Casino Barcelona, the home of the European Poker Tour stop in the Catalan capital, is running a festival with an unusual twist: every tournament is played six-handed. The Sixers Poker Series runs from October 13 to 18, 2026, with a €660 Main Event carrying a €150,000 guarantee. For players used to nine- or ten-handed tables, six-max is a different game, and anyone planning to take a seat should adjust their strategy accordingly.
Here is the schedule, the structure, and a practical guide to the key differences.
The festival at a glance
The Sixers Poker Series packs a full week of action into a compact schedule. The main events and buy-ins are:
- €220 NLHE Niners, a two-day event
- €1,200 NLHE High Roller, two days
- €660 NLHE Main Event, three days, with a €150,000 guarantee
- €230 NLHE Progressive Knockout (PKO)
- €335 NLHE Mystery Bounty, two days
- €220 NLHE Closer
- €125 Main Event satellites, Day 1a and Day 1b
The schedule, all times in CEST, starts on Tuesday, October 13 at 5 p.m. with the Niners Day 1 and a late satellite. The High Roller starts Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Main Event has flights on Thursday (Day 1a at 4 p.m.), Friday (Day 1b at 4 p.m.), and Saturday (Day 1c, a turbo, at 11 a.m.), with Day 2 on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Day 3 on Sunday at 3 p.m. The PKO runs Friday at 6:30 p.m., the Mystery Bounty on Saturday and Sunday, and the Closer on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Main Event structure
The €660 Main Event gives everyone a 50,000-chip starting stack, whether they buy in directly or win a seat through a satellite. Blinds rise every 45 minutes on Days 1a and 1b, and every 20 minutes on the turbo Day 1c. Re-entries are unlimited until the start of Level 15, which is a generous allowance.
For context, a similar €660 event in October 2024 produced a €159,660 prize pool from nearly 300 entries. The top four finishers won at least €10,500 each and the anonymous champion won €30,000. The 2026 guarantee of €150,000 is in the same range, suggesting organisers expect a comparable turnout. With unlimited re-entry, though, actual entries could differ.
The format has an interesting side effect: with six-handed tables, a 300-entry field needs about 50 tables, and each table has a larger effective share of the prize money in play. That means the tournament tends to move faster in terms of eliminations per level than a full-ring tournament with the same field. It also alters bubble dynamics, because there are fewer players to be knocked out per table.
Why six-handed changes the game
If you normally play nine-handed live tournaments, the biggest adjustment is frequency. At a six-handed table you pay blinds more often, so you see more hands per orbit time but fewer players to fold ahead of you. The result is that opening ranges widen dramatically.
Opening ranges. Under the gun at a nine-handed table, a typical range might be 12 to 15 percent of hands. At a six-handed table, the first player to act (called lojack or UTG in some contexts) has only five opponents behind them, so a wider range, often in the range of 18 to 22 percent, is standard. The cutoff and button open far wider. These are general strategic ranges from solver-based theory; always adapt to opponents and stack depth.
Aggression is rewarded. With fewer players at the table, the blinds are a bigger part of the pot and the probability that someone has a strong hand is lower. A well-timed three-bet or continuation bet takes down more pots than it would at a full table.
Hand values change. Hands such as ace-ten offsuit, king-jack suited, and small suited connectors gain value because the likelihood of facing a stronger hand is lower. Conversely, speculative hands that rely on seeing multi-way flops lose some of their appeal.
Postflop, ranges are wider and more connected. Because players open and defend more often, flops hit ranges more frequently. This increases the importance of understanding board textures, range advantage, and equity realization. See our poker strategy hub for the fundamentals, and our guide to equity to understand why wide ranges produce more marginal hands.
Short-handed strategy tips
1. Widen your button and cutoff opens. Position is worth more. The button's advantage grows, and a good player will steal liberally unless the blinds are aggressive.
2. Defend your big blind appropriately. Because opens are wide, you can defend with a broader range and still have a good price. Use pot odds to work out how often you need to continue.
3. Be ready to three-bet light. Against a wide cutoff or button open, a three-bet with suited aces, suited broadways, and some bluffs can be profitable. Mix in value hands so you are not predictable.
4. Manage stack depth. Blinds and antes consume a large share of your stack at six-handed tables, so effective stack sizes shrink quickly. Learn push-fold ranges for 10 to 15 big blinds.
5. Pay attention to table dynamics. Fewer players means each opponent's tendencies matter more. A player who folds too often to three-bets is a target; a player who calls everything is best exploited with value.
6. Prepare for ICM spots sooner. With smaller tables and a faster structure in the turbo flight, bubble and pay-jump considerations arrive quickly. Our ICM explainer covers how to adjust.
The bounty events
The PKO and Mystery Bounty events add another layer. In a progressive knockout, you collect part of an opponent's bounty when you eliminate them, so calling ranges widen. In a mystery bounty, the bounty size is hidden until a knockout, which tilts the maths towards a more speculative approach. Six-handed tables should accelerate knockouts, which makes these events appealing for aggressive players. Keep your bankroll management rules in mind; bounty tournaments have higher variance than freezeouts.
Who should play the Sixers series?
The festival suits several types of player. Recreational players get a €220 starting point and a cheap Closer. Satellite specialists can try the €125 satellites for a shot at the Main Event. Serious grinders, particularly those who play online six-max cash games or short-handed formats, will find the structure familiar, and may hold an edge over live nine-max specialists. The High Roller at €1,200 is a decent test for those who want a stronger field.
If you have never played six-handed live tournaments, consider practising online beforehand. Many online sites offer six-max tournaments and cash games. Our online poker vs live poker comparison explains the differences in pace and etiquette, and our tournaments page lists the best places to find them.
The trend behind the festival
Six-handed tournaments have been a feature of online poker for years, but they remain rare in live poker. Casino Barcelona's decision to build a whole festival around the format is notable. It aligns with the wider trend of live events experimenting with new structures, from shorter blind levels to bounty formats and now smaller tables. For the casino, the benefit is clear: fewer tables for the same number of entries, and a lively, action-focused atmosphere. For players, it is a chance to practise a format that translates directly into online skills.
Barcelona remains one of Europe's most popular poker destinations, and the combination of the Sixers series with the city's attractions makes it an easy trip for many. If you are travelling, check the casino's current schedule and entry rules before you go, and make sure you understand re-entry and late registration details.
Bottom line
The Sixers Poker Series is a small but interesting experiment: a full festival where every event is played six-handed. If you plan to play, adjust your ranges, play more aggressively, and remember that ICM pressure comes faster. If you are not travelling, use it as a reminder to practise short-handed play online, where it is easy to find games. For a deeper look at games and formats, our Texas hold'em and cash games pages are good places to start.