Welcome to Day 1 of the 2018 PokerStars.es EPT Barcelona �100,000 Super High Roller
At 12.30 p.m. local time, the most expensive tournament of the 2018 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona festival will kick off at Casino Barcelona and is certain to attract some of the biggest names of the international poker circuit. The Super High Roller comes with a price tag of �100,000 and Day 1 will allow for unlimited re-entries, while the registration remains open until the start of Day 2.
PokerStars Team Pro Daniel Negreanu has confirmed his attendance for this event and many other High Roller regulars such as Alex Foxen, Nick Petrangelo, Ali Reza Fatehi, Ivan Luca and Bryn Kenney will certainly join the action in Spain's capital. Kenney comes fresh off taking down the �25,000 + �1,000 Charity Event High Roller last night for �222,000.
One year ago, under the umbrella of the PokerStars Championship, the Super High Roller came with a buy-in of �50,000 and PokerStars Team Pro Igor Kurganov claimed the title and payday after defeating Bartlomiej Machon in heads-up to claim the lion's share of the �4,129,290 prize pool in an 86-entry strong field, taking home �1,084,100 for his efforts. Other previous winners here in Barcelona include German superstar Fedor Holz, Sylvain Loosli, Olivier Busquet, Vitaly Lunkin and Dan Smith.
Previous PokerStars Super High Roller events in Barcelona
| Year | Buy-In | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize (in EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | �50,000 | 64 | �3,072,960 | Dan Smith | �962,925 |
| 2013 | �50,000 | 51 | �2,448,765 | Vitaly Lunkin | �771,300 |
| 2014 | �50,000 | 77 | �3,697,155 | Olivier Busquet | �896,434 |
| 2015 | �50,000 | 99 | �4,753,485 | Sylvain Loosli | �1,224,000 |
| 2016 | �50,000 | 102 | �4,947,000 | Fedor Holz | �1,300,300 |
| 2017 | �50,000 | 86 | �4,129,290 | Igor Kurganov | �1,084,100 |
Day one will feature a total of eight levels of 60 minutes each with a 20-minute break every two levels and the registration remains open until the cards get back in the air for Day 2 at 12.30 p.m. local time on Sunday, August 26th, 2018. The tournament will be played with a 30-second shot clock and in the new popular big blind ante format, and all players receive six time banks upon registration. Another three time banks will be granted once the registration closes, and the same applies once the final table is reached.
The final table will be streamed live with hole cards and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to provide all the action until a new Super High Roller champion is crowned.
Day 1 Level Structure
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 min | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 60 min | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 3 | 60 min | 1,000 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| 4 | 60 min | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 60 min | 1,000 | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| 6 | 60 min | 1,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 7 | 60 min | 2,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| 8 | 60 min | 2,500 | 5,000 | 5,000 |