5 reasons the Spin & Go Championship Live is the wildest event at EPT Barcelona
First published 21 August 2025
From Sebastian Malec scampering around the feature table, bursting for a number one during the final hand of the 2016 Main Event, to Giuliano Bendinelli’s Lazarus-like comeback from a single big blind to win the biggest EPT Main ever in 2022, EPT Barcelona has played host to some wild events over the years.
But it’s never seen anything quite like the Spin & Championship Live, which kicks off towards the end of the festival (August 30-31).
The second edition of this electrifying and exclusive tournament promises to be unmissable. Thankfully, even if you can’t make it to Barcelona, Staruniv Blog will be reporting throughout the event.
Here are five reasons why the Spin & Go Championship Live is the wildest event at EPT Barcelona.
IT’S FAST, FURIOUS, AND FINAL IN 48 HOURS
Unlike the EPT Barcelona Main Event, which will take a week to play out (and rightly so—it’s always one of the largest tournaments of the year), the Spin & Go Championship Live is done and dusted in just two days.
The games are shorter, too. If you’re not sure how it works, here’s a brief explainer:
The Spin & Go Championship Live is an exciting, frenetic live format replicating the three-handed, action-packed Spin & Go’s you play on Staruniv. It’s quick, accessible, and a whole lot of fun.
It’s an exclusive event with only 81 seats available. The event begins with 81 players spread across 27 three-handed tables. Players will play multiple Spin & Go’s until one player has four wins, then the winners progress to Round 2. The nine winners from that round move on to Round 3, after which we’ll have a final table of three.
Learn more about how the event works here.
FROM PENNIES TO €100,000?
We’ve seen some incredible qualifier stories on the European Poker Tour over the past 20 years, but the coolest thing about the Spin & Go Championship Live? Almost all of the field are qualifiers, and many didn’t need to spend a lot to win a coveted seat.
The event is restricted to just 81 seats, and the vast majority of those have qualified on Staruniv from around the world. They achieved this by playing Spin & Go tables online and earning random points on four different daily leader boards based on stakes.
They didn’t even need to win the Spin to earn points. Every time they played a Spin & Go within certain qualifying periods, they were randomly awarded points. The lower the multiplier of the table, the better their chances of scoring more points.
With €100,000 going to the winner and so many qualifiers coming from micro and low stakes backgrounds, we could very well see a sensational spin up in Barcelona.
WE DON’T KNOW THE NAMES—YET
You see many of the same faces playing big buy-in events, but we don’t yet know the real names of any of the Spin & Go Championship Live participants.
All we’ve got to go on currently are their screennames. But that means there are going to be dozens of stories to tell come game time.
We’ll be meeting them all together.
WILDCARDS, CELEBS, CHAOS
We mentioned that the vast majority of the 81 players in the Spin & Go Championship will be qualifiers…but not all of them.
We can’t reveal anything just yet, but you can expect to see some celebrities and influencers pulling up chairs, as well as some of your beloved Staruniv Ambassadors.
Look out for a few wildcard additions bringing chaos to proceedings, too…
SPINNING IN REAL LIFE
Finally, it’s just so cool to see Spin & Go’s played in a live poker room.
It’s so different from live poker you’re used to seeing. The three-handed tables provide non-stop action. The games are rapid, and the best-of format keeps everyone on their toes.
The frenetic nature of Spin & Go’s in the live arena provides an atmosphere akin to a live e-sports event, where fast-paced poker action is combined with an easy-to-follow score system.
It’s also a ton of fun. At the inaugural event in Prague, big crowds gathered to witness the matches take place, creating a fun-filled atmosphere for both players and railbirds alike.
Then there are the huge prizes involved – staggering considering this is essentially a freeroll for the qualifiers (more info on those when they’re confirmed).
- No direct buy-in – All seats must be won online at Staruniv
- Unique scoring system – Simple and intuitive
- Fast-paced format – Designed for a thrilling competition
- High-value packages – Including travel and expenses
- eSports-style atmosphere – Fan-friendly and easy to follow
Stay tuned to the Staruniv Blog from August 30-31 as we bring you all the latest from the Spin & Go Championship Live.
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