EPT Barcelona 2026: Final table player profiles
Some more information about the last six players in the EPT Barcelona Main Event.
Seat 1: Zheng Xiaosheng, 40, Foshan, China – 11,200,000
Zheng Xiaosheng
He may be a new face on the European Poker Tour, but Zheng Xiaosheng is an experienced live tournament grinder with more than $2.5 million in earnings on his resume. The 40-year-old from Foshan described himself as a semi-professional player.
He said he works in trading, but called the job very flexible, leaving him plenty of time to travel and play cards. “My job is very easy,” he said.
This is only Zheng’s second EPT Main Event and the first on mainland Europe. His debut came two years ago in Cyprus, where Zheng finished outside the paid places.
Zheng loves Barcelona and the EPT and has already hinted that we may see him in Prague and possibly at more stops next year. “The EPT is very professional and always has big prizes,” he said, describing what entices him to explore the tour further.
Zheng says he has tried to take this tournament one day at a time, trying not to get ahead of himself, but added that he’s really been enjoying the food in Barcelona and that he “will celebrate in a nice restaurant…win or lose.”
Already guaranteed to pick up the fifth five-figure score of his live career, he will definitely leave the main stage with a winning feeling. But he may also become the first Chinese EPT Main Event champion, an accomplishment that adds extra motivation to the finale.
Seat 2: Jose Luis Criado, 32, from Almeria, Spain, lives in Andorra – 15,775,000
Jose Criado
Known simply as “JJ”, Jose Luis Criado was born in Granada but grew up in Almeria, which he calls his home. Criado now lives in Andorra with his wife, who is expecting their first child.
Criado only entered two tournaments at this festival – the PokerStars Open Main Event and the EPT Main Event – and returned to Andorra between them.
This will be Criado’s breakthrough result. He only started playing poker about four or five years ago, the first three as a recreational player. Now he studies hard and aspires to become a full-time pro.
The 32-year-old has a strong background as a sharp sports bettor, so his successful transition to poker is no coincidence. It also helps that he surrounds himself with players such as fellow finalist Gerard Carbo. They’re very good friends and often travel to live events together.
Criado still has a huge passion for sports. He travels to football matches all over Europe and his left forearm features a tattoo of his favorite team: Real Betis. Underneath that, there are three poker cards: two jacks and an ace, reflecting his nickname in betting circles.
Now he’s making waves in the poker world, hoping to become only the second Spanish player to win an EPT Main Event, after Adrian Mateos. Criado said as much when he bagged the chip lead at the end of Day 4. “I will become the next EPT champion,” he said at the time. It’s now getting close to a reality.
Seat 3: Lukas van Eeden, 40, Voorburg, Netherlands – 5,075,000
Lukas Van Eeden
“It’s a dream come true,” said Lukas van Eeden of his unexpected seven-day journey in this EPT Main Event.
The 40-year-old from Voorburg is an entrepreneur who plays poker recreationally. “This is my third time in Barcelona in recent years,” he said. It will definitely be the most memorable one; he’s guaranteed a six-figure payout, while he’d never cashed for more than €12,800 before.
He continued: “I’m enjoying every moment of it. I love this game and it’s incredible to experience this.”
While some of his final table opponents boast millions in live earnings, the Dutchman entered the tournament with just over $70,000 in documented winnings. But he’s already made some connections, sharing the main stage with his countryman Joris Ruijs, a renowned pro with tons of results backing up his reputation.
“I only knew of him, but thanks to this deep run, we’ve got to know each other during the breaks and even had dinner together along with other Dutch players,” Van Eeden said.
He also has his partner Sanda on the rail. She arrived a few days ago as they had planned to enjoy the holiday, beach and sunshine. That will have to wait one more day as van Eeden is still vying for the elusive title and a whopping €1.37 million top prize.
