2025 888poker LIVE Barcelona Preview

In just a few days, 888poker LIVE Barcelona will get underway in Barcelona, ​​Spain. It will take place from May 8-18 at the Casino Barcelona, ​​and tournament buy-ins will range from €55 to €1,500 for the High Roller. As usual, the ambassadors from 888poker will be present, and you can qualify for very little money from the comfort of your home with online satellites.

888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event

Schedule:

• Day 1A: Wednesday May 14 at 3 PM
• Day 1B: Thursday May 15 at 3 PM
• Day 1C: Friday May 16 at 3 PM
• Day 1D Turbo: Saturday May 17 at 11 AM
• Day 2: Saturday May 17 at 5 PM
• Day 3: Sunday May 18 at 4 PM

Structure:

• Buy-In: €888
• Re-entry: Unlimited
• Starting Stack: 50K
• Blind Levels: 40 minutes during Day 1 and 60 minutes during Days 2 and 3
• Late Registration: Start Day 2

888poker LIVE Barcelona Festival

Below is the schedule with all the events and satellites:

Online Satellites at 888poker

Would you like to qualify for the 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event from the comfort of your home? You can do so with the satellites currently being played online at 888poker.com. They are in a step format and range from 1 cent to $109 for the final satellite. Satellites can be found in the “Tournaments” > “Live Events” section of 888poker.

Winners of the final satellites will receive a prize package worth $1,800, including the following prizes:

• $920 (€888) Buy-In to 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event
• $500 for accommodation
• $380 for travel expenses
• 888poker LIVE kit

Ian Simpson and Lucía Navarro anticipate a great festival

Numerous 888poker ambassadors will be present in Barcelona, ​​and we were able to speak with two of them ahead of the event: Englishman Ian Simpson and Spaniard Lucía Navarro.

Ian has just won four titles in recent months at 888poker events held in Coventry (2), Madrid, and Newcastle. He told us this about his current run of success: “2025 couldn’t be going much better so far! And 2024 was kind to me also. I’m looking forward to Barcelona of course, and the thing I’m most conscious about controlling is over confidence. I’ve seen good players get bankroll boosts and just assume that their run good will never end and that they’re infallible. I’m making sure to keep on top of studying, to make sure I’m constantly honing my knowledge to keep myself competitive. I’m constantly reminding myself of how fragile this wonderful life of mine is and that I’ve got to work hard to protect it, even when things are going amazing”.

Ian with the 888poker LIVE Madrid trophy / Photo: 888poker

Lucia is coming off a third-place finish in the 888poker LIVE Madrid High Roller and a fourth-place finish in the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event in 2023. We asked her about her expectations for the Barcelona festival, and she told us: “The same ones I usually wear to all 888poker events: play my best to win trophies, generate great content for 888’s networks, and spend quality time with the rest of the ambassadors and the team, who always have a great time together! The 888poker circuit stands out for its accessibility, thanks to its low buy-ins compared to other international circuits. It boasts deep-stack structures and a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere”.

Lucia playing at Barcelona / Photo: 888poker

The City

Barcelona is the most tourist-friendly city in Spain, the second most populated city in Spain, and the tenth most populated in the European Union. It is recognized as a global city for its cultural, financial, commercial, and tourist importance. If you’d like to know what places to visit in the city, we invite you to read Jennifer Solomon‘s Barcelona poker tourist guide.

The Venue

The Gran Casino de Barcelona opened in 1978 on an estate that had belonged to a marquis, 40 kilometers from the city, in San Pedro de Ribas. In 1998, it obtained permission to move to the city, and in 1999, it opened its doors in Barcelona’s Olympic Port, on the ground floor of the Hotel Arts. In 2004, the first event of the European Poker Tour was played there, and it became the circuit’s most popular event. Today, Casino Barcelona is a world of entertainment that combines gastronomy, live music, shows, and gambling in an extraordinary atmosphere. All this is located next to the beaches bathed by the Mediterranean and just 15 minutes from downtown Barcelona.

888poker LIVE Barcelona: Past Editions

Barcelona has hosted the 888poker LIVE circuit since 2017, and it was only interrupted in 2020 and 2021 by the coronavirus pandemic. The 2024 edition featured 17 champions from Spain, Romania, Argentina, Italy, Greece, Russia, England, France, and Germany. The Main Event had 476 entries and awarded $400K in prizes to the top 60 players. The champion was Spaniard Josep Valls, who took home the best prize of his career: €61K ($66K).

Josep Valls, the 2024 888poker LIVE Barcelona champion

These were all the Main Event champions of past 888poker LIVE series in Barcelona:

Who will be this year’s champion? We’ll find out soon, and it could be you! 🫵