Brazil has become a hotbed for online poker, with numerous recent major events seeing winners front the land of samba and sun. 888poker announced a new ambassador from this growing market on Monday.
Alexandre “Cavalito” Mantovani joins the 888 ambassador roster and will represent the team online and at live events. With $361,407 in live earnings and significant winnings online, he’s excited adding his name to the 888 ambassador ranks.
“I can’t speak for others, but ever since I’ve started my career as a poker player, I’ve always dreamed of being a professional representing a poker site,” he said in a news release. “And I’m very happy to have reached another goal in my career.”
Joining the 888poker team
With steady cashes since 2016, Mantovani has proven to be a strong, dedicated player, 888poker officials note. He ranks 105th on the Brazilian all-time money list.
Mantovani’s best finish came in 2016, when he placed sixth place in the DeepStack Championship Series for $45,620.
Beyond his own play, 888’s newest ambassador also works as a poker coach. 888 is not only his newest team, but the Brazilian pro has some fitting history with eights. He was born in 1988 and his favorite hand is 88.
In a recent tournament, Mantovani ended Day 2 with 88 big blinds – “undoubtedly a sign that he is meant to be an 888poker ambassador,” the company notes in announcing his signing.
Hoje a partir das 16h vou fazer@meu stream em inglês pela @no_limit_gg ! https://t.co/JGpmhasAHP . Provavelmente vai ser uma das minhas últimas streams em inglês então quem gosta e entende aparece lá 🤩 . A partir de… https://t.co/TfYqp5NIeX
888 players can expect to see more of Mantovani in the coming months. He’s active on social media and will offer players entries into special 888poker freerolls.
His social media presence will also feature unique promotions and ticket giveaways. Poker fans can also find him regularly streaming on his Twitchpoker channel.
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With the war in Ukraine now almost in its third week, another online poker operator announced Monday that it was leaving the country. 888poker won’t be available to players in Russia as of Tuesday, leaving the country’s players fewer options.
“All 888poker operations in Russia will be suspended starting March 15th until further notice,” the company noted on Twitter.
The company now joins partypoker and PokerStars in leaving the market. Online poker operators have joined a list of many corporate entities that have stopped operating in the country.
Exodus of online poker operators
Partypoker became the first operator to announce its exit from Russia in February even before the country invaded Ukraine. Party officials cited regulatory concerns for closing up shop in Russia.
PokerStars then made the move last week with 888poker now following as well. Stars also canceled the PokerStars Live European Poker Tour that was scheduled for March in Sochi.
The iPoker Network appears to have left Russia before the current conflict began as well.
GGPoker appears to be operating in the market as of Tuesday. Other live poker tours have also dialed back events in the country with outfits like the World Poker Tour not scheduling events in the country.
Slowdown in traffic
Russia was one of the largest markets for online poker operators. The country has seen major gains for the game in recent years, both in live tournaments and online.
With the shutdowns, operators have seen some traffic hits. PokerStars saw its seven-day average drop to 4,400 players as of Tuesday, according to Online Poker Report. That’s a dip of about 15% the usual number.
Most operators have seen the market as a gray market. The country officially outlaws live gambling except in four regions, including Sochi.
However, online gaming has been more murky with most major operators still allowing Russian players until now. Stars attempted to work on the regulated side of the market, reaching a deal with Casino Sochi to co-brand a poker client.
Following the events in Ukraine
Like many around the world, poker players have been following the war in Ukraine as it plays out on television and social media.
Many were captivated by Eugene Katchalov’s plight to get his family out of the country as Russia invaded. He Tweeted his family’s escape and news of events on the ground during the early days of the invasion.
Many players have followed the events and shared some news from the war. Daniel Negreanu was particularly moved by the words of a Russian soldier.
This is powerful. If you are in Russia and can see this please watch it. https://t.co/s7XN620xmh
Katchalov continues sharing insight from Ukraine. He noted that Leon Tsoukernik, owner of King’s Casino in Czech Republic, has helped in settling some of his family members.
Tsoukernik, whose property hosts the annual World Series of Poker Europe, also set up facilities for up to 500 refugees. Those efforts received some accolades among poker players.