Seat 4: Michael Dwyer, 61, Dublin, Ireland – 4,550,000
Michael Dwyer
Ireland’s Michael Dwyer is one of poker’s most passionate fans. “Tournament poker to me is a thing of absolute beauty,” he told the Mario Rosenstock podcast last year. “It’s one of the most beautiful games ever invented.”
It’s why Dwyer continues to play more and more even as he enters his 60s.
Dwyer spent 15 years working in the food industry before he took his shot in 2000 and turned into a successful entrepreneur. He founded Pigsback.com, a discount deal and rewards platform, which certainly proved profitable for him. Nineteen years after setting it up, he sold Pigsback for about €25 million.
It was then that he decided to pursue glory in poker. He was no stranger to the game, having notched his first cash at the 2005 Irish Open. But after selling his business, Dwyer decided to “take on the young minds” and play against them at the highest stakes. He’s had a few coaches help him study game theory and has also added a mental coach in Andy Black.
In 2024, Dwyer celebrated a massive online score worth $1.3 million. Now he has a chance to top that result by winning the EPT Barcelona 2026 Main Event. Until this deep run, his best live score was €86,350 for fifth place in an EPT 2nd Chance event.
Dwyer and his brother John both cashed this tournament, with John earning €15,050 for 105th place. Michael has made it to Day 7, where he’ll aim to become the third Irish EPT champion.
Seat 5: Nicolas Chouity, 40, Beirut, Lebanon – 1,975,000
Nicolas Chouity
Nicolas Chouity will pick up his 16th EPT Main Event cash when he finishes his outstanding run this week. He is the only former champion left in the field, hoping to become the fifth person to do it twice (and the fourth in the live environment). But Chouity, who turned 40 last week, isn’t getting ahead of himself.
“If it comes, it comes,” he says. “I’m doing what I can.”
Chouity’s victory at the Monte Carlo Grand Final in 2010 remains one of the most dominant final table performances ever seen on the EPT. He had a huge stack throughout and steamrolled all opponents on his way to the massive €1.7 million payout.
Sixteen years later, he admits he usually enjoys different events more than the Main. “Typically high rollers, because they’re shorter,” he said. “But once you get deep in this, the adrenaline comes in.”
Chouity’s longevity is remarkable, but he points to a rather obvious motivation for continuing to return to at least two or three EPTs every year. “Winning is still exciting,” he says.
Having played the EPT since 2009, he has now become the first Lebanese player with two final table appearances.
Seat 6: Manuel Ferrari, 34, Caldonazzo, Italy – 16,100,000
Manuel Ferrari
“I really want an EPT title,” said Manuel Ferrari back in June 2025. That was when he topped the PokerStars Open Malaga Main Event and captured his first Shard trophy.
That dream may come true here in Barcelona.
If he manages it, Ferrari will actually be collecting a third Shard, having also won the PokerStars Open High Roller in Campione in January. It has been a spectacular year and a half for the Italian.
“I love PokerStars festivals and Barcelona is my favorite stop,” said Ferrari, who hails from Caldonazzo, a small village near the Dolomites.
This is only his third EPT Main Event appearance. He played here last year and then tried his luck in Paris, but busted two bullets on both occasions. His first attempt at EPT Barcelona 2026 didn’t work out either, but this time Ferrari turned his re-entry into a very long adventure.
“The only PokerStars trophy missing in my collection is the EPT Main Event title!” Ferrari said.
Ferrari set himself up for the hat-trick after storming into a big chip lead after making a great hero call against Matas Cimbolas on Day 5.
Ferrari has been playing poker since 2010 but only became interested in the technical approach and studying in the post-Covid years. He also credited the other members of his study group, who have helped him improve as a player. One of them, Luca Bernardi, has been on his rail here in Barcelona.
It has been four years since his countryman Giuliano Bendinelli won the largest ever EPT Main Event in Barcelona, and Ferrari is now in pole position to ascend to the same throne.
Read more
Back to Top
Latest Articles
View Other Blogs
