EPT Barcelona Does It Again As Records Fall and Simon Brandstrom Banks $1.4 Million

September 2nd, 2019 | by Greg Shaun

Another European Poker Tour (EPT) record has fallen in Barcelona, this time after Simon Brandstrom triumphed in the $5,300/$5,780 main event.

Simon Brandstrom banked more than $1.4 million after winning a record-breaking EPT Barcelona main event. (Image: WPTDeepStacks)

Just days after the EPT Barcelona National event set new standards with 4,682 entries, the main event has done same. Following the success of 2018’s record-breaking EPT Barcelona, the star attraction lived up to its billing again this summer.

EPT Barcelona Still Hot

Attracting a total of 1,988 entries between August 26 and September 1, EPT Barcelona 2019 now stands as the biggest tournament in the tour’s history.

That figure not only continued a resurgence that started back in 2018 but took the prizepool beyond the $10.5 million mark.

When all was said and done, the impressive turnout inside Casino Barcelona meant Sweden’s Brandstrom took home $1,417,899.

Despite taking charge in the final stages, Brandstrom was on the ropes three during the main event. On Day 1 he found himself near the bottom of the chip counts as the session drew to a close.

Fortunately for him, the cards ran in his favor and he made his way through to the final day on August 31. But with just 15 players left, disaster struck again and he was down to just nine big blinds.

Having already battled back from the brink once, Brandstrom rallied again and made a late surge to snatch the chip lead.

Third Comeback Seals it for Brandstrom

Heading into the finale, fate seemed to be on the Swede’s side. During his heads-up showdown against Marton Czuczor, things started badly.

Even though cut a deal before the start of play, he needed another gift from the gods after slipping to a 3-1 chip deficit.

Eventually, the poker gods obliged for a third and final time. Moving all-in with a pair of sixes, the Swede needed to survive a coin flip to clinch an EPT Barcelona title.

EPT Barcelona Main Event Result

1 – Simon Brandstrom – $1,417,899*

2 – Marton Czuczor – $1,377,310*

3 – Rui Sousa – $667,536

4 – Diego Falcone – $480,001

5 – Giovani Torre – $400,763

6 – Yunye Lu – $324,778

7 – Johan Storakers – $248,914

8 – Pasquale Braco – $175,379

9 – Kully Sidhu – $133,815

*Denotes a deal

As fate would have it, Brandstrom’s sixes held against Czuczor’s K♠Q♣ after the board ran out 9♠7♣2♦A♦5♥. With that, he collected his biggest tournament win to date and became EPT Barcelona champion.

Not only that, but his name will now go down in history as the winner of the EPT’s largest ever event.