrilling final showdown. Thomas Eychenne, from the small blind, had 9 h 6 d, while Sebastian Ionita, from the big blind, held Q h T c. With the flop J d K d A h, Ionita got the nuts and just called Eychenne's 200,000 bet. The turn brought a T d; Eychenne continued with his bluff and Ionita again calmly called a 600,000 bet. The river Q c completed a straight for both players, and Eychenne launched a massive 6,000,000 bet. Convinced to fold, Ionita gave up his hand, settling for a split pot.

This hand perfectly illustrated the players' willingness to risk big and bluff boldly. Fans can expect a dramatic finale. It kicks off at 12:30 PM local time on Sunday, August 31st, and can be watched live with hole cards revealed on the PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels, with a 30-minute delay.

€10K High Roller Heads to Finale
 

The €10,300 No Limit Hold’em EPT High Roller (Event #55) has been whittled down to the last 27 players. With an exact 500 entries and a prizepool of €4,850,000, only one day is left to see who will walk away with the trophy and over €950,000.

Entering the final day as the chipleader is Bernardo Neves from Portugal, who has built a significant lead over the rest of the field. 

This tournament is particularly exciting for Czech fans. Patrik Jaroš, with an 800,000 stack, currently ranks 14th and has a shot at his third EPT title. He secured the first two at the end of last year in Prague, one of which was also in the €10,300 No Limit Hold’em EPT High Roller.

Meanwhile, Vlastimil Pustina advanced far, ranking fourth after the first day. He ultimately finished 31st, collecting €26,900.

Slovak Double Success: Švec 4th in Mystery Bounty, Bauer Leads Deep Stack
 

Slovak players had a successful day at EPT Barcelona 2025. Ján Švec performed in the Event #54 – €1,650 Mystery Bounty final, finishing fourth out of 793 entries. He secured a €49,360 prize for his effort. Ioannis Poullos from Greece won the tournament, taking home €172,050.

Another Slovak, Erik Bauer, emerged as the chipleader after the opening day of Event #60 – €2,200 Deep Stack. Out of 343 entries, 47 players advanced to the next day, with Bauer leading at 1,500,000 chips, becoming a favorite for the title and a €130,410 prize.

Bauer has the chance to claim an EPT Barcelona title for the second consecutive year, having conquered the €10,200 No Limit Hold'em last year, earning his record €151,400 winnings.

Source: Flickr, PokerStars, PokerNews, YouTube