The 2026 World Series of Poker Circuit Madrid €1,500 no-limit maintain’em important occasion got here all the way down to a closing conflict between Bo Hoebe of the Netherlands and high-stakes common Jose ‘Nacho’ Barbero of Argentina.
While Hoebe is hardly a newcomer on the dwell match circuit, it wasn’t a lot of a stretch to name this a David-versus-Goliath state of affairs. Hoebe had one WSOPC gold ring to his identify, received on the WSOP International Circuit Netherlands cease in 2023, however had by no means recorded a six-figure rating. Barbero, however, has greater than $30 million in profession cashes underneath his belt, together with six seven-figure windfalls and one other 62 six-figure paydays.
Despite the disparity in expertise on the highest stakes, it was finally Hoebe who emerged victorious together with his second ring and the highest prize of €207,000 ($231,840 USD). The victory was all of the extra spectacular as a result of he closed out the title regardless of Barbero’s abundance of premium preflop holdings down the stretch.
“It’s a dream come true. I started the day thinking I was going to win it, but then Nacho ran like crazy. He got aces three times, kings three times… So I was like, ‘Let this guy do the work, and I’ll get him heads-up’, and here we are.”
By the top, Barbero had been dealt pocket aces 5 occasions in roughly an hour and a half of play on the closing desk.
In addition to the cash and the {hardware}, Hoebe additionally scored 912 Card Player Player of the Year factors. This was his first POY-qualified rating of 2026.
Nacho Aces
The match attracted 918 entries to Casino Gran Via within the coronary heart of Madrid, Spain. That made for a prize pool value greater than $1.3 million, with the highest 140 finishers making the cash.
After 4 beginning flights and one other two days of combined-field motion, the official closing desk was set on Oct. 31. Hoebe led the ultimate 9, with roughly 1 / 4 of the overall chips in play in his stack to start out.
Barbero doubled up early with pocket aces vs. the pocket kings of Luca Martin. Hoebe then scored the primary knockout of the final day, sending Martin (ninth – $15,904) packing with prime two pair. Barbero quickly discovered his first elimination of the session, with pocket aces besting A-Q for Fausto Munz (eighth – $20,384).
Cesar Montanes received all-in with A♣Okay♣ preflop, solely to seek out himself in tough form towards one other pocket pair of aces for Barbero. A♠A♥ held by a queen-high runout, and Alonso was despatched house with $26,880.
2023 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship winner Aliaksandr Shylko was the subsequent to fall. The Belarusian misplaced a preflop flip with Okay-Q towards the pocket fours of Sweden’s Per Hildebrand to put sixth ($36,960). Hildebrand was not far behind, although. His A♦Q♦ didn’t outrace the J♠J♣ of the red-hot Barbero, regardless of an ace on the flop. The flip introduced a 3rd jack for Barbero, who held from there to eradicate Hildebrand in fifth place ($50,400).
Hoebe Battles Back, Wins Dramatic Final Hand
Norwegian excessive curler Tom-Aksel Bedell received a three-way showdown to eradicate a severely short-stacked Cristobal Aguilera (4th – $70,560). Despite that increase to his stack, he was finally the subsequent to go. Hoebe purchased himself some respiratory room, doubling with pocket queens to depart Bedell because the clear brief stack. He then held with A♠Q♣ towards A♦6♦ in a battle of the blinds to bust Bedell in third place ($100,800).
Heads-up play started with roughly a 5:4 chip benefit for Barbero over Hoebe. The Dutch participant was capable of edge into the lead because the battle continued. He almost closed out the win with A♥Okay♥ towards Okay♦10♦ for Barbero, however the in danger participant made a pair of tens to increase the match. Hoebe quickly picked off a bluff to drag again out in entrance, just for Barbero to double up once more. That time, A-Okay held towards A-9 to show the tables but once more.
Hoebe discovered two large pocket pairs at key moments, successful all-ins with pocket nines and pocket queens to regain the benefit in time for the ultimate hand of the match. Hoebe shipped it from the button with Q♠10♠ and Barbero referred to as off his stack with Okay♠2♣. The A♥Q♦2♦ frlop gave each gamers a pair, with Hoebe’s queens within the lead. The 2♠ flip improved Barbero to journey deuces, although, leaving Hoebe in want of a queen on the river to convey the occasion to an in depth. The Q♥ match the invoice, giving him queens stuffed with deuces and the title.
Barbero added $145,600 and 760 POY factors to his tally because the runner-up. The bracelet winner has completed inside the highest 40 every of the previous three years, together with a third-place displaying in 2023, however has been much less productive thus far this 12 months. This marked simply his second closing desk of 2026. He nonetheless sits outdoors the highest 1,000 within the general standings, that are offered by CoinPoker.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Bo Hoebe | $231,840 | 912 |
| 2 | Jose Barbero | $145,600 | 760 |
| 3 | Tom-Aksel Bedell | $100,800 | 608 |
| 4 | Cristobal Aguilera | $70,560 | 456 |
| 5 | Per Hildebrand | $50,400 | 380 |
| 6 | Aliaksandr Shylko | $36,960 | 304 |
| 7 | Cesar Montanes | $26,880 | 228 |
| 8 | Fausto Munz | $20,384 | 152 |
| 9 | Luca Martin | $15,904 | 76 |
Photo credit score: WSOP / Pokernews.
