John Juanda wins EPT Barcelona main event after holding out for better deal

John Juanda has claimed the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona main event title after a yearlong absence from the game.

On Sunday, Juanda claimed his first ever EPT title and a hefty payday of €1,022,593 after seeing off runner-up Steve Warburton, who settled for a mere €941,613 and third-place finisher Frederik Jensen, who took home €810,284.

The €5,300 buy-in main event attracted a field of 1,694 players, creating a prize pool of €8,215,900. Denys Shafikov was the dominant chip-leader among the nine players still contesting the outcome on the final day of play, but ended up finishing fourth, collecting €405,100 in the process.

The final four players briefly considered a deal to chop the pot but Juanda, despite having the shortest stack, was having none of it, as the split offered him only €150k more than he was already guaranteed. Juanda reportedly justified his refusal to negotiate by remarking: “And forfeit the chance for a million?” Touché.