Leon is one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. If there is anyone who would go above and beyond for complete strangers, it’s him. Thank you Leon! https://t.co/Em5GMlCxvO
As 888poker celebrates its 20-year anniversary, some big tournament action is coming to the site again. The Retro Week series runs from March 20-27 with 25 events and more than $888,000 in total guaranteed prize pools.
The series boasts buy-ins for all player levels and a $215 Mega Deep Main Event featuring a $300,000 guarantee. 888 is promising plenty of fun “old school” action for online poker players in March.
Highlights from 888poker Retro Week
The series offers a wide variety of events and buy-ins. Price points range from $11 to $525 with all events in No Limit Hold’em format.
888 is boasting several “Fish ‘n Chips Tournaments” featuring “small buy-ins, high guarantees, and a whole lot of fun.” All these events have fun fish-themed names as the category implies.
The $33 Big Fish is one of those and kicks off the series with a $25,000 guarantee. On March 25, players can check out the $33 Big Fish PKO with a $20,000 guarantee.
PKO stands for progressive knockout. In this type of bounty tournament, when a player knocks out an opponent, a portion of that player’s bounty is placed on the winner’s head.
This makes a player’s total bounty increase throughout the series. The further a player advances, the bigger his bounty gets and the bigger bounties he can win from others.
Another nice tournament comes on the series’ closing day, March 27. Those who may be priced out of the Main Event may want to check out the alternative version, the $33 Mini Mega Deep with $50,000 guaranteed.
High Roller action and mid-tier events
Beyond the “Fish ‘n Chips” platter, there is also plenty of action for players with bigger bankrolls. The $525 Whale gets underway on the first day of the series with $50,000 guaranteed.
The $109 Hurricane PKO also comes with a $20,000 guarantee and kicks off on March 24. Another $525 Whale event closes out the series on March 27 with a $50,000 guarantee.
The $215 Mega Deep Main Event closes out the series on March 27 with a big guarantee, large starting chip stacks, and slow-rising blind levels.
Those players in the mid-tier bankroll range will also find numerous tournaments to check out. The $109 Friday Challenge KO guarantees a $30,000 prize pool on March 25 and should attract a nice player pool.
Daily Challenge Tournaments, March freerolls
Beyond those events, players can check out the weekly Sunday Challenge tournaments, adding something extra to poker’s biggest day of the week. The $109 Sunday Challenge on the series’ opening day comes with a $100,000 guarantee.
Players looking to snag a seat into the series can already get in the action. Daily Retro Week freerolls started on Monday and offer players a chance to win Main Event seats without spending a dime.
Here’s a look at the complete schedule.
2022 888poker Retro Week series
Date
Event
Buy-in
Guarantee
March 20
#1 - $25,000 Big Fish
$33
$25,000
March 20
#2 - $100,000 Sunday Challenge
$90
$100,000
March 20
#3 - $15,000 Catfish
$16.50
$15,000
March 20
#4 - $50,000 Whale
$525
$50,000
March 21
#5 - $15,000 Lightning PKO 6-Max
$109
$15,000
March 21
#6 - $10,000 Monday Twins #1
$22
$10,000
March 21
#7 - $10,000 Monday Twins #2
$22
$10,000
March 21
#8 - $10,000 Breeze PKO
$55
$10,000
March 22
#9 - $30,000 Tuesday Challenge Freezout
$109
$30,000
March 22
#10 - $20,000 Monsoon 8-Max
$55
$20,000
March 22
#11 - $10,000 Catfish PKO
$16.50
$10,000
March 23
#12 - $7,000 Blowfish
$11
$7,000
March 23
#13 - $20,000 Wednesday Challenge
$33
$20,000
March 23
#14 - $15,000 Monsoon PKO
$55
$15,000
March 24
#15 - $20,000 Hurricane PKO
$109
$20,000
March 24
#16 - $20,000 Thursday Challenge R&A
$22
$20,000
March 24
#17 - $10,000 Breeze 6-Max
$55
$10,000
March 25
#18 - $30,000 Friday Challenge KO
$109
$30,000
March 25
#19 - $20,000 Big Fish PKO
$33
$20,000
March 25
#20 - $10,000 Catfish 6-Max
$16.50
$10,000
March 26
#21 - $12,000 Swordfish 6-Max
$33
$12,000
March 26
#22 - $30,000 Saturday Challenge PKO 8-Max
$55
$30,000
March 26
#23 - $15,000 Tornado PKO
$88
$15,000
March 27
Main Event - $300,000 Mega Deep
$215
$300,000
March 27
#25 - $50,000 Mini Mega Deep
$33
$50,000
March 27
#26 - $50,000 Whale
$525
$50,000
David Gibson celebrates his win in the Christ Eubank Jr. Knockout Challenge,
888 Live London winners
In other news, the 888poker Live Weekend London headed to Grosvenor’s The Vic casino in mid-February. 888 ambassador and boxing champion Chris Eubank Jr. hosted much of the action.
