Manuel Ferrari takes chequered flag after thrilling final sprint in EPT Barcelona Main Event
With a name like Manuel Ferrari and a finely-tuned engine purring majestically for at least the past five days, it’s no wonder the European Poker Tour (EPT) is crowning a new Italian champion in Barcelona tonight.
Ferrari, 34, from Caldonazzo, claimed the spoils at another huge EPT Main Event in Casino Barcelona, beating a field of 1,823 entries and taking the largest share of the €8.8 million prize pool.
That amounted to €1,002,488, a number slightly adjusted from the original prize schedule after the last three players made an ICM deal towards the end of Saturday’s play. Ferrari had been in sumptuous form throughout the day, but actually had marginally the smallest stack when he struck a deal with Lukas van Eeden, of the Netherlands, who eventually finished second, and Jose Criado, who was third.
Those two took €927,420 and €910,642, respectively, with the Spaniard Criado becoming the latest home hope to falter in Barcelona when victory was in sight. (No Spanish player has ever won here.)
But today was ultimately all about Ferrari, who sat in pole position coming into the final day, and showed all the aggression and finesse required to close it out in a one-way heads-up battle with Van Eeden. As the EPT commentators expressed their respect for the near-faultless game Ferrari had played, he buried himself into the arms of his loud and emotional supporters.
Celebrations begin for Manuel Ferrari
It was a tremendous final, with noisy but respectful fans building a crackling atmosphere inside the tournament room, which is steeped in EPT history. Ferrari, who has already won big titles in PokerStars Open events, deserves these plaudits, and is a very good fit among the many esteemed EPT champs.
In his post-game interview, Ferrari said he felt “super good”. He continued: “It was always a dream since I was like 15 years old. I watched all the coverage, I wanted to do it as a career. I finally got that and then I won in Malaga in 2025 and Campione in 2026. And the last step was the EPT main, so I guess I’m happy.
“It wasn’t easy. But I think I was a couple of levels abpve everyone. I have more experience, I have already won [tournaments like this]. If you combine everything, I liked my chances from the start.”
He then thanked his supporters and promised them a night to remember in Barcelona.
“My rail was great,” Ferrari said. “My family, my friends. They share the same passions, so they understand the achievement. I love them.
“I’m really really tired right now. I just want to close my eyes for a couple of hours. But then we party. I think we’re going to burn the city down.”
Metaphorically, of course. But he was on fire today.
FINAL DAY ACTION
The final day’s action began with six players remaining and five hands left on the 100K/200K level. That meant there was a 46 big blind average, though some players were far more comfortable than others with their stacks.
Manuel Ferrari, Italy, 16,100,000 (81 BBs)
Jose Criado, Spain, 15,775,000 (79 BBs)
Zheng Xiaosheng, China, 11,200,000 (56 BBs)
Lukas van Eeden, Netherlands, 5,075,000 (25 BBs)
Michael Dwyer, Ireland, 4,550,000 (23 BBs)
Nicolas Chouity, Lebanon, 1,975,000 (10 BBs)
EPT Barcelona final table players (l-r): Michael Dwyer, Zheng Xiaosheng, Jose Criado, Manuel Ferrari, Nicolas Chouity, Lukas van Eeden.
SHORT DAY FOR CHOUITY
Nicolas Chouity had only 10 blinds, and had sat at almost precisely that total for long periods towards the end of the penultimate day. But as the only former champion in the line-up, and by far the most experienced EPT campaigner, he would have likely still slept soundly in preparation for some laddering on the final day.
But it didn’t turn out like that. All the experience in the world doesn’t guarantee the deck plays ball, and Chouity got his last chips in as a three-bet shove holding A♥10♥. He had to try to get past Jose Criado, the early-position opener, who made a reluctant call holding K♥J♥.
The flop of 6♦5♠7♣ changed nothing, but the K♣ turn sent the boisterous Spanish rail into hysterics. The river didn’t help Chouity and he was out, picking up €278,950 for sixth.
