Manuel Ferrari won €1,000,000 at EPT Barcelona 2026

Italian poker player Manuel Ferrari won the main event of EPT Barcelona 2026 and received over a million euros, cementing his status as a star.

In August 2026, one of the most prestigious poker tournaments in Europe — the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Main Event — came to an end. The main star of the event was Italian player Manuel Ferrari, who claimed the most significant victory of his career and took home the top prize of €1,002,488 . This win marked Ferrari’s third PokerStars tournament victory in the past 14 months, firmly establishing his status as a rising star in European poker. Manuel Ferrari’s Road to the EPT Barcelona Title Manuel Ferrari began making a name for himself on the European tournament scene in 2025. In June 2025, he won his first PokerStars trophy by taking first place in the PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event and earning just over €200,000 . Six months later, Ferrari added a second trophy to his collection by winning the PokerStars Open High Roller in Campione . However, it was his performance at the 2026 EPT Barcelona Main Event that became truly historic for him. In this tournament, which attracted 1,823 entries and a total prize pool of €8,841,550 , Ferrari not only showcased outstanding poker skills but also demonstrated psychological resilience, enduring a tense battle at the final table. Over five hours on the final day, he managed to outplay all his opponents and secure his third Golden Shard trophy in 14 months. The Final Table: Dynamics and Key Moments Ferrari entered the final day as the chip leader, holding the lead for the third consecutive day. Despite his strong position, the road to victory was not easy. In the very first hands of the day, local favorite Jose Criado knocked out Nicolas Chouity, who had the shortest stack and was hoping to win his second EPT title. Over the following hours, Ferrari and Criado traded the chip lead several times. After Michael Dwyer exited in fifth place, Criado eliminated Xiaosheng Zheng, who finished fourth. In three-handed play, Lukas van Eeden doubled up and, after winning a few more hands, nearly caught up with his opponents in chips. This led to discussions about a deal among the final three players. As a result of the negotiations, Ferrari, van Eeden, and Criado agreed to an ICM deal (prize pool split based on chip stacks), guaranteeing each of them a payout of over €900,000 . An additional €100,000 and the main trophy remained up for grabs. According to Ferrari, he initially wanted to propose more favorable terms for himself, believing he had an edge over his opponents, but fatigue and a smaller stack led him to accept the offered deal: “I thought, if I ask for another 5,000, what difference does it make? It’s better to just agree and focus on winning.” The Climax: From Deal to Championship After the deal was made, Criado quickly became the short stack and soon lost a decisive all-in to Ferrari, finishing in third place. In heads-up play, Ferrari started with a chip advantage — his stack was about one and a half times larger than van Eeden’s. The duel lasted about 30 minutes. During this time, Ferrari methodically whittled down his opponent’s stack to just over 20 big blinds. In the decisive hand, van Eeden went all-in from the button with king-six , and Ferrari called with ace-queen . The board improved Ferrari to two pair, making him the new EPT champion. Commenting on his achievement, Ferrari noted that he had always dreamed of winning the EPT since he was young and had worked purposefully toward this goal: “I still haven’t realized what happened. I’m incredibly happy. This was my dream, and I worked hard for it.” EPT Barcelona Main Event 2026 Final Table Results Place Player Prize (€) 1 Manuel Ferrari 1,002,488 2 Lukas van Eeden 917,618 3 Jose Criado 913,498 4 Xiaosheng Zheng 511,000 5 Michael Dwyer 393,800 6 Nicolas Chouity 302,500 Context: EPT Barcelona and the Significance of Ferrari’s Victory EPT Barcelona is one of the largest stops on the European Poker Tour, traditionally attracting a record number of participants and impressive prize pools. In 2026, the tournament once again confirmed its status, drawing 1,823 entries and nearly 9 million euros in prizes. For Ferrari, this was only his third EPT Main Event and the first time he cashed at such a prestigious level. Despite his relative inexperience in tournaments of this scale, he showed confidence and maturity, helped by the support of friends in the stands. Ferrari himself noted that optimism and self-belief play a key role for him: “I always believe in my chances and try to stay positive. My friends supported me a lot, and that gave me strength.” Interestingly, despite winning over a million euros and completing the so-called “PokerStars triad” (three major titles in 14 months), Ferrari is in no rush to move up to higher stakes. He admitted he would take a break to consider his next steps and might try his hand at more expensive tournaments in the future. Explanation of Key Poker Terms and Formats Main Event — the main tournament of a series, usually with the largest buy-in and prize pool. Chip leader — the player with the most chips at a certain stage of the tournament. ICM deal — an agreement among the remaining players to split the prize pool based on current chip stacks, according to the Independent Chip Model. All-in — a bet of all the chips a player has left. Heads-up — the final stage of a tournament when only two players remain at the table. Golden Shard trophy — a unique prize awarded to the winner of PokerStars EPT main events. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Manuel Ferrari’s victory in the EPT Barcelona Main Event is a vivid example of how discipline, steady development, and smart bankroll management can lead to success even in the most prestigious tournaments. For PPPoker club players, this is an inspiring case: you don’t have to be a live series veteran to achieve outstanding results — what matters is making the most of every opportunity to grow and improve your game. Special attention should be paid to how Ferrari made decisions at key moments: he didn’t let emotions get the better of him during deal discussions, realistically assessed his chances, and didn’t risk extra for a minimal payout increase. This approach can also be applied to online play on PPPoker — knowing when to accept favorable terms and not chasing every euro often brings more benefit than excessive aggression. Finally, Ferrari’s experience shows that support from the poker community and self-belief are just as important as technical skill. In PPPoker clubs, you can always find like-minded people, making it easier to pursue big goals and share the joy of victory.