The £444 Main Event highlighted the weekend and brought in 602 entries for a £240,800 prize pool. In the end, London’s Joe Hindry scored the win and a £60,000 payday.
In another major event, the Chris Eubank Jr. Knockout Challenge saw online qualifiers, site ambassadors, and 888 StreamTeam members compete for a £10,000 bounty on Eubank and a share of the £10,000 prize pool.
Salvatore Sciarotta knocked out Eubank and went on to finish runner-up to StreamTeam member David Gibson. However, Gibson came on top for the win in the Eubank event.
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Major tournament action returns to 888poker beginning in February as the site celebrates its 20th anniversary. The Millions Superstorm returns Feb. 13 to March 8 with $2 million guaranteed.
Players will find plenty of lower buy-in events with several multi-flight tournaments as part of the action. Poker fans can also expect some of the final table action to be streamed online.
888poker Superstorm Main Event
The $1,050 Main Event highlights the series with $1 million guaranteed. Players have numerous opportunities to get in the action with multiple starting flights running Feb. 27 through March 7.
The official Day 2 also begins March 7 with the final table streamed live on March 8. Beyond the direct buy-in, several satellite opportunities will also be available for those looking to secure a seat at a bargain price.
Daily freerolls also allow players to win a Main Event seat for nothing. 888 has promised some Main Event opportunities for players of all bankrolls.
Other events to check out
Beyond the championship event, players can expect some other major guarantees throughout the festival. For example, a $109 tournament kicks off the series on Feb. 13 with a $200,000 guarantee.
This event offers an example of what to expect from the 2022 Millions SuperStorm. Each week features a few major events with starting flights running daily. Day 2 of each event then plays out on Sunday.
The second week of action also sees some nice guarantees as well. A $215 event comes with a $250,000 guarantee.
Along with the main schedule, 888 will host a $55 Daily Millions PKO event throughout the series with a $15,000 guarantee.
PKO stands for “progressive knockout” and these events have become extremely popular with online poker players in recent years.
In a PKO, players don’t receive the entire bounty of a player he knocks out. Instead the winner receives a portion of that with the other portion placed on his own head.
This makes player bounties increase throughout the tournament, making for some fun situations later in the tournament. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.
2022 888poker Millions SuperStorm
Event
Buy-in
Guarantee
Week 1 (Feb. 13-20, Day 2 on Sunday)
1
$109
$200,000
2
$11
$50,000
Week 2 (Feb. 20-27, Day 2 on Sunday)
3
$215
$250,000
4
$33
$100,000
Week 3 (Feb. 27 – March 7)
5
$1,050 Main Event (Day 2 on Monday)
$1,000,000
6
$55 (Day 2 on Sunday)
$150,000
Streaming the action
As in past series, 888 is once again offering poker fans around the world the chance to check out the action. 888pokerTV, the site’s official Twitch channel, will stream final tables of three big events. Here’s a look at what to expect from the streaming action:
Feb 21 – Event 1, $2000 guaranteed
Feb. 28 – Event 2, $50,000 guaranteed
March 8 – Main Event, $1 million guaranteed
Those tuning in to the action have a chance to win free tournament tickets during the live stream. 888 will also be hosting a special freeroll for those watching online.
888poker Live returns to London
The SuperStorm isn’t the only event players have to look forward to. The second edition of 888poker Live Weekend runs from Feb. 17-20 in London.
The series is held in conjunction with Grosvenor Casinos’ at The Vic poker room. The event includes an appearance by the latest 888 ambassador, middleweight boxing champion Chris Eubank Jr.
