PokerStars EPT Barcelona 2026 Moves Forward as Main Event Reaches Day 3

Riley Wagner · Aug 26, 2026

PokerStars EPT Barcelona 2026 Moves Forward as Main Event Reaches Day 3

Casino Barcelona hosting the 2026 EPT Barcelona poker festival

The PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona continues at Casino Barcelona through August 29 2026 with the €5,300 Main Event now on Day 3 after attracting 1,823 entries and leaving 67 players in contention for the title.

Fabricio Nociolini holds the chip lead with 2,510,000 while several former EPT champions remain in the field and side events wrap up or move into later stages during the two-week schedule that opened on August 16.

Main Event Progress and Chip Counts

Action in the flagship tournament reached the third day with Nociolini atop the leaderboard after consistent accumulation across earlier flights and the field reduced from the full starting field to just 67 survivors, and observers note that multiple past EPT winners advanced past the money bubble to continue their runs.

The structure at Casino Barcelona places players in a standard progression that includes re-entries and multiple starting days, and data from the event shows the total entries produced a substantial prize pool distributed according to standard European Poker Tour payout schedules.

Former Champions Still Active

Reports indicate that several players who previously captured EPT titles advanced through Day 2 and into the current stage of the Main Event, and this group includes individuals with prior victories at stops across the tour schedule in previous seasons.

Those players join Nociolini and the remaining field as blinds and antes increase on Day 3, and the tournament director staff continues to manage seating assignments while tracking eliminations in real time at the venue.

Players competing in side events during EPT Barcelona 2026

Second Chance Event Concludes

The €2,700 EPT Second Chance tournament finished with Scott Margereson claiming the victory and the top prize of €361,060 after navigating a field that drew its own group of entrants separate from the Main Event schedule.

Margereson outlasted the remaining opponents in the final stages of that tournament, and the result adds another title to the list of side-event winners recorded during the Barcelona stop that runs alongside the primary championship.

Additional Side Events Underway

The €3,250 Mystery Bounty event remains active with its own player pool and bounty mechanics that continue to generate eliminations and payouts, and other supporting tournaments fill out the daily schedule at Casino Barcelona through the end of the festival on August 29.

Event staff coordinate multiple tables across the venue while live updates track progress in each bracket, and participants move between the Main Event and side tournaments as their individual schedules allow during the August dates.

Overall Festival Context

The 2026 edition follows the established format for EPT Barcelona with the Main Event as the centerpiece and numerous side events providing additional competition, and figures from the opening days confirm strong participation across the board at the historic casino location.

According to updates published on PokerNews live reporting, the festival maintains its reputation for drawing international fields while delivering structured play that adheres to standard tour rules and timing.

Organizers continue to publish daily results and chip-count updates as the Main Event heads toward later days, and the combination of the primary tournament with side events like the Second Chance and Mystery Bounty creates a continuous cycle of action throughout the two-week period.

Conclusion

The current status at Casino Barcelona shows the Main Event on Day 3 with Nociolini in front, former champions still competing, and side events producing winners such as Margereson in the Second Chance while the Mystery Bounty progresses, and the festival schedule runs through August 29 2026 with remaining players advancing in each bracket.