Ralfs Blumbergs claimed one of the biggest Pot-Limit Omaha titles of EPT Barcelona 2026, winning the €10,250 PLO Unlimited Re-Entry event for €303,300.
PokerStars’ official EPT Barcelona results confirm 122 entries, a €1,183,400 prize pool and 17 paid places in Event 49, which ran from August 25-26.
The Latvian came through a 122-entry field at Casino Barcelona, eventually defeating Finnish PLO specialist Markus Ristola heads-up.
The tournament generated a €1,183,400 prize pool, with 17 players reaching the money and €303,300 reserved for the champion.
Blumbergs Tops Strong €10K PLO Field
EPT Barcelona has already produced a string of major high roller results, and the €10,250 PLO event brought together another strong field.
Blumbergs ultimately emerged on top, adding a six-figure victory to a festival that has seen Brock Wilson and Klemens Roiter win high roller titles during the opening stages.
Several established names reached the money in the PLO event, underlining the strength of a field that included regulars from some of the biggest live Omaha games and tournament series.
Niklas Astedt, Laszlo Bujtas, Simon Lofberg and Sampo Ryynaenen were among the players paid before the final table. Sweden’s Filip Lovric finished eighth for €37,500, leaving seven players to continue the fight for the €303,300 top prize.
The event also stood out because of the buy-in and format. With unlimited re-entry available and 34 re-entries included in the 122-entry total, the tournament created one of the larger PLO prize pools of the Barcelona festival without relying on a huge field.
EPT Barcelona €10,250 PLO Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralfs Blumbergs | Latvia | €303,300 |
| 2 | Markus Ristola | Finland | €189,400 |
| 3 | Vito Recchimurzo | Spain | €135,500 |
| 4 | Tommi Lankinen | Finland | €104,200 |
| 5 | Biao Ding | China | €80,200 |
| 6 | Rasmus Larsen | Denmark | €61,400 |
| 7 | Imad Derwiche | France | €48,500 |
Blumbergs Beats Ristola Heads-Up
Imad Derwiche was the first player eliminated from the final table, collecting €48,500 in seventh place.
Rasmus Larsen followed in sixth for €61,400 before China’s Biao Ding took fifth for €80,200.
Tommi Lankinen became the first player to secure a six-figure payday, earning €104,200 for fourth. Vito Recchimurzo then departed in third for €135,500 to set up the heads-up battle.
Blumbergs faced Ristola for the title, with the Finnish player providing formidable opposition given his experience in PLO.
It was Blumbergs who eventually secured all the chips, taking the trophy and €303,300 first prize. Ristola earned €189,400 as runner-up.
More Big Winners Emerge at EPT Barcelona
Blumbergs’ victory adds another name to a rapidly growing list of champions during a busy Barcelona festival.
Earlier in the series, Jason Wheeler defeated a 4,333-entry field to win the €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event for €731,000.
Thomas Eychenne also continued his remarkable record in Barcelona by winning the €2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller for €589,395.
The €10,250 PLO event offered something different from the succession of No-Limit Hold’em tournaments, but its final table was no less competitive.
For Blumbergs, surviving that field produced a €303,300 payday and one of the festival’s most significant Omaha titles.
Why the Result Matters for Ralfs Blumbergs
The victory is particularly valuable as a reference result because it came in a five-figure buy-in against a compact, experienced field rather than a mass-participation event. Blumbergs did not need thousands of entries to create a six-figure first prize. The €10,250 buy-in and re-entry structure generated more than €1.18 million in prize money from just 122 entries.
It also gives Blumbergs a prominent EPT title in a specialist format. No-Limit Hold’em dominates most festival schedules, but major PLO events attract a different mix of high-stakes regulars and mixed-game specialists. Winning one of those events adds a distinct result to a player’s live tournament record.
Poker Type’s broader EPT Barcelona 2026 review covers how the festival compared with previous Barcelona stops, while this result remains the clearest record of Blumbergs’ €10K PLO victory.