He will host a special 45-player sit and go with a $10,000 prize pool. Eubank will also appear at the final table with a$10,000 bounty on his head.
Players qualify for the Eubank event via daily freerolls online. The series also features a £444 Main Event and players can also earn a seat online with qualifiers starting at just one cent. For a complete preview of the series, click here.
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888poker returns to Grosvenor Casinos’ The Vic Poker Room in London for the second edition of 888poker Live Weekend from Feb. 17-20. The event also helps celebrate the online poker site’s 20th anniversary.
Fans can expect plenty of action and also have opportunities to qualify online as well. The event also will include an appearance of the latest 888 ambassador, middleweight boxing champion Chris Eubank Jr.
The site has several events and promotions planned as part of the big weekend.
Get in the game at 888poker Live Weekend
The Vic is home to London’s longest-running poker room and once again plays host to 888poker Live. The weekend features two main events as part of the festivities.
The first of those is the “Chris Eubank Jr. KO,” a 45-player sit and go. The six-handed final table sees players joining Eubank at the table, which will be streamed live on 888pokerTV, the site’s official Twitch channel.
The event comes with a £10,000 prize pool as well as a £10,000 bounty on the boxing champ. Players in the United Kingdom can earn tickets into the tournament online via daily freerolls.
The second major event is a multi-flight £444 No Limit Hold’em tournament. Players can also secure a seat through qualifiers starting for as little as 1 cent.
Additionally, 888poker will also be offering $55 online qualifiers. The live portion of the tournament features four starting flights on Feb. 17, 18, and 19. Another turbo qualifier is also planned for Feb. 19 with Day 2 set for Feb. 20.
The tournament will use “shot clocks” and time bank cards to deter slow play. Here’s a complete look at the Main Event structure:
Starting stack: 30,000
Day 1 level time: 40 minutes (15 minutes for Day 1D Turbo)
Day 2 and beyond level times: 40 minutes and then 30 minutes once five-handed at the final table
Re-entry: Unlimited
Registration: Open until the draw for Day 2
More information on the online freerolls
Those looking to qualify online will find daily freerolls running through Feb. 11. Players must be located in the UK and the top three finishers each win a seat to the Chris Eubank Jr. KO.
A total of 39 players from the 888 online freerolls win seats in the event. No ticket is needed for these daily events.
There’s even more on the line in the freerolls. All 39 qualifiers receive a free ticket to the £444 Main Event.
Chris Eubank Jr. becomes latest 888 ambassador
Boxing fans may recognize Eubank as the former two-time IBO super middleweight world champion. He’s currently ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Association and BoxRec in the global middleweight division.
In 2021, he defeated Marcus Morrison and Wanik Awdijan and squares off against highly-regarded contender Liam Williams in February.
When the gloves are off, Eubank is also an avid poker player. He’s played high stakes games around the world and also competed on PokerGO’s Poker After Dark. His signing as an 888 ambassador helps the company kick off its 20th anniversary celebration.
“Poker is one of the great passions in my life, so I am delighted to partner with 888poker,” he said. “For me, the beauty of poker is in its community. And 888poker is doing a fantastic job of making poker more about fun and less about the grind for players in all levels with its user-friendly platform.
“I’m excited to officially kickstart the partnership in the coming months and can’t wait to meet the 888poker community at the tables.”
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The XL Winter Series returns to 888poker in January with more than $1.5 million guaranteed. The operator promises some new twists with the series running Jan. 16-31.
Players will find buy-ins ranging from $16.50 to $55 for most events with a total of 44 events on the schedule. The $250 Main Event highlights the series on the final day of action and comes with a $500,000 guarantee.
888poker Winter Series highlights
Beyond the Main Event, plenty of other events stand out on the schedule. The $55 Opening Event kicks off the series and comes with a $100,000 guarantee.
Fans of progressive knockout (PKO) events also have several events to choose from. A $320 PKO event on Jan. 25 guarantees $50,000. The $160 Eight-Max PKO on Jan. 20 also comes with a $40,000 guarantee.
Another six-figure guarantee is set for Jan. 23. The $109 Tune Up promises players a guaranteed prize pool of $200,000.
Players hoping for some Main Event action but with smaller bankrolls may want to check out the Mini Main Event. The $33 buy-in tournament offers players a shot at a share of the $50,000 guarantee on Jan. 30.
