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Nightclubs, Pool Halls, & Playing Cards: PokerStars Ambassador Sam Grafton’s Wild Poker Journey 

Sam Grafton spoke with PokerScout at the PCA about his journey from playing in pool halls to becoming a PokerStars ambassador.

On a warm afternoon in the Bahamas, Sam Grafton is sporting a Phoenix Suns jersey as he sits outside the tournament area of the PokerStars No Limit Hold’em Players Championship (PSPC). The poker pro from the United Kingdom isn’t necessarily a fan of the team or even claims to be a follower of the NBA. He simply enjoys collecting jerseys, no matter the sport or how obscure.

“I don’t know anything about the Phoenix Suns,” he says. “It’s a great jersey though. When I’m in Vegas, I just buy some throwback sportswear and stuff like this.”

His interest in American sports gear occasionally leads to some humorous interactions.

“I’ve got like this Pittsburgh Steelers letterman jacket with all their championships on it,” he says. “I’ll be walking down the street sometimes and someone will be like ‘Steelers!” And I’m looking around and going, ‘Oh, yeah, go Steelers!’ Because to me, it’s just like nice clothing while I don’t really know so much about it.”

While Grafton may not know the ins and outs of the NFL and NBA, the Stars ambassador certainly knows his way around the poker table. He has $13.2 million in live tournament winnings and recently spoke with PokerScout at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, where he found a deep run in the PSPC.

Grafton discussed his life in the game, including learning the ropes in a pool hall and cash games after late night working in a London club.

Competitiveness & PokerStars PSPC success

Grafton’s interest in sports jerseys may come with some ulterior motives. He brings a few on the road for poker tournaments and feels a bit more of a competitive mindset come with donning some basketball or football gear.

That seemed to work out in the Bahamas. He took 12th in the PSPC for $238,700 , but that came with some mixed emotions after such a huge 2022 and coming so close to another massive final table appearance. He also scored 52nd in the PCA Main Event for $29,400.

“In one sense, it’s really nice to run deep to day three, so you feel like you’re deeper in the tournament,” he says. “You feel like ‘I’m in with a chance of winning this thing.’ Obviously with 1,000 runners, to get 12th is a very, very deep finish.

“So in one sense, it gives me a sense that I’m playing well and very proud of how I played. On the other hand, it’s a little bit of a crossbar moment, not quite getting there, not quite finishing things off.”

Despite some of those misgivings, Grafton loved the experience in the Bahamas

“I think the atmosphere is unbelievable,” he told PokerScout. “Because people are bringing their families, girlfriends, partners, husbands, and loved ones. So that’s really nice – being able to just spend the morning on the beach, get the sand between your toes before you go and play poker.

“There’s just a very convivial atmosphere at the tables. And then I think, not to blow our own trumpet, but I think we’ve done a really good job of making this a great event. We’re setting the gold standard for how live events are conducted and I really think that we’ve done that here.”

A massive 2022 tournament record

Last year proved to be a big time for Grafton. In November, he scored a runner-up finish in the €50,000 Diamond High Roller in the World Series of Poker Europe for $465,852.

September came with a win in the $200,000 Triton Poker Coin Rivet Invitational, taking down a massive $5.5 million. In the same series, Grafton grabbed a runner-up in a $50,000 event for another $994,500.

In May he landed a fifth-place finish in a €100,000 Triton event for $756,631. March included a win and runner-up in European Poker Tour Prague events for a combined $300,000. Throughout much of the year, deep tournament runs kept heading Grafton’s way.

Winning pool hall poker sessions

Many of those skills at the poker table came after learning the game late in his 20s. After graduating from university, Grafton moved back home for a while. His brothers regularly played cards and some snooker at a local billiards hall. Grafton soon joined in.

“I used to go down there with the little bit of money I’d earned and play,” he says. “And I was always interested in winning because I couldn’t really afford to lose. I needed it to be a sort of self-sustaining hobby where I could at least break even, so straight away I was interested in the strategy of things.”

Grafton joins a long list of players who found poker at the pool hall. That includes legends like Bobby Baldwin, Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston, and Daniel Negreanu.

In his autobiography The Godfather of Poker, Doyle Brunson even described playing in the back of a billiards hall when someone was shot. He escaped through a creek behind the building. Grafton’s games were a bit more docile than that story.

Sam Grafton battling on Day 2 of the PokerStars Players Championship in the Bahamas. (photos courtesy PokerStars/Joe Giron)

Sober guy at the poker table

After moving to London, Grafton took a job at a nightclub making about £80 a night. After those late night hours, he’d then hit a poker room. Working the front of the club instead of being a patron came with an advantage. 

“It was probably a good time to play because I was stone cold, sober having finished my shift and everyone else was drunk,” he says.

At the end of the night, Grafton often came out ahead. While doing an unpaid internship at an NGO, poker seemed like a nice way to pay the rent. He’d play up to five nights a week and just seemed to keep winning.

“I came to love it,” he says. “I’d finish my shift and I’d get the train from south London to east London, and go in and play and get the last tube home. During the days, I’d just be thinking about poker hands and I’d be so excited to go and keep playing. When the internship finished, I just kept going.”

With millions of dollars in winnings and now representing PokerStars, that looks to have been a wise decision.

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Triton Vietnam Features GGPoker Qualifiers, Live Super MILLION$; Overlay Edition Now Underway

After announcing a partnership with Triton Poker last year, GGPoker is now sending online qualifiers to the upcoming stop in Vietnam.

After announcing a partnership with Triton Poker last year, GGPoker is now sending online qualifiers to the high stakes series’ upcoming stop in Vietnam.

The series will see Average Joe online poker qualifiers taking a shot on one of poker’s biggest stages. These players will take on some of the best and well-heeled players in the world, adding a unique twist to the nosebleed stakes festival. The event also marks GG’s first live Super MILLION$ tournament. 

In other news, the Overlay Edition event is now underway, offering players a shot at a big payout for a small buy-in. The event features several days of starting flights and an eight-figure guarantee.

Previewing the Triton Vietnam series

The Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam is set for March 1-13 at the Hoiana Resort. Players will find 13 events with buy-ins ranging from $$15,000 to $100,000.

Events feature No Limit Hold’em as well as Short Deck, and two championship events highlight the schedule. The $100,000 NLHE Main Event begins on March 8 with the $100,000 Short Deck Main Event set for March 12. The series also includes a $20,000 Mystery Bounty event on March 3 as well.  