Nicolas Chouity reacts to the terrible king on the turn
CHIPS MOVE BUT DWYER IS DONE
Though there was plenty of noise from the supporters — and plenty of chat back from players at the table — actual meaningful action slowed up a bit. The blinds went up, which made the short stacks of Michael Dwyer and Lucas van Eeden even smaller, while the others continued to pad their more significant piles.
Van Eeden doubled out of it, scoring a huge win with A♦10♦ beating Xiaosheng Zheng’s 9♥9♣. Zheng fell to the bottom, but then chipped up again, leaving Dwyer once again at the foot of the counts. Van Eeden then slid back down, getting himself in a spot of bother holding K♥Q♥ and turning a king. However Criado’s A♠3♠ ended up with trips on a board of 9♣A♦7♣K♠A♥. Criado’s check-call on the flop, followed by the second ace on the river, convinced Van Eeden to pay off a big value bet.
Dwyer had 13 blinds, and he looked down at A♣10♦ on the button. All players before him had folded, and it was plenty good for a shove. He got through the dangerous chip leader, Manuel Ferrari, in the small blind, but Zheng, who also had a covering stack, found A♥Q♠ in the big blind and called.
Dwyer was now at risk. With his family on the rail, among a vocal Irish contingent, he at least had people rooting for him during the biggest moment in his tournament so far. But Zheng too had fans shouting for cards from the rail, and the dealer ignored all of them. The blank run-out did not help the Irish hopes. There were hugs all round as Dwyer took €362,500 for fifth.
Michael Dwyer bids farewell
“It’s a privilege to play these events, so I’m very grateful for that,” Dwyer said after busting. “Fifth place in an EPT in Barcelona? Come on, there’s nothing wrong. There’s that initial feeling, of course, of disappointment, because we’re hoping for what we’re hoping for…No regrets. Very proud. I’ll never forget it.”
ZHENG RUNS OUT OF ROAD
Zheng’s graph was the one that had risen and fallen most sharply during the final, and he was now at a high point of more than 40 blinds. However, there’s no place to hide in no limit hold’em, and Zheng somehow found himself on the rail next.
Table dynamics had changed slightly. Criado nosed slightly ahead of Ferrari, with Van Eeden languishing in third. But Van Eeden managed to find a new gear and began shoving a bit lighter than usual, picking up a few more blinds. And then Zheng decided to get tricky with a pocket pair of jacks.
Zheng limped from the small blind, allowing Criado to check the big blind holding K♦3♦. The flop was good for Criado, coming 9♣7♣K♥. Zheng bet, even though he was now behind, and Criado called. It took them to the 8♠ turn. Zheng now checked and Criado stuck out a huge bet. Zheng called it.
The Q♥ river was another overcard to Zheng’s jacks and they both checked it. Criado took this one, flying further ahead. Zheng, meanwhile, was back down to 20 blinds and alongside Van Eeden. When Van Eeden then three-bet shoved A♠10♣ over Zheng’s button open holding deuces, Van Eeden put some distance between him and his nearest rival. Zheng folded the twos and was back to the bottom of the counts.
Zheng had shown some excellent discipline yesterday when he managed to fold big hands, correctly, in the right spots. But his misfortune never seemed to end, and he eventually could no longer back down. He opened A♦7♦ and saw Criado three-bet jam holding pocket 10s in the small blind.
Zheng called this time and never caught up. The Spaniard went beserk as Zheng departed. China still waits for it first champion, but Zheng won a career-high €471,250 for fourth.
Lukas Van Eeden, right, commiserates with Zheng Xiaosheng as Jose Criado celebrates with his rail
LAST THREE START PLAYING; EVENTUALLY STRIKE A DEAL
“Are you guys interested in looking at the numbers?” Van Eeden suggested as the last three sat down and received their next cards. He had only 17 big blinds, and his two opponents quickly shut him down.
But only a couple of hands later, things changed dramatically: Van Eeden found pocket sevens, Criado had pocket sixes, it all went in and Van Eeden doubled up. All of a sudden, the Dutchman now found himself a much more powerful negotiating position with 33 big blinds.
