EPT Prague: Nick Walsh’s Year in Review

December 13, 2025

Events

by Howard Swains

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3 Minute Read

PokerStars UK Ambassador Nick Walsh has been banging the drum for Spin & Gos longer and louder than anyone, and over the past year, everyone finally listened.

The Spin & Go Championships in Prague and then Barcelona were without doubt some of the highlights of the year. And the good news for Walsh and the rest of us is that there’s another one scheduled for Paris in February which will be bigger and better than ever.

No surprise that Spin & Gos feature heavily in Walsh’s review of 2025. But read on to learn why you’ll be playing your Spins with a Bloody Mary in hand from now on…

WHAT WAS YOUR POKER HIGHLIGHT OF 2025?

Favourite poker highlight I watched/commentated on: Working on the first ever broadcast Spin & Go Championship.
Favourite personal highlight: Winning the Spin & Go Showdown, live on stream.

HOW ABOUT YOUR NON-POKER HIGHLIGHT – HOW WAS YOUR 2025 IN GENERAL?

Another Bloody Mary for juice entrepreneur Nick Walsh

My 2025 was great, albeit EXTRA busy with all the projects we took on throughout the year. I guess off the tables/away from work, I am very proud to say that I’ve started a small business. I’m launching a UK-based spiced tomato juice drinks brand–which just might make a mean Bloody Mary if you know how!

WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR YOU WISH NOW YOU’D DONE DIFFERENTLY?

I wish I had started my $50,000 Spin & Go Challenge earlier in the year so I wasn’t rushing to finish next week! Aside from that I think we’ve had a pretty great year.

WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS/HOPES FOR 2026?

I would like to start another, more ambitious personal poker challenge. Something like the $50,000 Spin & Go Challenge but higher stakes and more updates to share with the community. Other than that, I would also hope to contribute to the development of the Spin & Go Championships in the future, with a keen eye on the upcoming event in Paris 2026.

WHAT ABOUT POKER IN 2026 — WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO?

I always look forward to commentary at EPTs (and beyond) but we’ll be in Dublin for the Irish Open shortly and that’s always one of my favourites to play and visit. The return of the Spin & Go Championships in Paris is also an exciting prospect!

WHAT’S YOUR SPIN & GO ELEVATOR PITCH?

“The thing about Spin & Go is…”

If I had to describe Spin & Go in three words it would be: Fast, Fun, SUBTLE.

Emphasis on the last word there, as many people don’t realise how subtle adjustments in gameplay can lead to quite profound success in everyone’s favourite hyper format.

While I know Spins aren’t for everyone, or at least not for everyone ALL THE TIME, they undoubtedly make you a better poker player, especially in the short-handed/heads-up department. Those are very transferable skills to other forms of poker.

If you get better at Spins, you will become a better poker player, and you can get lots of practice in as they are so FAST!