Triton has become a popular series for poker fans to check out online. Organizers offer viewers a high-quality streaming production available on the Triton YouTube and Twitch channels.

As organizers told PokerScout in August, the company has also invested heavily in the Triton app. This allows poker fans to easily follow the action at home as well with updates, chip counts, and more. Here’s a look at the entire Vietnam schedule.

Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam

DateEventBuy–inDay
March 1#1 GG SUPER MILLIONS LIVE$25,0001
March 2#1 GG SUPER MILLIONS LIVE$25,0002
March 2#2 NLHE – 7 HANDED$15,0001
March 3#2 NLHE – 7 HANDED$15,0002
March 3#3 NLHE – 8 HANDED MYSTERY BOUNTY$20,0001
March 4#3 NLHE – 8 HANDED MYSTERY BOUNTY$20,0002
March 4#5 NLHE – 7 HANDED$30,0001
March 5#5 NLHE – 7 HANDED$30,0002
March 5#6 NLHE – 8 HANDED$50,0001
March 6#6 NLHE – 8 HANDED$50,0002
March 6#7 NLHE – 8 HANDED$75,0001
March 7#7 NLHE – 8 HANDED$75,0002
March 7#8 NLHE – TURBO$25,000single
March 8#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,0001
March 9#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,0002
March 9#10 NLHE – TURBO$50,000single
March 10#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,000final table
March 10#11 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$25,0001
March 11#11 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$25,0002
March 11#12 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$50,0001
March 12#12 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$50,0002
March 12#13 SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT$100,0001
March 13#13 SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT$100,0002
March 13#15 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$20,0001

Triton online qualifying at GGPoker

Once again, GGPoker is a Triton title sponsor for the Vietnam stop. The site has run numerous satellites, allowing players to potentially score a hefty five-figure buy-in for a much lower price point.

Players can begin in a $25 Road to Triton qualifier, which then leads to a $250 satellite. Players advancing in those then move into $2,625 Road To Triton super satellites.

Those guarantee one live tournament seat for every $26,500 in the prize pool. These lucky players will then take a seat in Event 1: $25,000 GGPoker Super MILLION$ Live on March 1.

“As the event is a high roller tournament, there’s not massive numbers going but I would expect a dozen or so GGPoker players will qualify,” company head of media relations Paul Burke said.

This is the first of the new live GGPoker Super MILLION$ events as well. Players can earn points for the SuperRanking leaderboard, which GG announced in January.

The leaderboard combines live and online Super MILLION$ results. The top players at the end of the year is designated as a “SuperPro” and receives:

  • Super Platinum level designation in GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program. This entitles the player to the equivalent of 100% cashback at GGPoker and in all online and offline Super MILLION$ events.
  • A custom GGPoker SuperPro avatar.
  • Additional benefits revealed throughout the year.

The second- and third-place finishers also earn the same benefits (except for the SuperPro avatar).

Overlay Edition kicks off, $10 million guaranteed

Along with a chance to get in the Triton action at a small buy-in, GG is also offering the GGMasters Overlay Edition for players with smaller bankrolls. The event features a $150 buy-in and offers a $10 million guarantee, meaning plenty of bang for the buck.

The site is also offering numerous qualifiers starting at just $2. GG is promising at least $1 million of overlay no matter if the tournament meets the guarantee or not.

Starting flights began on Sunday with numerous opportunities to enter until Day 2 gets started on Feb. 27.

“We’re happy with the participation so far,” Burke said. “We are still confident there will be a big overlay, a minimum of $1 million to be added by either GGPoker or (site ambassador) Daniel Negreanu, depending on the final prize pool generated by players. There is still lots of time for players to take part though, so we won’t know numbers for sure until after the weekend.”

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ESPT Series Returns With Five PokerStars Live Events Across Spain, Online Qualifiers Included

PokerStars announced on Monday the return of the Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT) with five stops planned for this year. The tour brings major tournaments across Spain, featuring major prize pools and plenty of side events.

The first event is set for Madrid, kicking off March 23. All events feature online qualifiers available for players looking to win a tournament package.

At each stop on the schedule, tour organizers promise “the electric atmosphere and experience that comes with a live event.”

Details on the PokerStars ESPT schedule

The Madrid series is set to play out at Gran Madrid Casino Torrelodones from March 23 – April 2. Summer then brings the ESPT Castellón at Orenes Gran Casino Castellón from June 29 – July 9.

The tournament action then heats up at Casino Barcelona from Aug. 21-27. The fall then brings a pair of events to close out the schedule. ESPT Málaga hits Casino De Juego De Torrequebrada from Sept. 14-24.

That’s followed by Casino Admiral Sevilla from Nov. 2-12. Each stop includes a €1,100 Main Event and €2,200 High Roller.

Qualifying online, new partnership announced

Players around the world looking to grab a seat can qualify via the .COM, .FR and .ES platforms. Online satellites feature two types of prizes up for grabs:

  • Tournament seat only – valued at €1,100
  • Tournament seat plus expenses package – valued at €1,500

A key ESPT highlight is the announcement of a new partnership with Campeonato de España de Poker (CEP), Spain’s major tournament series.

CEP tournaments will open each festival for the first few days before the ESPT events commence. Organizers believe the agreement adds significantly to the live poker scene in Spain.

PokerStars announced on Monday the return of the Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT) with five stops planned for this year. T

 “We are delighted with this agreement,” CEP manager Salvador Suriol said in a news release. “For years, the organization has been working to consolidate the deal for the Spanish circuits as a leader and benchmark in poker.

“In 2018, we were the circuit with the highest number of total participants. In 2019 we were the circuit with the highest number of participants, both total and on average of all the stops. For sure this new collaboration will allow the CEP to take another leap in quality and we hope that the players are as excited as we are.”

PokerStars has announced more and more live events for 2023. That recently included the announcement that the Latin American Poker Tour would also be revived.

The PokerStars Eureka series also heads to King’s Casino in Czech Republic from March 13-20. That series features a €1,100 Main Event from March 16-20 with a €1 million guarantee.

Spain now becomes a major part of PokerStars Live schedule as well. Here’s a look at the complete series.

