EPT Barcelona 2025: Sturm Conquers Super High Roller, Main Event with Record-Breaking Turnout

Leon Sturm Triumphs in €100,000 Super High Roller
 

German young talent Leon Sturm emerged victorious in one of the most prestigious events of the festival – the €100,000 EPT Barcelona Super High Roller. Competing against a field of 47 entries, he outshone the global elite and after a heads-up against American David Coleman, secured a win of €1,450,385 and an EPT trophy. For the 24-year-old German, this marks the largest payday of his career, surpassing his triumph in the WSOP High Roller in 2023.

The pivotal moment came with five players remaining. Sturm, holding A d K s, went all-in and Coleman matched with the same hand A s K d. What seemed a tie was turned by the board J d 2 d Q d 4 d T s providing Sturm with a superior flush, granting him his first lead at the final table. Sturm then took control of the tournament.

The heads-up duel between Sturm and Coleman began with a deal, leaving €200,000 and the trophy at stake. In the closing hand, Sturm with A h 9 d edged out Coleman’s A s 5 h as the board was unhelpful to either. “After hitting the flush against David, everything turned in my favor. I felt like I could do anything and every situation went remarkably well,” reflected Sturm.

Will the Main Event Record Be Broken?
 

Following 715 entries from Day 1A, the EPT Barcelona Main Event with a €5,300 buy-in continued with a second starting day that attracted 1,213 entries. This is slightly more than last year (1,194), bringing the total to 1,928 entries. Registration remains open until the start of Day 2, with only 47 more players needed to surpass last year's total of 1,975. However, it seems unlikely to beat the record set by EPT Barcelona 2022 with 2,294 entries in the Main Event.

Anton Kraous from Bulgaria ended Day 1B with the largest stack of 330,000 (275 BB). However, the overall leader remains Daiki Shingae. The Japanese player took the lead after Day 1A with a stack of 444,000 (370 BB).

Other well-known names also finished Day 1B in style. Right behind Kraous is WSOP bracelet winner and renowned online player Jerry Odeen (302,500), or Czech PokerStars Open finalist Jakub Štěrba (291,000). Among the top ten is also the EPT 2013 Monte Carlo Main Event champion Steve O'Dwyer (266,000). A total of 424 players advanced yesterday.

Among the advancing players are poker scene heavyweights like defending champion Stephen Song, 2023 winner Simon Wiciak, and 2016 champion Sebastian Malec. After his victory at the Super High Roller, Leon Sturm has also successfully joined the fray, and the action continues with the controversial Martin Kabrhel. Day 2 begins on Tuesday, August 26 at 12:00 local time. The exact prize pool and payout structure will be announced after registration closes.

Abbey Wins PokerStars Open High Roller
 

Another major side event at EPT Barcelona 2025 has crowned its champion. The PokerStars Open High Roller, with a buy-in of €2,425 + €275, drew 1,728 entries, creating a prize pool of €4,190,400.

Eero Abbey from Finland celebrates taking the title and a €502,648 payday, more than doubling his previous career earnings. In the heads-up, he defeated Romanian Petre Bogdan Ionescu, who took home €441,549, and Dutchman Luuk Gieles, who finished third with €379,003. Interestingly, for all three mentioned players, this marks the highest earnings of their careers.

Source: Flickr, PokerStars, PokerNews