Every day of the series players will find a Main, Mini, and Late version of each tournament. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.
2022 888poker Winter XL Series
Date
Event
Buy-in
Guarantee
Jan. 16
1 - $100,000 Opening Event
$55
$100,000
Jan. 16
2 - $20,000 Mini Opening
$16.50
$20,000
Jan. 16
3 - $15,000 Late Opening
$33
$15,000
Jan. 17
4 - $30,000 PKO 6-Max
$88
$30,000
Jan. 17
5 - $20,000 Mini PKO 6-Max
$44
$20,000
Jan. 17
6 - $10,000 Late PKO 6-Max
$22
$10,000
Jan. 18
7 - $30,000 Freezeout
$215
$30,000
Jan. 18
8 - $15,000 Mini Freezeout
$55
$15,000
Jan. 18
9 - $10,000 Late Freezeout
$109
$10,000
Jan. 19
10 - $30,000 PKO
$109
$30,000
Jan. 19
11 - $15,000 Mini PKO
$16.50
$15,000
Jan. 19
12 - $10,000 Late PKO
$33
$10,000
Jan. 20
13 - $40,000 PKO 8-Max
$160
$40,000
Jan. 20
14 - $20,000 Mini PKO 8-Max
$55
$20,000
Jan. 20
15 - $10,000 Late PKO 8-Max
$22
$10,000
Jan. 21
16 - $30,000 DeepStack
$55
$30,000
Jan. 21
17 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack
$16.50
$15,000
Jan. 21
18 - $10,000 Late DeepStack
$33
$10,000
Jan. 22
19 - $30,000 6-Max
$109
$30,000
Jan. 22
20 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max
$16.50
$15,000
Jan. 22
21 - $15,000 Late 6-Max
$55
$15,000
Jan. 23
22 - $200,000 Tune Up
$109
$200,000
Jan. 23
23 - $20,000 Mini Tune Up
$16.50
$20,000
Jan. 23
24 - $15,000 Late Tune Up
$33
$15,000
Jan. 24
25 - $25,000 8-Max
$88
$25,000
Jan. 24
26 - $15,000 Mini 8-Max
$44
$15,000
Jan. 24
27 - $10,000 Late 8-Max
$22
$10,000
Jan. 25
28 - $50,000 PKO
$320
$50,000
Jan. 25
29 - $25,000 Mini PKO
$55
$25,000
Jan. 25
30 - $20,000 Late PKO
$109
$20,000
Jan. 26
31 - $30,000 PKO 8-Max
$109
$30,000
Jan. 26
32 - $15,000 Mini PKO 8-Max
$16.50
$15,000
Jan. 26
33 - $10,000 Late PKO 8-Max
$33
$10,000
Jan. 27
34 - $40,000 PKO 6-Max
$215
$40,000
Jan. 27
35 - $20,000 Mini PKO 6-Max
$55
$20,000
Jan. 27
36 - $10,000 Late PKO 6-Max
$22
$10,000
Jan. 28
37 - $30,000 DeepStack
$55
$30,000
Jan. 28
38 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack
$16.50
$15,000
Jan. 28
39 - $10,000 Late DeepStack
$33
$10,000
Jan. 29
40 - $40,000 Knockout
$109
$40,000
Jan. 29
41 - $15,000 Mini Knockout
$16.50
$15,000
Jan. 29
42 - $15,000 Late Knockout
$55
$15,000
Jan. 30
43 - $500,000 Main Event
$250
$500,000
Jan. 30
44 - $50,000 Mini Main Event
$33
$50,000
888 offers streaming, promotions, and qualifiers
When the action kicks off, players will find more than just the daily tournament offerings. The site includes a wide range of opportunities for players to get a seat in the tournament field.
That includes chances to win XL Series tickets for free. Freerolls will run throughout the series.
Players can also qualify via satellites as well, with buy-ins starting at just a penny. The company is also running contests through social media and 888pokerTV, giving away tournament tickets and other prizes.
Poker fans around the world can also check out the XL action from some of the series’ biggest events.
David Tuchman, Nick Wealthall, and other notable poker personalities will serve as commentators.