PokerStars Estrellas Poker Tour 2023

CityLocationDates
MadridGran Madrid Casino TorrelodonesMarch 23 – April 2
CastellónOrenes Gran Casino CastellónJune 29 – July 9
BarcelonaCasino BarcelonaAug. 21-27
MálagaCasino De Juego De TorrequebradaSept. 14-24
SevillaCasino Admiral SevillaNov. 2-12

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Poker, Travel, & Content Creation: A Conversation With PokerStars Ambassador Parker Talbot 

PokerStars streamer and ambassador Parker Talbot spoke with PokerScout at the PCA about being poker nomad, new projects, content creation, and more.

PokerStars streamer ambassador Parker “Tonkaaap” Talbot has hit the poker road for the long haul. The Canadian has $1.1 million in live tournament winnings and hopes to boost that with some time away from home.

Talbot has been a bit of a poker nomad lately. More travel is in the works for the coming months, he told PokerScout while at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

“It’ll be fun,” he said of the continued travel. “I’m still young and hip with it enough that I can get away with that. I feel like I’m getting a bit old for living out of a suitcase, but it’ll be alright. I’ll enjoy it for sure.”

Recently Talbot visited the Bahamas, Croatia, and other parts of Europe. More live poker and more travel certainly seem on his menu. He spoke with PokerScout about poker in Canada, travel, streaming, new projects, and more.

Poker changes in Ontario, hitting the road

Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Talbot (pictured in lead image courtesy PokerStars/Eloy Cabacas) witnessed the online poker changes in his home province last year. Ontario went from a wide-open market to a ringed-in environment.

Some skilled players, like fellow Stars ambassador Arlie Shaban, have found success in smaller fields. Others would rather be part of the larger international online poker landscape.

So far, Talbot hasn’t played in the Ontario market after hitting the road for more live action. 

“I was only really home for a couple of weeks over the holidays,” he said. “I basically bounced from Ontario when it happened.

“I stayed at Spraggy’s (Ben Spragg) house for a couple months, just bopping around and playing on the .com client. So I’ve just stayed out of the Ontario player pool and stayed in the main player pool outside of Ontario. I’ve just been traveling around and that’s going to be the plan for the next few months.”

The road trip paid off in December with a fifth-place finish in the European Poker Tour Prague Main Event for $293,352.

More travel on the horizon

Croatia has been a particular favorite. Talbot visited a friend in the country for a couple weeks and is eager for a return trip.

“I might end up there for a couple months this year at some point just to chill and whatever,” he says. “It’s just a really nice place. Everybody’s really friendly, everything’s cheap.”

Some other potential trips include South America, notably Brazil, as well as Asia. Also next up for Talbot is a poker trip to the EPT stop in Paris, France. Life as a full-time poker player has gone hand in hand with traveling for those who enjoy life on the road exploring. That seems to describe the Canadian poker pro.

“I really need to do some traveling abroad,” he says. “I’ve literally just spent my life in North America and in Europe more or less … but not really outside of those. I could just bounce around. I like to plan to go to places where I have friends or know people already.”

Moving beyond streaming

Many poker fans know Talbot from his Twitch channel, which has 125,000 followers. He’s also active on social media and has a YouTube channel with 69,000 subscribers.

Talbot has streamed less lately, but still plans on some upcoming month-long stints of major online series. Some new media projects are also ahead including teaming up with Spragg

“I’ll be doing a lot of YouTube this year, playing and doing some live poker vlogs,`” he says. “Spraggy and I have got a bunch of YouTube cooked up for the pipeline this year. So you’re going to do a bunch of YouTube content this year in a couple of months.”

Returning to YouTube brings Talbot back to a place earlier in his career. He regularly dropped stream highlights on the site and had one of the biggest poker YouTube channels at one point. The new effort will offer more unique content.

Viewers may not realize just how much work goes into creating video content, Talbot notes. Seeing return on investment requires plenty of effort and content creators do much more than turn on the cameras.

“I’m not editing videos myself or doing anything like that, I’ve got a team for that,” he says. “But even on the content side, obviously it’s a grind. During the whole back end of uploading and editing and all that, the people who do YouTube and do all that stuff on their own, I have mad respect because it’s serious. It’s a lot of work.”

Bringing something new

Finding an audience among a packed Twitch, YourTube, and podcast environment isn’t easy. A quick search for “poker” among any of these platforms yields dozens and dozens of options. Finding a niche can be challenging. Talbot sees YouTube as quite different however

“With YouTube, I find that there’s really no reason to separate each other,” he says. “YouTube is really a different beast than Twitch. On Twitch, you have a listing and you’re competing with everyone in the listing for viewers. The top dog is always going to get the most viewership.

“Whereas on YouTube, if you have similar content you can just push people toward each other. Because you don’t watch a video at the same time – you watch a video and then another video and then another video. So if you have a whole bunch of similar content like me, Fintan Hand, Lex Veldhuis, and Spragg all in the Twitch poker listing, obviously we’re going to be cutting each other’s throats battling for viewership.”

However on YouTube, Talbot sees more of a team approach with his fellow PokerStars ambassadors and streamers.

“I think we can push viewers to each other’s channels and kind of grow together,” he says. “So I don’t think it’s necessarily that important to differentiate each other – just make good content.”


Advice for others & fun times in the Bahamas

As poker streaming and vlogging continue to grow in popularity, more players seem ready to fire up the microphone and camera. With hundreds of hours on stream, Talbot offered some advice for those looking to dive. Making sure there is some consistency is a major part of that.

“If you want to do it, just do it,” he says. “It’s not that hard. We’ve all got iPhones these days with good cameras. You can vlog if you want to.

“Once you make a go of something, be it streaming, YouTube, whatever, you have to make a schedule and stick to it. It’s the most important thing with any kind of social media, influencing, Twitch, YouTube, anything like that. Hopefully have a personality for it and be a little bit entertaining.”

Talbot was pleased to see the PCA return this year. He thinks the series served as a great way to bring players of all levels together, especially for the PokerStars Players Championship.

“Four years later, finally,” he says. “It’s incredible. I haven’t heard any bad things yet. Everybody that I’ve talked to just had a good time.”

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ON THE BUTTON: Rafael Moraes Talks Brazilian Poker, His Father’s Approval, Twitch, & More

PokerStars ambassador Rafael Moraes spoke about his poker life, winning his father's approval to play full time, Twitch, and more.

Brazil has become a booming market for online poker and the game in general over the last few years. That ranges from seeing major tournament winners to the rapid growth of the online game in the country.

