Jason Wheeler has produced the biggest tournament score of his career, winning the €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event at EPT Barcelona for €731,000.
The 49-year-old American outlasted a remarkable 4,333 entries at Casino Barcelona before defeating Alexander Ivarsson heads-up.
The victory came after more than two decades travelling the international poker circuit and took Wheeler’s recorded live tournament earnings beyond $6 million.
It also overturned the position at the start of the final table, where WSOP Main Event finalist Han Feng had been the clear chip leader.
Poker Type covered Feng taking the biggest stack into the final eight, but Wheeler ultimately became the player who left Barcelona with the trophy.
Huge Field Creates €6.2 Million Prize Pool
The €1,650 PokerStars Open was one of the largest tournaments of the Barcelona festival.
Eight starting flights helped generate 4,333 total entries, including 2,375 re-entries.
That produced a €6,239,520 prize pool and left €731,000 waiting for the eventual champion.
The size of the field had already become one of the stories of the festival. Poker Type reported on the turnout when Elias Suhonen won the €10,200 event as the PokerStars Open surged past 4,000 entries.
The final table was considerably stronger than might normally be expected from a field of that size.
Brazilian star Felipe Boianovsky entered the last eight alongside Feng, Ivarsson and Wheeler.
Feng’s presence was particularly notable.
Only weeks earlier, the American had finished fifth in the WSOP Main Event for $2.25 million. He then navigated another field containing more than 4,000 entries to reach a second major final table.
His run ended in sixth place for €148,610.
Wheeler Battles Ivarsson Heads-Up
Darko Svesko eventually finished third for €326,200, leaving Wheeler and Ivarsson to play for the title.
Ivarsson was chasing an unusual Barcelona treble after already winning both the PokerStars Open Cup and High Roller during previous visits to the festival.
Wheeler began heads-up slightly behind but doubled on the opening hand of the contest.
Ivarsson managed to recover chips on several occasions before the decisive hand arrived.
Wheeler held six-five on a queen-four-eight-seven-seven board, giving him a turned straight. Ivarsson held ace-queen and moved all-in on the river.
Wheeler called to complete the victory.
Ivarsson collected €457,000 for second place.
PokerStars Open Barcelona Main Event Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Wheeler | United States | €731,000 |
| 2 | Alexander Ivarsson | Sweden | €457,000 |
| 3 | Darko Svesko | Serbia | €326,200 |
| 4 | Bogdan Petrascu | Romania | €251,120 |
| 5 | Selvakumaran Mahersh | Netherlands | €193,190 |
| 6 | Han Feng | United States | €148,610 |
| 7 | Gregoire Jarry | France | €114,290 |
| 8 | Felipe Boianovsky | Brazil | €87,910 |
Career-Best Result After Two Decades of Poker
The significance of the victory goes beyond the €731,000 prize.
Wheeler first recorded an EPT cash in 2010 and has spent much of the last two decades competing around the world.
His previous largest live tournament score came in Prague in 2017.
Wheeler finished runner-up to Kalidou Sow in the PokerStars Championship Prague Main Event for €570,000.
He also became a WSOP bracelet winner in 2021 after taking down the $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack for $202,274.
Barcelona has now given him an even larger individual payday.
For a player who has spent years reaching the latter stages of major tournaments, winning one of the largest events of the festival represents another significant addition to his résumé.
Feng’s Remarkable Summer Continues Despite Sixth Place
Although Feng could not convert his final-table chip lead into victory, Barcelona has extended an exceptional run.
He arrived in Spain shortly after reaching the final nine of the biggest tournament of the year.
Feng was part of the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table and eventually finished fifth for $2.25 million.
His Main Event run included a dramatic final-table battle before Lucas Jumalon went on to win the title. Poker Type followed the tournament as Feng climbed to second in chips after the opening final-table session.
Adding another €148,610 in Barcelona means Feng has now reached two huge-field final tables in little more than a month.
For Wheeler, though, Barcelona belongs to him.
After years of travelling to EPT stops and collecting results around the world, he finally has a major PokerStars title and the largest cash of his career.
