Top Four $1,000,000+ Cashes in EPT Barcelona Decided in Chop Deals

Four out of the five $ 1 million+ cashes in the recently finished #EPT100 in Barcelona were agreed in chop deals among the finalists. The biggest prize in the entire combined EPT/ESPT festival did not go to the champion, but to the runner-up in the 100th Main Event in EPT history. @Samuel Phillips thus became the biggest winner in Barcelona with $1,384,050.  Even the Estrellas Main Event payouts were chopped four-way, with Bulgarian runner-up @Vladislav Donchev taking home a larger cash than the champion @Matias Ruzzi. Here are the 5 players who scored $ million+ at @Gran Casino de Barcelona:

Good friends @Olivier Busquet and @Daniel Colman came to a quick agreement after reaching heads-up in the High Roller; the process was not as smooth at the Main Event final table, where three-way negotiations between Samuel Phillips, @Andre Lettau and @Hussein Ensan took longer but agreement was reached eventually. 

A lot of chopping has been going on lately across the Atlantic as well, rekindling the year-long 'to chop or not to chop' debate. 

Read on:

RKH: Millionaires Made at the Bellagio in 100K Super High Roller, Dan Smith Second Only to Ivey in 2014

http://calvinayre.com/: JUST SAY NO TO FINAL TABLE DEAL MAKING

http://ca.pokernews.com/: Would Poker Tournaments Benefit from a Flatter Payout Structure?

http://www.flushdraw.net/: 2015 PCA to Feature “Double Bubble” Tournaments

What do YOU think about final table chop deals? Aren't they undermining poker's aspiration to achieve 'sports status'? Robbing fans and viewers of the thrill and excitement we expect from the champions of our favorite game? And if the money at stake is simply too much to resist a chop deal, shouldn't major festivals be moving towards a flatter, more even payout structure?