Companies such as PokerStars are investing heavily in the market with events like the Brazilian Series of Poker and other events. Stars ambassador Rafael Moraes has seen that growth in the land of samba and sun first hand. He believes Brazil’s passion for sports and a deep sense of community go hand in hand with poker’s surge in popularity.

“It’s crazy,” he told PokerScout recently while playing in the PokerStars No Limit Hold’em Players Championship. “I think the Brazilian community is so strong. We have a culture for football (soccer) and we love competition. We all love to be together, we love to root for friends.”

And while many in the country may not have the funds to play at higher levels, seeing countrymen do well is a major part of players’ interest in the game.

“We are a country with a lot of difficulty, a country without so much money for basic things,” Moraes says. “And when we see some Brazilians doing nice things in the world, it’s amazing. They are representing us, so I think in the last five years that has come to poker. That kind of social game and competition does really well in Brazil.”

Moraes has his own Brazilian poker success story to add to that dynamic.

Father gives poker life the thumbs up

Like some other poker pros, Maroes gravitated to poker from another game – chess. But as a teenager, he realized some of those same skills could apply to a game that offered a better chance at a payday.

“I was an amateur chess player,” he says. “A lot of chess players in Brazil started to migrate to playing poker because there are better odds to make money. Poker is a mind game like chess. So I started playing at PokerStars when I was 18, and started to make some money playing tournaments while in university at that time.”

Those winnings continued to grow and Moraes soon faced a crossroads – whether to launch into poker full time or not. Making that jump isn’t always a popular choice among players’ family members, at least initially. However, Moraes experienced quite the opposite when he decided to see where the game could take him.

“I asked my father if I could try to play poker for a living,” he says. “And my father said, ‘but son, what’s poker?’”

Poker is more of a family game in Brazil, Moraes says. Many don’t realize there is serious money to be made for skilled players.  He asked his father to read a book on poker, which he did in one day. After understanding how the game works, Moraes’s father gave his blessing.

“He’s an engineer, so he knows a lot about mathematics and odds,” Moraes says. “It’s amazing how he understood that game. He said it was good that I was making money.”

Moraes’s father said his son was still young and could see how things went. If the poker career didn’t pan out, he could return to his university studies.

Streaming, playing, and finding poker success

Now age 30, that choice has worked out well. He now has more than $1.9 million in live tournament winnings. The biggest of that came in 2016 when the player originally from Sao Paulo scored third in the €25,750 High Roller at the European Poker Tour Monte Carlo. That brought a payday of $655,779.

In 2022, Moraes won a Brazilian Series of Poker event for $60,762. When not playing live, he can also be found streaming on Twitch. He loves that aspect of his poker life because Maroes sees Twitch as a way to spread his love of the game in Brazil.


“The people in Brazil can see me playing, teaching, making final tables, and running deep,” he says. “Every week I run a freeroll on my home game on PokerStars. They can start to play without a bankroll. Because in Brazil a $10 buy-in is too much for a lot of people. With my freerolls, community, and teaching classes, people can start playing without putting up much money.”

Looking back, Moraes knows his father’s blessing helped launch him to success on the felt. He’s happy to be living his dream.

“Now I’m a high stakes poker player,” he says. “And I’m traveling abroad, playing the biggest PokerStars events on the road, and I live stream my play on Twitch.”

For Moraes, that’s the perfect poker life.

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888poker Launches Mystery Bounty Festival with $2 Million Guaranteed, $300,000 Main Event

The 888poker Mystery Bounty Festival runs Feb. 19 – March 7 with more than $2 million guaranteed including a $300,000 guarantee.

Fresh off the XL Winter Series, 888poker is back with more tournament action for online poker players this month – and all in the mystery bounty format.

The Mystery Bounty Festival runs Feb. 19 – March 7 with more than $2 million guaranteed. Buy-ins range from $1 to $55 and players will find several starting flights for the $160 Main Event. That tournament comes with a $300,000 guarantee. 

“We’re going all out this February with an entire series jam-packed with mystery bounties,” 888 noted in a news release. “For the first time ever, every tournament in the series will feature a mystery bounty. So, you don’t have to finish in the money to win massively in this poker series – possibly win up to $30,000 cash in one single knockout.”

A look at the 888poker Mystery Bounty Festival

With the Mystery Bounty Festival, 888 has again offered players a series for all levels and bankrolls. Events range from micro stakes to high rollers with all events featuring No Limit Hold’em.

Main Event starting flights run from March 1-6, culminating with Day 2 on March 6. The final table is set for March 7 and streamed live on the Twitch 888pokerTV channel.

Another series highlight is the $109 Mystery Bounty Eight-Max, which runs Feb. 23-27. The mUlti-starting flight tournament features a $150,000 guarantee. The final table also streams on 888pokerTV on Feb. 28.

The action gets started with some nice events on the first day of the series. An $11 Mystery Bounty event kicks off the series with a $20,000 guarantee. Players will also find a $55 version with a $50,000 guarantee and a $109 version with a $120,000 guarantee.

For those new to a mystery bounty, the format is a bit different than a traditional bounty tournament. Instead of cashing in on a set amount when eliminating an opponent, a player receives a random prize. Some of those can be some large payouts.

The events have become popular on the live poker felt as well as online. As the name implies, the tournaments add some real mystery to the bounty process.

Grabbing mystery bounty tournament tickets at a bargain price

Players looking to get in the mystery bounty action will find a few lower-cost options. Bigger events on the schedule feature satellites for a chance at a seat via a reduced point. That includes $16.50 satellites for the Main Event. Here’s look at a few other qualifying opportunities:

  • Play daily freerolls for a chance to play the Mystery Bounty Main Event.
  • Qualify via satellites to the Main Event for as little as $0.01.
  • Win a Main Event ticket in a random gift drop.

Watching streamed final tables also offer players a chance to win tournament tickets, including some for the Main Event. Here’s a look at the streaming schedule.

  • $120,000 Mystery Bounty Opening final table plus giveaways – Feb. 20
  • $150,000 Mystery Bounty Eight-Max plus giveaways –  Feb. 28
  • $300,000 Main Event – March 7

Additionally, the 888 StreamTeam and other ambassadors will stream their play during various events. They will have tournament tickets up for grabs as well. Here’s a look at the entire mystery bounty schedule.