Five tournaments will be streamed live on the 888 Twitch channel, 888pokerTV. Prizes and freeroll tickets are planned for 888’s social media channels throughout the live streams. Here are the events that on the streaming schedule:
$100,000 Opening Event (Event1) – Jan. 17
$40,000 PKO Eight-Max Event 13) – Jan. 21
$200,000 Tune Up (Event 22) – Jan. 24
$50,000 PKO (Event 28) – Jan. 26
$500,000 Main Event (Event 43) – Jan. 31
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The WPTDeepStacks Online series recently concluded at 888poker after 28 events. The series produced 15,660 entries and awarded $3.4 million in prize money.
The $1,050 Main Event highlighted the schedule with $1 million guaranteed and featured starting flights throughout the series. Here’s a look at some of the series’ action and big winners.
Gerard Carbo grabs Main Event title
In the Main Event, a total of 1,024 entries helped surpass the $1 million guarantee by an extra $24,000. Day 2 picked up on Dec. 20 with 175 players returning to the action and 117 making the money.
888poker ambassador Vivian “Vivi.888.” Saliba was one of those earning a cash, taking 69th for $2,765.
On the final day of the event, the remaining nine players returned to play to a winner. The final table was streamed live with David Tuchman and Nick Wealthall calling the action. The WPT’s Vince Van Patten and Matt Savage also made appearances on the stream.
That’s a wrap for our fun festive advent calendar of a poker festival in the @888Poker presents WPTDSLondon Online! 🎁 And what better Christmas present than winning not only a juicy first place prize, but also the iconic WPTDS trophy..! 🏆 @alexograypic.twitter.com/oA2E3arR3t
In the end, Andorra’s Gerard “Panxetillo” Carbo faced off with Brazil’s Jesse “jessecesar” Cesar Fonseca for the title. Carbo held a 2-to-1 chip lead when heads-up play began.
It took just one hand for both players to get all the chips in with Carbo’s Ace-Jack taking the final hand. He scored $184,320 for the title and Cesar Fonseca won $133,120 as runner-up. Here’s a look at the final table winners:
Gerard “Panxetillo” Carbo (Andorra) – $184,320
Jesse “jessecesar” Cesar Fonseca (Brazil) – $133,120
Rodrigo “seijistar1” Seiji (Brazil) – $99,328
Rodrigo “selouan1991” Selouan (Brazil) – $74,240
Dalton “daltonhb” Hobold (Brazil) – $51,610
“BetBetFck” (Ukraine) – $41,370
Jerry “Perrymejsen” Odeen (Sweden) – $31,130
“brudii030” – $20,992
“ShinyMew2” (Malta) – $12,800
A look at some other action
A few other major events stood out on the later stages of the schedule. One of those was the $525 PKO Eight-Max, which featured a $100,000 guarantee.
The event attracted 168 players with 38 rebuys, surpassing the guarantee by $3,000. When the dust settled, Brazil’s “daltonhb” and Malta’s “SilzenziO” squared off for the title.
Each player locked up $9,594 in prize money but looked to collect an even bigger $14,445 in PKO bounty cash. After almost seven hours of play, “daltonhb” prevailed for a total payday of $24,040. “SilenziO” took home $10,089 for the runner-up finish.
In other action, “cupidon85”, of Belarus, topped a field of 392 entries in the $160 Mini PKO Eight-Max. The event featured a $50,000 guarantee with “cupidon85” winning $4,925 plus $5,494 in PKO bounties for a total of $10,418.73.
In higher stakes action, the largest buy-in of the series came in the $5,200 Super High Roller. The event brought a $200,000 guarantee and saw 30 players rebuy eight times.
The final table featured five players vying for the championship and $80,000 first-place prize. When play reached heads-up, Canada’s “DosPoochies” matched up against Brazil’s “shitakemushu” for the top spot.
In the end, pooch got it done and added the six-figure payday after the final table played out over almost six hours. Here’s a look at the final table payouts.
When it comes to the final standings among countries, the United Kingdom came out on top with five titles. Winners also hailed from Finland, Romania, Germany, Russia, Malta, Belarus, Ireland, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada, Andorra, and Moldova.
Brazil also fared particularly well in the Main Event. The final table saw four Brazilian players, who also all made the final five.