The talk didn’t resurface immediately. There was instead time for the two chip leaders to get involved in a blind-versus-blind levelling war, with Ferrari limping from the small blind holding A♦2♥ and Criado betting out from the big blind, with J♦3♠. Ferrari three-bet. Criado four-bet. But then Ferrari five-bet his raggy ace. Criado had to fold, and Ferrari was back in front with all the momentum.
Criado had 56 blinds now; Ferrari had 92. Van Eeden had 42. But the next big hand put Criado back in front, when his Q♣J♥ was best after a board of A♦5♠A♥10♣2♥, beating Ferrari’s Q♦9♠. It was a 37 blind pot, played blind-on-blind, with plenty of strong betting and speculative calling, eventually checked on the river.
Criado’s lead was short-lived again, however, as he paid off Van Eeden’s better hand in a pot soon after. Van Eeden flopped an ace with his A♦5♥ and Criado decided to bluff-catch with 6♣5♣ when the 6♦ came on the river. Suddenly there was only a handful of blinds separating all of them — Van Eeden had 64 blinds, Criado 60 and Ferrari 57 — and they revisited the idea of a deal.
After a good deal of back and forth, with chat among friends and advisors, they shook hands and signed for the following, with €100,245 on the side.
Lukas van Eeden, Netherlands, €927,420
Jose Criado, Spain, €910,642
Manuel Ferrari, Italy, €902,243
It was then time to find out who’d be the millionaire.
CRIADO CRASHES OUT
The Spanish supporters had brought themselves flags bearing the face of their man Jose Criado, and home-field advantage had helped them pack the rail. But that “advantage” in Barcelona has been more of a curse than anything through the previous 20 EPT Main Events held here, and Criado became the latest Spanish player to suffer.
His stack began slipping almost immediately after the resumption of play, and with levels now shorter and blinds escalating rapidly, he soon found pocket sevens and had no option but to shove with them.
Ferrari had A♦10♣ — seemingly the most common cards during big hands at this final — and made a sighing call. And the ace-ten came up trumps for Ferrari, with the K♣9♥A♣ flop followed by the J♠ turn and 5♥ river.
These two had played plenty of hands filled with subtlety and guile in this tournament, but ultimately it was one big flip that sent Criado out the door. He earned himself the €910,642 he had signed for earlier, but still Spain searches for a second EPT champ and the first on its soil.
Jose Criado, and his supporters, will have to wait
FERRARI SHOWS HEADS-UP CLASS
Ferrari had a significant lead as heads-up started — 83 blinds to 53 — and he also had much more experience. He has previously won PokerStars Open Main Event as well as a PokerStars Open High Roller. Van Eeden, on the other hand, is purely recreational, with only $72,000 in live earnings.
Although Ven Eeden began to creep closer, Ferrari showed his talents in squeezing out a heap when his 7♣6♦ flopped a six and Van Eeden paid off with A♥Q♥. Ferrari had a more than two-to-one lead at the end of that one. Another small pot, with Ferrari pushing Van Eeden off the better hand, left the Dutchman with fewer than 20 big blinds.
Van Eeden was feeling the pressure and decided to shove it in with K♠6♦. Ferrari called with A♦Q♥. There was a six on the flop, but also an ace, and Ferrari was only two cards from it.
The room was silent as the dealer put the Q♣ on the turn. The river 7♦ finished things off. Ferrari had done it.
A battling second for Lukas van Eeden
EPT Barcelona Main Event
Dates: August 22-29, 2026
Entries: 1,823 (inc. 526 re-entries)
Prize pool: €8,841,550
1st – Manuel Ferrari, Italy, €1,002,488*
2nd – Lukas van Eeden, Netherlands, €927,420*
3rd – Jose Criado, Spain, €910,642*
4th – Zheng Xiaosheng, China, €471,250
5th – Michael Dwyer, Ireland, €362,500
6th – Nicolas Chouity, Lebanon – €278,950
*Denotes three-handed deal
See results page for full payouts
Back to TopLatest Articles
View Other Blogs