888poker Mystery Bounty Festival

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
Feb. 19$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 19$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 19MB Festival #01 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty Opening 11		$11$20,000
Feb. 19$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 19$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 19MB Festival #02 –
$50,000 Mystery Bounty Opening 55		$55$50,000
Feb. 19$8,000 MB Festival –
Sunday Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$8,000
Feb. 19MB Festival #03 –
$120,000 Mystery Bounty Opening 109		$109$120,000
Feb. 19$25,000 MB Festival –
Sunday Mystery Bounty 22		$22$25,000
Feb. 19$35,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 525		$525$35,000
Feb. 19$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 19$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 19$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 19$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 19$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 20$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 20$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 20MB Festival #04 - $15,000
Mystery Bounty 8-Max 11		$11$15,000
Feb. 20$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 20$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 20$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Feb. 20$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Feb. 20$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Feb. 20MB Festival #05 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max 109		$109$15,000
Feb. 20$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 20$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 20$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 20$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 20$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 21$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 21$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 21$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Feb. 21$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 21$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 21$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Feb. 21MB Festival #06 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty Turbo Deep Mini 22		$22$15,000
Feb. 21$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Feb. 21MB Festival #07 –
$25,000 Mystery Bounty Turbo Deep 320		$320$25,000
Feb. 21$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 21$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 21$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 21$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 21$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 22$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 22$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 22$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Feb. 22$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 22$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 22$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Feb. 22MB Festival #08 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 6-Max Mini 22		$22$15,000
Feb. 22$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Feb. 22MB Festival #09 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 6-Max 109		$109$20,000
Feb. 22$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 22$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 22$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 22$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 22$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 23$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 23$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 23$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Feb. 23$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 23$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 23MB Festival #10 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 55		$55$20,000
Feb. 23$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Feb. 23MB Festival #11 –
$6,000 Mystery Bounty 5.5		$5.50$6,000
Feb. 23$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Feb. 23$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 23$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 23$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 23$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 23$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 23MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max
(Day 1s are running 23.02-27.02)		$109$0
Feb. 24$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 24$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 24$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Feb. 24$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 24$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 24$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Feb. 24$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Feb. 24$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Feb. 24$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Feb. 24$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 24$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 24$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 24$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 24$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 24MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max
(Day 1s are running 23.02-27.02)		$109$0
Feb. 25$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 25$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 25$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Feb. 25$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 25$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 25MB Festival #12 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 55		$55$20,000
Feb. 25$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Feb. 25$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Feb. 25$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Feb. 25$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 25$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 25$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 25$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 25$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 25MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max
(Day 1s are running 23.02-27.02)		$109$0
Feb. 26$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 26$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 26MB Festival #13 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 11 8-Max		$11$20,000
Feb. 26$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 26$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 26MB Festival #14 –
$50,000 Mystery Bounty 55 8-Max		$55$50,000
Feb. 26MB Festival #15 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 5.5 8-Max		$5.50$15,000
Feb. 26$25,000 MB Festival –
Sunday Mystery Bounty 22 8-Max		$22$25,000
Feb. 26$35,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 525		$525$35,000
Feb. 26$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 26$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 26$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 26$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 26$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 26MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max
(Day 1s are running 23.02-27.02)		$109$0
Feb. 27$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 27$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 27MB Festival #16 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 11 6-Max		$11$15,000
Feb. 27$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 27$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 27$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Feb. 27$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Feb. 27$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Feb. 27MB Festival #17 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 109 6-Max		$109$15,000
Feb. 27MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max (Day 2)		$109$150,000
Feb. 27$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 27$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 27$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 27$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 27$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Feb. 27MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max
(Day 1s are running 23.02-27.02)		$109-
Feb. 28$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Feb. 28$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Feb. 28$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Feb. 28$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Feb. 28$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Feb. 28MB Festival #19 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 55
Turbo Deep 6-Max		$55$20,000
Feb. 28$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Feb. 28MB Festival #20 –
$6,000 Mystery Bounty 5.5
Turbo Deep 6-Max		$5.50$6,000
Feb. 28MB Festival #18 –
$150,000 Mystery Bounty 8-Max (FT)		--
Feb. 28$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Feb. 28$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Feb. 28$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Feb. 28$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Feb. 28$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Feb. 28$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Mar. 1$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Mar. 1$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Mar. 1MB Festival #21 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 11 8-Max		$11$15,000
Mar. 1$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Mar. 1$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Mar. 1$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Mar. 1$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Mar. 1$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Mar. 1MB Festival #22 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 109 8-Max		$109$15,000
Mar. 1$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Mar. 1$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Mar. 1$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Mar. 1$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Mar. 1$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Mar. 1MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event
(Day 1s are running 01.03-06.03)		$160-
Mar. 2$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Mar. 2$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Mar. 2$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Mar. 2$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Mar. 2$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Mar. 2MB Festival #23 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 55		$55$20,000
Mar. 2$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Mar. 2MB Festival #24 –
$6,000 Mystery Bounty 5.5		$5.50$6,000
Mar. 2$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Mar. 2$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Mar. 2$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Mar. 2$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Mar. 2$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Mar. 2$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Mar. 2MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event
(Day 1s are running 01.03-06.03)		$160-
Mar. 3$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Mar. 3$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Mar. 3$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Mar. 3$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Mar. 3$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Mar. 3$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Mar. 3$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Mar. 3$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Mar. 3$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Mar. 3$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Mar. 3$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Mar. 3$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Mar. 3$2,500 MB Festival – L
ate Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Mar. 3$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Mar. 3MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event
(Day 1s are running 01.03-06.03)		$160-
Mar. 4$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Mar. 4$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Mar. 4$10,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 11		$11$10,000
Mar. 4$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Mar. 4$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Mar. 4MB Festival #25 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 55 8-Max		$55$20,000
Mar. 4$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Mar. 4$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Mar. 4$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 109		$109$12,000
Mar. 4$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Mar. 4$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Mar. 4$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Mar. 4$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Mar. 4$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Mar. 4MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event
(Day 1s are running 01.03-06.03)		$160-
Mar. 5$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Mar. 5$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Mar. 5MB Festival #26 –
$20,000 Mystery Bounty 11 6-Max		$11$20,000
Mar. 5$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Mar. 5$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Mar. 5MB Festival #27 –
$50,000 Mystery Bounty 55 6-Max		$55$50,000
Mar. 5MB Festival #28 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 5.5 6-Max		$5.50$15,000
Mar. 5$25,000 Mystery Bounty 22$22$25,000
Mar. 5$35,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 525		$525$35,000
Mar. 5$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Mar. 5$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Mar. 5$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Mar. 5$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Mar. 5$1,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$1,500
Mar. 5MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event
(Day 1s are running 01.03-06.03)		$160-
Mar. 6$1,200 MB Festival –
Early Mystery Bounty 11		$11$1,200
Mar. 6$3,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 33		$33$3,000
Mar. 6MB Festival #29 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 11		$11$15,000
Mar. 6$1,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 1		$1$1,500
Mar. 6$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 8.80		$8.80$5,000
Mar. 6$15,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 55		$55$15,000
Mar. 6$12,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 22		$22$12,000
Mar. 6$5,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 5.50		$5.50$5,000
Mar. 6MB Festival #30 –
$15,000 Mystery Bounty 109		$109$15,000
Mar. 6MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event (day 2)		-$300,000
Mar. 6$2,000 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 2.20		$2.20$2,000
Mar. 6$4,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55		$55$4,500
Mar. 6$2,500 MB Festival –
Mystery Bounty Dash 16.5		$16.50$2,500
Mar. 6$2,500 MB Festival –
Late Mystery Bounty Dash 33		$33$2,500
Mar. 6MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event
(Day 1s are running 01.03-06.03)		$160-
Mar. 7MB Festival –
$300,000 Main Event (FT)

