The £3,000 buy in no-limit hold’em event will have a maximum of 128 players and a first prize of £200,000.
It will be broadcast live on the Internet at PokerInEuropeLive.com and WorldHeadsUpPoker.com and be shown around the world on terrestrial and satellite TV as five, one-hour shows.
The event was first staged at the Concord Card Casino in Vienna from 2001 to 2003 before moving to Barcelona from 2004 to 2008.
The structure will see players start with 20,000 in chips and play 30 minutes levels. Blinds will be frozen at level six:
Level 1: 100 – 200
Level 2: 150 – 300
Level 3: 200 – 400
Level 4: 300 – 600
Level 5: 400 – 800
Level 6: 500 – 1000
This progressive structure was not always the case though — in the first year the blinds did not increase and players resulting in one match lasting 10 hours.
The previous winners of the event are:
2001 — Bruno Fitoussi
2002 — Kirill Gerasimov
2003 — John Cernuto
2004 — Angel Puras
2005 — Peter Gunnarsson
2006 — Isaac Maoylas de Vega
2007 — Jeff Kimber
2008 — Mauro Stovoli