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Live poker continues to return in Europe and 888poker is helping lead the charge. The site is once again teaming with Grosvenor Victoria Casino in January.
The 888poker Live London Festival returns Jan. 6-17 with 12 days of action offering some major prize pools in a variety of poker formats.
The Grosvenor Victoria (aka The Vic) is one of the most prestigious casinos in Europe. The property is one of London’s oldest and most renowned venues and located right in the heart of the city.
The Vic has regularly hosts some of 888’s biggest series and players can now get back in the game. 888 is also offering players numerous opportunities to qualify online.
Inside 888poker Live
The new series also brings a big addition for the tournament series. 888 is trying to reduce slow play and introducing a “shot clock” as well as a big blind ante format in all tournaments.
Qualifiers for the series are already underway with players able to possibly grab a seat for just a penny. Players can also register directly for a $55 qualifier to win a $600 (£444) seat in the live festival.
Players can also jump in $109 satellites for the £888 ($1,200) Main Event. Satellites are planned for the Opening Event and Main Event as well as numerous other tournaments.
WPT DeepStacks continues at 888
Beyond the live festival, plenty of online action continues at 888poker with the WPTDeepStacksstill underway. The series runs through Dec. 21 with $3 million in total guarantees and 28 tournaments.
The series is nearing the halfway point with several big events already in the books. The $525 Opening Event produced 325 players and featured a $200,000 guarantee. In the end, Finland’s “Korpisoturi2” won the series’ first title for $40,540.
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The $525 PKO (Event 3) featured a $75,000 guaranteed and saw Germany’s “pactamah23” rise to the top for $13,1612. The event produced 263 players with 56 rebuys.
The $440 Marathon (Event 5) also brought a $75,000 guarantee and attracted 134 players and 31 rebuys. The final two players agreed to a deal with “tsikimellon” declared the winner for $16,077. “LDenisL888” finished as runner-up for $13,848.
The $525 PKO (Event 9) came with a $200,000 and saw 320 players with 60 rebuys. The final table was live-streamed with hole cards on the 888pokerTV Twitch channel.
A third of the players at the final table were Brazilian players with “GritinhO_Dzi” eventually taking the title. The Brazilian scored $40,500.49 for the effort and continued the 2021 trend of Brazilians finding the winner’s circle in major tournaments.
Plenty of action remains in the series with events for all player levels and bankrolls. Here’s a look at the remaining events on the schedule.
2021 888poker WPTDeepStacks
Date
Event
Buy-in
Guarantee
Dec. 7
#11 - $100,000 High Roller
$2,100
$100,000
Dec. 7
#12 - $50,000 Mini High Roller
$215
$50,000
Dec. 7
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 9
#13 - $80,000 PKO 8-Max
$440
$80,000
Dec. 9
#14 - $30,000 Mini PKO 8-Max
$88
$30,000
Dec. 9
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 11
#15 - $80,000 PKO
$215
$80,000
Dec. 11
#16 - $30,000 PKO
$55
$30,000
Dec. 11
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 12
#17 - $200,000 Crazy 8
$888
$200,000
Dec. 12
#18 - $50,000 Mini Crazy 8
$55
$50,000
Dec. 12
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 14
#19 - $100,000 9-Max
$320
$100,000
Dec. 14
#20 - $30,000 Mini 9-Max
$55
$30,000
Dec. 14
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 16
#21 - $100,000 PKO 8-Max
$525
$100,000
Dec. 16
#22 - $50,000 Mini PKO 8-Max
$160
$50,000
Dec. 16
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 18
#23 - $100,000 PKO 6-Max
$440
$100,000
Dec. 18
#24 - $20,000 Mini PKO 6-Max
$33
$20,000
Dec. 18
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 19
#25 - $200,000 Big Shot 109 Main Event
$109
$200,000
Dec. 19
#26 - $75,000 Mini Main Event
$55
$75,000
Dec. 19
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 19
#27 - $200,000 Super High Roller
$5,200
$200,000
Dec. 20
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 1
$1,050
$1,000,000
Dec. 20
#28 - $1,000,000 Main Event - Day 2
NA
$1,000,000
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PokerStars then made the move last week with 888poker now following as well. Stars also canceled the PokerStars Live European Poker Tour that was scheduled for March in Sochi.