★★★ Ready to get in the action at 888poker? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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WPT Roundup: Fabrice Bigot Wins France Event, Tour Teams Up With One Drop Foundation, & More

The WPT's latest international stop concluded recently with Fabrice Bigot taking down the €1,100 Prime Paris event for $193,291.

The World Poker Tour’s latest international stop concluded recently with Fabrice Bigot taking down the €1,100 Prime Paris event for $193,291.

This marked the biggest cash of the Frenchman’s poker career. He now has more than $715,000 in live tournament winnings.

In other news, the WPT also recently announced a new partnership with the One Drop Foundation. The agreement brings a new initiative to the tour’s own charitable foundation. Here’s a quick look at the events as well as some WPT tournaments on the horizon.

A look at the WPT Prime Paris event

The event at the Club Circus Paris in France marked the first event for the WPT of 2023. The tournament wrapped up on Feb. 5 and the event saw 1,071 entries for a $1.1 million prize pool.

Along with the payout, Bigot (pictured in lead image courtesy WPT) earned a $10,400 seat to the 2023 WPT World Championship. The December event at the Wynn Las Vegas proved popular with players and saw big numbers. The tour is once again running the championship this year with event winners grabbing a seat throughout Season XXI.

Bigot finished Day 2 second in chips going into the eight-handed final table. He sat just behind Sabare Atmani, but continued to grow his stack throughout the day.

 

The two eventually faced off heads up for the title with Bigot holding more than a 2-to-1 chip advantage – 22.3 million to 9.9 million. That proved too much and after 11 hands, Bigot finished off his opponent.

The final hand saw both players see a flop of J♠10♠9♦. Atmani checked and Bigot made a bet of 800,000. Atmani then moved all in for the last of his 6.8 million.

Bigot called with A♥J♦ and top pair while Atmani held 10♥7♣ with middle pair and inside straight draw. The 6♠ and 2♥ brought no help for Atmani and Bigot had the title.

“I feel like I am where I should be,” Bigot said before the final table got underway. That certainly proved to be the case. Here are the final table payouts.

WPT Prime Paris

  1. Fabrice Bigot – $194,390
  2. Sabare Atmani – $123,934
  3. Alexandre Le Vaillant – $92,128
  4. Federico Cirillo – $69,096
  5. Antoine Labat – $51,548
  6. Manuel Coimbra – $39,483
  7. Hakim Chniyat – $30,709
  8. Timothee Scotti – $24,129

Tour announces new charity poker initiatives

In other news, the WPT announced a new deal with the One Drop Foundation this week. The agreement sees the organizations teaming up for charity poker initiatives in the coming year.

One Drop, which has also worked with the World Series of Poker, helps provide access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to impoverished communities. Tour officials promise charity events hosted by WPT casino partners around the world.

“WPT has always committed to giving back to those in need both locally and globally,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said in a news release. “Through the WPT Foundation, we have utilized our position in the poker community to raise millions of dollars in funding for non-profit organizations, and we are eager to continue this charitable thread by teaming up with the incredible One Drop Foundation.”

Over the past 10 years, the WPT Foundation has helped raise more than $45 million for numerous charities including: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Conservation International; Education Reform Now; K9s for Warriors; the NASCAR Foundation, Special Olympics, World Central Kitchen; and more. One Drop officials were pleased to join that group of beneficiaries.

“The One Drop Foundation has raised more than $25 million through poker events over the past decade,” One Drop Chief Marketing Officer Alexandre Meunier said. “We now look forward to the next milestone in our mission to improve access to safe water and living conditions for millions across the globe. We are confident the WPT is the ideal partner to help us achieve that goal, hand in hand with the global poker community.”

Since 2012, the WPT and One Drop foundations have raised a combined total of over $70 million for global causes.

Looking ahead at upcoming WPT events

More action is on the horizon for the WPT. While the first Main Tour event isn’t until April, some other Prime events are in the works.

The Prime Gold Coast heads to The Star Gold Coast casino in Australia. The festival runs Feb. 23 – March 6 with the main event running March 2-6.

Two more Prime events are also set for the same month with the Cambodia main event running March 16-20. That’s followed by the stop in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from March 28-31.

The First Main Tour event of the year is the $3,500 Rolling Thunder in California, set for April 1-4. That’s followed by the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in Florida from April 28 – May 2.

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Players Score $50,000 Jackpot in $5 Blast Sit & Go at 888poker

Three 888poker players recently played a $5 Blast sit & go on the site and score a share of a $50,000 prize pool.

Five bucks recently paid off in a big way for a few online poker players at 888poker. The site’s popular Blast sit & go events saw three players score a $50,000 prize pool in a $5 event.

These lucky competitors played for prize money worth 10,000 times their buy-in. While the events are usually a winner-take-all format, when these mega-prize pools are triggered, all players have a chance at some nice cash.

“Blast jackpot poker games are one of the hottest tickets on 888poker,” the company noted in a news release. “The games are super fast, and players only have to beat two opponents to take home the top prize. We’re kicking off 2023 right with another big hit.”

