The 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) heads to the Casino Barcelona from August 8 through August 21 and is widely anticipated to be one of the biggest-ever EPT Barcelona stops on record. However, before the EPT gets underway, the Casino Barcelona is hosting the action-packed Spanish Poker Championship from July 25 through August 8.
The Spanish Poker Championship, abbreviated to the CEP, takes place at Casino Barcelona from July 25 through August 8 and features a bustling schedule jam-packed with more than two dozen tournaments and satellites, with buy-ins to suit every budget.
All events and satellites have unlimited re-entries should your first, second, or maybe even your third bullet does not go to plan, although the blind structures of each tournament are excellent, so you probably will not be adopting a scattergun approach.
The €330 buy-in CEP Opening event is the first non-satellite running during the Spanish Poker Championship. It features two starting flights on July 29 and July 30, with the champion crowned on July 31.
In addition to the Opening event, players are invited to battle it out in the€200 buy-in Mini Main Event, the €500 buy-in Main Event, a €1,100 buy-in High Roller, and the €2,200 Super High Roller. As an added bonus, all of the tournaments’ start times are in the afternoon and evening, which gives you plenty of time to either have a well-deserved rest or enjoy the sights and sounds of beautiful Barcelona.
2022 Spanish Poker Championship Schedule
| Date | Time (local) | Event | Buy-in | Starting Stack | Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 25 Jul | 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins |
| Tue 26 Jul | 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins |
| Wed 27 Jul | 10:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite Opening | €60+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins |
| Thu 28 Jul | 10:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite Opening | €60+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins |
| Fri 29 Jul | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Opening Day 1A | €290+€40 | 25,000 | 30-mins |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite High Roller | €150+€15 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Sat 30 Jul | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Opening Day 1B | €290+€40 | 25,000 | 30-mins |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite High Roller | €150+€15 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Sun 31 Jul | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Opening Day 2 | €290+€40 | 25,000 | 30-mins |
| 7:00 p.m. | NL – CEP High Roller Day 1 | €980+€120 | 40,000 | 40-mins | |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Mon 1 Aug | 4:00 p.m. | NL – CEP High Roller Day 2 | 40-mins | ||
| 6:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Mini CEP Day 1 | €180+€20 | 30,000 | 30-mins | |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Tue 2 Aug | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 1A | €450+€50 | 30,000 | 50-mins |
| 4:00 p.m. | NL – CEP High Roller Day 3 | 40-mins | |||
| 5:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Mini CEP Day 2 | 30-mins | |||
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME Day 1B | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Wed 3 Aug | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 1B | €450+€50 | 30,000 | 50-mins |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME Day 1C | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Thu 4 Aug | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 1C | €450+€50 | 30,000 | 50-mins |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite ME Day 1D | €100+€10 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Fri 5 Aug | 3:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 1D | €450+€50 | 30,000 | 50-mins |
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Super High Roller Satellite | €200+€20 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Sat 6 Aug | 11:00 a.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 1E Turbo | €450+€50 | 30,000 | 20-mins |
| 4:30 p.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 2 | 50-mins | |||
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Super High Roller Day 1 | €1,960+€240 | 50,000 | 40-mins | |
| 10:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Satellite Main Event National | €160+€15 | 5,000 | 20-mins | |
| Sun 7 Aug | 4:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Main Event Day 3 | 50-mins | ||
| 6:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Super High Roller Day 2 | 40-mins | |||
| 8:00 p.m. | NL – CEP EPT Main Event Satellite | €530+€50 | 10,000 | 20-mins | |
| Mon 8 Aug | 5:00 p.m. | NL – CEP Super High Roller Day 3 | 40-mins |
Past CEP Barcelona Main Event Champions
The CEP Barcelona leg has always proven popular not only with Spaniards but with poker players from all corners of the world and from all walks of life. The COVID-19 pandemic put paid to the Barcelona legs in 2020 and again in 2021, but the festival is back with a bang for 2022.
Frenchman Fabien Lecardonnel is the reigning CEP Barcelona champion, having triumphed in August 2019. Lecardonnel defeated fellow Frenchman David Dubuisson heads-up and walked away with a cool €110,000 after a heads-up deal that saw Dubuisson collect €85,000. The prizes were so substantial because 969 players bought into the action.
Another French grinder, Fabrice Jaquot, helped himself to the CEP Barcelona title in February 2019, outlasting 872 opponents on his way to a €62,500 score.