Thomas Eychenne is leading the field. He is a strong player who has previously created waves by finishing as a finalist in the 2023 PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC). For poker fans over the past 12 days. The PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona has been an amazing event. The celebration marks the tour’s 20th anniversary this year. The environment has been charged as some of the most well-known poker players have come to fight for first place. With a startling top prize of €818,101, the €10,300 EPT Barcelona High Roller stands out among the several events.
28 players remain, all fighting for the sought-after championship and the matching monetary incentive as Day 2 draws to an end.
Thomas Eychenne Seizes the Lead
Closing out Day 2 as the chip leader, Thomas Eychenne amassed a massive stack of 1,506,000 chips. He had seventy large blinds entering Day 3. Double-up with pocket queens versus Calvin Anderson’s straight draw heralded Eychenne’s ascent to the top of the scoreboard with a critical hand. This vital victory of Thomas Eychenne drove him to the front. Here he will be trying to keep Thomas Eychenne’s lead as the action keeps on.
Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 2
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Thomas Eychenne | France | 1,755,000 | 70 |
| 2 | Enrico Camosci | Italy | 1,625,000 | 65 |
| 3 | Yves Bianchetti | Brazil | 1,610,000 | 64 |
| 4 | Malcolm Franchi | France | 1,445,000 | 58 |
| 5 | Enrico Coppola | Italy | 1,410,000 | 56 |
| 6 | Tom-Aksel Bedell | Norway | 1,380,000 | 55 |
| 7 | Markkos Ladev | Estonia | 1,095,000 | 44 |
| 8 | Joshua Hopkins | Canada | 1,025,000 | 41 |
| 9 | Kamal Bejjani | Lebanon | 795,000 | 32 |
| 10 | Brian Green | USA | 745,000 | 30 |
Thomas Eychenne: Rivals of Eychenne
With Enrico Camosci (1,625,000), Yves Bianchetti (1,610,000), and Malcolm Franchi (1,445,000), Thomas Eychenne is closely followed by a gifted slate of players. Bianchetti had a busy day, removing Sam Greenwood, the start-of-day chip leader for the tournament, and Franchi showed extraordinary poker ability with a great river hero call. Franchi called with second pair after Saymon Dias went all-in with a bluff, therefore securing his position among the top five.
A Lineup Stars-Studded
The remaining field is crowded with top-notch players. Everyone having their sights fixed on the top prize as is typical of a high-roller event like this. Already with a runner-up finish in a €25,000 event earlier in the festival, Markkos Ladev will arrive Day 3 carrying 1,095,000 chips. Two-time EPT champion Mike Watson (735,000), EPT Prague runner-up Jon Kyte (690,000), and poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel (310,000) are other prominent players. Now just one step away from the final table, all these players have demonstrated perseverance during the day.
High Stakes Busts and Near Calls
While some players performed exceptionally well on Day 2, others watched their tournament run come to an end. With 45 fresh entries starting the day, the field was 431 players total and a prize fund of €4,180,700 was created. Still, just the top 63 participants would leave with a payoff.
Notable names including Maria Ho, Martin Zamani, Sam Grafton, Nick Petrangelo, and Nacho Barbero failed passed the bubble. Ren Lin was very unlucky; Markkos Ladev finished a flush and cracked his pocket aces. Likewise, Jon Kyte flopped a straight, cracking Leonard Maue’s aces and sent Maue home empty-handed.
Other well-known names who entered the cash but left shortly after include:
- Teun Mulder (59th)
- Alec Torelli (57th)
- Sam Greenwood (55th)
- Nick Palma (52nd)
- Scott Margereson (50th)
- Benjamin Spragg (49th)
Spragg lost a race with king-queen against Eychenne’s pocket sixes, therefore his departure was very noteworthy. Thanks in part to Calvin Anderson’s Broadway straight, Alejandro Lococo also saw himself dropped in 35th place.
A Dramatic Conclusion for Day 2
Benjamin Pollak and Andre Akkari both were knocked out in a three-way. They were all-in hand against Rodrigo Araujo at the dramatic end of Day 2. Each assured at least €25,150 in prize money, this hand sealed the fate of many competitors and guaranteed that only 28 would return for Day 3.
Day three action: The Road Ahead
Day 2 behind them, the remaining 28 players will meet at midday for Day 3 to carry on their fight for the €818,101 top prize and the EPT High Roller title. Starting at 10,000–25,000, the blinds have a 25,000 huge ante that will increase pressure as players negotiate the last levels of play. The rivalry is intense, and as players get near the final table the tension will only grow
Expect what on Day 3 From Thomas Eychenne?
Day three looks to be a high-octane event full of action without scarcity. Particularly those with shorter stacks, the remaining players will be under great pressure to move in order to avoid elimination. Their quest for not just the prize money. But also the honour of raising the EPT Barcelona High Roller trophy will depend critically on their smart play.
Thomas Eychenne will be the centre of attention to see whether he can hang onto his lead. Here he will take first EPT title. remaining, anything can happen given the likes of Camosci, Bianchetti, Franchi, and a number of seasoned players remaining on the pitch. The last day will probably be an emotional rollercoaster as poker’s finest fights it out on one of the most beautiful venues in the game.
Who is going to win? The response will shortly become clear as Day 3 gets started.