888poker player finds huge win for only $5

“FlushyFish” became the latest Blast player to cash in big in January. This player swam to the top, pocketing a cool $35,000 for the win.

Fish wasn’t the only player to grab a five-figure payday. “Dustin69” finished runner-up for $10,000, quite a return on his $5 buy-in.

Even the third-place finisher recorded a nice payout as well. “ryan3212” walked away with $5,000.

In total, 888 Blast sit & go’s paid out more than $130 million in 2022. Buy-ins ranged from 10 cents all the way up to $100 with players choosing from Fast Blast and regular Blast structures.

Several Blast players found some huge payouts in 2022, with the top prize pool topping out at $100,000. In 2021, three players hit the $1 million ultimate jackpot. That level rewards $700,000 for first, $200,000 for second, and $100,000 for third.

How do 888poker Blast tournaments work?

Looking to get in a Blast sit & go? Players simply need to visit the poker lobby and look for the Blast section. Next, join a table where the prize pool is then chosen at random before the cards are dealt.

The events can feature a prize pool of twice the buy-in and up to 10,000 times the buy-in. Players’ starting stacks are based on the prize pool awarded. The larger the prize pool, the more chips players receive.

The same goes for blind levels. The bigger the prize pool, the longer the blind levels. The last player standing wins the entire prize pool unless one of the mega jackpots are triggered.

At the urging of players, 888 made some significant changes to the tournament structure in 2022 . The timer and “automatic all-in” features were removed and the events now function more as a traditional small-field, quick-paced tournament. Here are the top five prize pools players can compete for at 888.

TournamentBuy-inPrize pool
$10 Blast$10$100,000
$2 Blast$2$20,000
$5 Blast$5$50,000
$5 Blast$5$50,000
10-cent Fast Blast (300 chips)$0.10$1,000

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Global Poker Awards Nominations Announced, Ceremony Coming March 3 from Las Vegas

The Global Poker Index and Hendon Mob recently announced the final nominations for the 2023 Global Poker Awards.

The Global Poker Index and Hendon Mob recently announced the final nominations for the 2023 Global Poker Awards. The fifth annual ceremony is set for March 3 and showcases some of the best in poker. 

The awards highlight some of the brightest players on the felt along with those in the industry. PokerGO will stream the ceremony from the streaming service’s studio at the Aria in Las Vegas.

Some of this years nominees include Joey Ingram, the World Series of Poker’s Jack Effel, PokerGO’s Mori Eskandani, Daniel Negreanu, and numerous others.

A look at Global Poker Award nominees

Some of this year’s categories include Best Poker Personality, Best Trophy, Best Hand, Favorite Live Stream, and more. Fans and poker players were able to vote for their favorite choices to narrow down the nominees. 

The event returned last year after a pause during the pandemic.  Poker commentator Jeff Platt returns to host the event and was pleased to be back last year after the hiatus. 

“It is good to be back in person,” Platt said. “After 23 months off we are here to celebrate the very best this industry has to offer.”

Some in the industry are looking to make it back-to-back this year. That list includes poker vlogger Brad Owen, tournament director Matt Savage, and Platt.

One player to watch is Ethan “Rampage” Yau, who is up for a third trophy in the Peoples’ Choice – Best Poker Personality category. He faces off against Ryan DePaulo, Felipe Ramos, and Lex Veldhuis. Veldhuis has already won the Best Streamer award twice. 

The Best Trophy category will crown a new champion. The PokerStars EPT Main Event, PokerGO Tour Stairway to Millions, Women’s Poker Association, and World Series of Poker Main Event are all nominated.

The Best Hand category sees the infamous Robbie Jade Lew “Jack-Four” hand going up against Daniel Negreanu’s runner-runner quads, David Diaz’s crucial Main Event fold, and a big bluff by Alejandro Lococo (aka Papo MC). Here’s a look at all the nominees.

Global Poker Awards
PLAYERS CHOICE FOR TOUGHEST OPPONENTBEST TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
Brian Altman (USA)Paul Campbell (USA)
Stephen Chidwick (England)Ray Pulford (USA)
Alex Foxen (USA)Matt Savage (USA)
Stephen Song (USA)Toby Stone (England)
BEST FINAL TABLE PERFORMANCEBEST EVENT
Daniel “Jungleman” Cates (USA), WSOP $50,000 PPCEPT Barcelona Main Event
Espen Uhlen Jørstad (Norway), WSOP Main EventTriton Poker Coin Rivet Invitational
Daniel Negreanu (Canada), Super High Roller Bowl VIIWorld Series of Poker Main Event
Stephen Song (USA), WPT Prime ChampionshipWPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas
GPI BREAKOUT PLAYERBEST MID-MAJOR CIRCUIT/TOUR
Angela Jordison (USA)RUNGOOD Poker Series (RGPS)
Espen Uhlen Jørstad (Norway)Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT)
Alejandro Lococo “PapoMC” (Argentina)World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC)
Punnat Punsri (Thailand)WPT Prime (WPTP)
Ethan “Rampage” Yau (USA)
BEST BROADCASTER
COMEBACK PLAYERJames Hartigan (Ireland)
Phil Ivey (USA)Jamie Kerstetter (USA)
Alex Keating (USA)Jeff Platt (USA)
Taylor von Kriegenbergh (USA)Nick Schulman (USA)
Daniel Weinman (USA)
BEST PODCAST
TWITTER PERSONALITYOnly Friends Podcast (Matt Berkey (USA), Melissa Schubert (USA), Landon Tice (USA) & Friends)
Phil Galfond (USA)Poker in the Ears (James Hartigan (Ireland), Joseph Stapleton (USA) for PokerStars)
Will Jaffe (USA)PokerGO Podcast (Timothy Duckworth (Australia), Donnie Peters (USA), Remko Rinkema (Netherlands) for PokerGO)
Jamie Kerstetter (USA)The Chip Race Poker Podcast (David Lappin (Ireland), Dara O’Kearney (Ireland) for Unibet Poker)
Marle Spragg (USA)
BEST MEDIA CONTENT: WRITTEN
BEST STREAMERTim Fiorvanti (USA) for WPT.com: Andrew Moreno Made Good on a 15-Year Dream
Kevin Martin “kevinmartin” (Canada)Connor Richards (USA) for PokerNews: The Endlessly Creative Side of Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel
Benjamin Spragg “Spraggy” (England)Jennifer Shahade (USA) for the Wall Street Journal: How Becoming a Poker Pro Helped Me Accept a Personal Tragedy
Jon Van Fleet “apestylespoker” (USA)Robbie Strazynski (Israel/USA) for Cardplayer Lifestyle: In the Name of the Father, the Son... and the Poker
Lex Veldhuis “LexVeldhuis” (Netherlands)
BEST MEDIA CONTENT: VIDEO
BEST VLOGGERCaitlin Comeskey (USA): A love letter to the investigation parody
Jaman Burton (USA)Joey Ingram (USA): Emergency Investigation: Garrett vs. Robbi on Hustler Live
Mariano Grandoli (ARG)Gregory “Greg Goes All In” Liow (Canada): Poker vlogger who doesn’t understand that the voice over is done in post
Brad Owen (USA)Marle Spragg (USA): Solvers.
Ethan “Rampage” Yau (USA)
BEST MEDIA CONTENT: PHOTO
RISING STAR IN CONTENT CREATIONAntonio Abrego (USA) for PokerGO: “Oooooooooooo yeah!”
Natalie Bode (USA)Hayley Hochstetler (USA): Glantz Pulls Million Dollar Bounty
Caitlin Comeskey (USA)Alec Rome (USA) for PokerNews/WSOP: Schindler Wins First WSOP Bracelet
Jesse Fullen (USA)Spenser Sembrat (USA) for PokerNews/WSOP: “That First Bracelet Feeling”
Lexy Gavin-Mather (USA)
BEST INDUSTRY PERSON
Ryan Beauregard (USA)
Jack Effel (USA)
Mori Eskandani (Iran/USA)
Tana Karn (USA)

