Thomas Eychenne Wins the EPT Barcelona Main Event

For 35-year-old French professional Thomas Eychenne, the win marks the biggest achievement of his career. In addition to the seven-figure payday, the victory carries even greater weight as it represents his long-awaited first live title.

The Main Event attracted 2,045 players, making it one of the largest and most prestigious stops on the EPT calendar. Eychenne outlasted a tough final table that featured Romania’s Sebastian Ionita, Italy’s Umberto Zaffagnini, and Poland’s Tomasz Brzezinski.

Before the heads-up duel, Eychenne and Ionita agreed to a deal: both secured €1,117,175, leaving €100,000 and the title to play for. Eychenne eventually mounted a comeback and sealed the win holding ace-king.

Eychenne already had over $2.7 million in live earnings before this breakthrough. His track record includes a 47th-place finish in the WSOP Main Event and a final table appearance at the PSPC 2023. He rose to prominence with online bankroll challenges, famously turning €50 into €50,000 in just 50 days, and later transforming €10 into over €1 million.

Still, live titles had eluded him, with several second-place finishes haunting his resume.

“It’s an incredible feeling. I’ve pictured myself lifting a trophy for years. Finally, it came true. I knew this day would come—it was only a matter of time,” Eychenne said after the victory.

He also admitted that the win felt like a release: “I had the curse of finishing second too often. Now I can play more freely.”

Barcelona holds a special place in EPT history: it was the very first stop of the tour over two decades ago. Today, Eychenne’s victory photo joins the iconic gallery inside Casino Barcelona.

The French champion has already promised to return next year to defend his title:

“I love Barcelona—the venue, the people, the organization. It’s one of the very best stops on the EPT.”