2026 is not just another year for the Spanish Poker Championship. It is the season in which the longest-running circuit of Spanish poker turns 20 years old, no less, and it will celebrate it in style.
The first date will be CEP Barcelona, which will be played from March 4 to 15, in just a few days, and in the preview at CodigoPoker we spoke with Sara Espot
-What does it mean for the Spanish Poker Championship to turn 20 years old?
-Turning 20 years old means consolidating itself as the longest-running circuit and reference for poker in Spain. In these two decades we have played 143 stages in 20 cities and
accumulated nearly 50.000 entries in the Main Event, figures that reflect trajectory, growth, and a job well done.
But beyond the numbers, it means having built a real community. The CEP has been the meeting point for thousands of players for twenty years:
some started their first competitive experience here and today are circuit regulars, others made the jump to international circuits after training and competing at our tables. We have seen generations grow, the level of play evolve, and the competition become professionalized.
The Spanish Poker Championship Is Ready To Make History.
We have contributed to professionalizing the game through the organization, tournament structure, room experience, and the creation of a ranking that provides continuity and
sporting prestige. Therefore, this 20 anniversary is not just a symbolic celebration, but the recognition of a project that has left its mark on Spanish poker and that, furthermore, arrives at the best moment in its history.
-How much has the circuit changed in these years?
-The change has been enormous. If we look at the evolution of the Main Event, in 2006 we recorded 536 entries in six stages. In 2025 we reached 5.439 entries
in just five stops, the best figure in our history, which represents a growth of more than 900%.
The circuit has grown in participation, professionalization, structures, prizes, and international projection. But we have maintained something key: the community,
competitive, and close-knit spirit that has always defined the CEP.
-What is the key for the CEP to remain relevant and in constant growth?
-The key has been to evolve without losing identity. We have known how to adapt to the growth of poker, to new player profiles, and to an increasingly
competitive calendar, while maintaining accessible buy-ins, attractive structures, and a very complete festival experience.
The CEP is a circuit designed both for the recreational player who wants to live a great experience and for the regular who competes in the annual ranking. And in that sense, reinforcing the competitive appeal has been fundamental.
Casino Barcelona Is A Very Special Place For The CEP.
This 20 anniversary season is a good example: we have more than 50.000€ in added prizes through 4 Gold Pass and 6 Silver Pass, which turns the
ranking into a real sporting race and raises the level of each stage. Ultimately, we have managed to combine accessibility and ambition, community and
international projection. That balance is what allows us to continue growing year after year.
-Poker changed, the world changed, but the CEP is more alive than ever. How is this achieved?
-With constant work and, above all, listening to the player. Poker is much more global than it was 20 years ago, but the CEP has known how to adapt without losing its essence.
We have evolved in formats, structures, and festival experience, but maintaining that closeness and that circuit spirit that connects with the community.
We have also understood that today’s player is looking for more than just a tournament: they are looking for experience, projection, and real opportunities. That ability to adaptation, without
breaking our identity, is what allows us to continue growing and remain a reference for national poker.
-In fact, you break records year after year. What is the goal for this season?
-The goal is to live up to the 20 anniversary. We are not just talking about numbers, but about offering the most ambitious season in our history.
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We come from a historic 2025, the best year for the circuit, with 5.439 entries in the total of the Main Events held in 2025. Surpassing those figures would be fantastic, although we are aware that it is increasingly difficult to beat records that are already part of the history of the circuit and Spanish poker. Even so, we work with the maximum ambition.
We want it to be an unforgettable season both for those who play the full circuit and for those who decide to play a single stage and live the CEP experience.
Matías Arroyo Won The Largest Main Event In CEP History.
-The debut will be, as always, at Casino Barcelona. How important is this place for the CEP?
-Casino Barcelona is our star venue and the natural starting point for each season. It is the place where we start the calendar and where we have experienced some
of the most important moments in the history of the circuit.
In August 2025 we reached 2.182 entries there, the largest Main Event ever played in the CEP, in addition to 1.192 registrations in the February stage. These are figures that
reflect the specific weight of Casino Barcelona within the circuit.
But its importance goes beyond the numbers. Barcelona is an international city with a huge tradition in poker, and that attracts national
and international players and raises the competitive level of each edition.
In addition, Casino Barcelona offers the infrastructure, organizational experience, and the perfect environment for a festival of these dimensions. For all these reasons, it is the true competitive epicenter of the CEP and the ideal setting to start a season as
special as the 20 anniversary.
-Why do you think Barcelona is everyone’s favorite stop, both in March and August?
-Because it combines absolutely everything: international city, consolidated venue, impeccable organization, and a very attractive festival experience. Barcelona attracts
national and international players, and that raises the competitive level and prestige of each stage.
In March it marks the start of the season and always generates a special energy, but it is in August when something unique is experienced. The summer stop has become one of the great events on the calendar, coinciding with the time of greatest international activity in the city and with an exceptional poker atmosphere.
In addition, the August CEP Barcelona acts as a prelude to EPT Barcelona, one of the most important festivals on the world circuit. Many players begin their
competitive stay in the city by playing the CEP and link directly with the European Poker Tour, which reinforces its international dimension and turns those
weeks into the epicenter of European poker.
In short, Barcelona in August is not just another stop, it is an experience that transcends the circuit itself.
-What are the expectations for this 20th season?
-CEP 2026 is not just another season: it is a historic edition that looks to the past with