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POKER PODIUM: Nice Wins from Kenny Hallaert, Niklas Astedt; PCA, PSPC Events Wrap Up & More

Poker Podium once again takes a look at online and live poker winners from January including nce scores from Kenny Hallaert and Niklas Astedt.

The poker world was busy in January with many online events as well as players heading to some major live events. That included some major online series with Kenny Hallaert, Niklas Astedt, and others finding some nice wins.

GGPoker ambassador Jason Koon also received some welcome news in January, meaning keeping some big winnings from his heads-up battle with Phil Hellmuth. The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure also recently wrapped up with some huge winners.

Poker Podium once again takes a look at January winners from the online and live poker felts.

PokerStars

No doubt the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) was a major event for the site over the last month. Several players won big in the series in January and early February. That included Belarus’s Aliaksandr Shylko scoring the win in the $25,000 PokerStars Player Championship for $3.1 million.

The tournament included 400-plus Platinum Pass winners and attracted 1,014 entries for a $24.8 million prize pool.

The $10,000 PCA Main Event also wrapped up in January. That tournament saw Portugal’s Michel Dattani grab the top spot for $1.3 million. The event produced a field of 889 entries for an $8.6 million prize pool.

A few PokerStars online winners

In the online arena, Huber Sebastian celebrated his recent win in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). The Stars ambassador and Twitch streamer scored a victory back in September, scoring more than $2,800 in the process. He was pleased with receiving his trophy.

Fellow ambassador Lex Veldhuis made a deep run in the New Year Series Main Event. That included knocking out fellow ambassador Ben “Spraggy” Spragg.

In the end, the tournament saw 5,362 entries with Switzerland’s “Scoops2022” scooping the title for $143,479. 

GGPoker

It’s been a huge run recently for GGPoker ambassador Jason Koon, with 2022 bringing plenty of wins and big finishes. A massive Triton Poker win for more than $1.9 million came his way in May.

In October, Koon added a Poker Masters title for $666,000. In December he also chalked up a win in the $50,000 PokerGO Tour Championship for $500,000.

If that weren’t enough, Koon walks away a winner from PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel. He scored $1.6 million after beating Phil Hellmuth in December. When no one stepped up to battle Koon, he was declared the winner of the series in January. He now has more than $42 million in live tournament winnings.

GG online winners

Numerous online players continue celebrating some GG tournament wins as well. That included streamer and YouTuber “Questje,” who also made his first online final table deal on the site.

Brazilian recreational player “Be Lima” turned a free qualifier ticket into a $1 tournament entry. He then took the top spot for a hearty return on investment.

https://twitter.com/robertapker/status/1618534984155017217?s=20&t=so-7QXHX7x3f-CPnZKxsxw

888poker

The XL Winter Series wrapped up at 888 in January and awarded more than $1.5 million. The result easily topped the $1 million overall guarantee and saw several players scoop some nice paydays. In total, the series produced 16,168 entries with most buy-ins ranging from $5.50 to $55.

In the international competition, players from Romania and Brazil came out on top with five wins each. German players scored four titles while Lithuanians snagged three.

The $250 Main Event highlighted the series and featured a $500,000 guarantee. The mystery bounty event also featured a top bounty of $50,000 and the tournament saw 2,059 entries.

In the end, “AMG_people” came back from one of the shorter stacks at the final table to secure the win. The Ukrainian player bagged $37,592 in prize money and bounties. Ukraine’s “alwaySsmilee” finished runner-up for $32,567.

The $2,100 Super High Roller was another highlight and guaranteed $100,000. The event saw 51 entries for a $102,000 prize pool.

Sweden’s Niklas “tutten7” Astedt found the winner’s circle for $37,740. No stranger to poker success, Astedt has $1.8 million in live tournament winnings as well as other major wins online. Canada’s “beebsterizer” took runner-up for $25,500.

A look at 888 Live winners

In other 888 news, the site recently headed to Mardrid for the latest 888poker Live series. Spain’s Adrian Garcia came out on top for a nice score of €92,000.

Russia’s Oleg Bystrenin took runner-up for €60,000. 888’s newest ambassador Lucia Navarro also shined. The poker YouTiuber scored fourth for €27,000 and was pleased overall with her play.

PartyPoker

The PartyPoker Championship Winter Edition took center stage at PartyPoker in January. The  $530 Main Event highlighted the series, attracting 1,089 entries.

The tournament easily topped the $500,000 guarantee, garnering a $544,500 prize pool. Ireland’s Rytis Strigunas claimed the win for $78,160 after a deal with runner-up Victor Oliveira Girao, of Brazil, who scored $72,827.

Henrique Miguel Santos Da Silva, of the United Kingdom, took down the $35 Mini Main Event for $20,284. Well-regarded pro Kenny Hallaert scored the win in the $215 PKO Championship for $24,937.