The 888poker Live series commenced its season with a vibrant first stop in London, hosted at the Aspers Casino located in East End. This exciting event featured three separate competitions: a £440 buy-in tournament boasting a £120,000 guarantee, a $5,000 Charity Event, and a No Limit Hold’em Celebrity Cash Game with £2/£3 blinds and an extra £10 straddle for excitement.
Team888 made an impressive debut at the 888poker LIVE 2018 series, with its ambassadors making a strong appearance. Kara Scott was accompanied by Dominik Nitsche, Natalie Hof, and the newest member of the team, Vivian Saliba from Brazil.
Action from the Day 1’s
The £440 buy-in tournament, allowing one re-entry per flight, commenced on Thursday, February 8, 2018. Participants had four distinct flight options, providing ample chances to play, with the chance to re-enter if eliminated in earlier flights.
- 1st Flight: Day 1A, Thursday, February 8, 2018
- 2nd Flight: Day 1B, Friday, February 9, 2018
- 3rd Flight: Day 1C, Saturday, February 10, 2018
- 4th Flight: Day 1D, Saturday, February 10, 2018
Day 1A attracted a total of 118 entries, establishing a high standard of participation. Right from the start, it was clear that the prize guarantee would be exceeded comfortably.
On Day 1B, 158 participants entered, with 25 advancing to Day 2. Day 1C saw even more action, with 215 players joining, while Day 1D, which occurred concurrently with Day 1C, saw an additional 56 players trying their luck at the tables.
From Day 1C, 40 players made it to Day 2, while Day 1D contributed 8 players to the following day's competition.
By the end of the event, 88 runners returned for the final day on February 11, 2018.
The prize pool guarantee was easily exceeded at the 888poker LIVE Kickoff event.
With 366 unique participants and a total of 547 entries, the previously set £120,000 prize pool guarantee was nearly doubled!
As the totals were finalized, participants discovered they would compete for a prize pool surpassing £215,000, with an impressive £42,957 earmarked for the top player.
Here are the top 9 payouts:
1st Place: £42,957.00
2nd Place: £29,985.00
3rd Place: £19,280.00
4th Place: £14,260.00
5th Place: £10,705.00
6th Place: £8,575.00
7th Place: £7,150.00
8th Place: £5,700.00
9th Place: £4,275.00
Fifty-four players managed to cash in, with the lowest payout being £975. Additionally, those who finished in places 55 to 63 received a special consolation prize of entry into the upcoming WPT500 event, scheduled for March, which will occur both online and at various Aspers Casino locations across the UK.
888poker LIVE Celebrity Cash Game
On the Saturday leading up to Day 2, we hosted an exclusive cash game by invitation only, featuring a twist. Team888's ambassador Vivian Saliba played alongside David Tuchman, Beth Cape, and some local players.
The cash game featured No Limit Hold'em at £2/£3 stakes, along with a mandatory £10 straddle. Players also participated in side bets requiring everyone at the table to contribute £10 to any player who won a hand with the infamous 7-2 combination. Notably, David Tuchman secured consecutive wins with this unusual hand!
Vivian adopted an unexpectedly aggressive playing style, while Chris stayed true to his strategy, successfully doubling his stack to finish with the most chips. After facing a setback in an all-in confrontation with Moorman earlier in the session, Tuchman managed to rebound and double up at the end with a pair of kings defeating jacks.
Overall, the atmosphere was enjoyable, with the game having the potential to continue all night, especially with Sofia considering joining the fun—although she was occupied with the main event. This was a stroke of luck for her teammates!
888poker LIVE Charity Event
On the last day of play, the $5,000 888poker Live Charity Event also unfolded. Just as crucial as Day 2 of the Kickoff event, the players in this charitable competition approached it with utmost seriousness.
Vivian Saliba and other 888poker ambassadors teamed up with football industry members such as Jon Reuben, James Mulley, Adrian Mariappa, Marvin Morgan, and Michael Hector, along with Beth Cape, for an intense poker session.
After nearly four hours of competitive play, Beth Cape emerged victorious, defeating midfielder Mulley and securing $5,000 for her selected charity, Mind.
Final Day of Play
On the concluding day of action, Sunday, February 11, 2018, 88 players returned to the tables at Aspers Casino. Fifty-four had a guaranteed minimum payout of £975, while one fortunate player would take home over £40,000.
After several hours of intense poker, the final table comprised nine players competing for the top prize. Among these final contenders was Jonathan Bowers, Beth Cape's partner.
Final Table Seat Draw & Chip Counts
- E. Le Goff - 580,000
- A. Sakallioglu – 3.1M
- C. Gonzalez – 1.3M
- E. Livonas - 1.5M
- E. Anderson - 1.8M
- D. Stanway – 2M
- J. Bowers – 1.7M
- K. Adimi – 2.5M
- J. Simms – 2M
Play at the final table was exceptionally tight, with participants folding hands like K-Q suited and A-10 in the face of a single raise. This caution was largely due to the small differences between stack sizes and significant pay jumps, making every decision crucial.
Ultimately, events would dictate action, and at certain points, players had no choice but to risk it all and go all-in.
The first player to exit was Anderson, walking away with an impressive £4,275, nearly ten times his buy-in. He was followed by Adimi, who took home £5,700, then Stanway (£7,150), Gonzalez (£8,575), and Livonas, who finished fifth with £10,705.
And, then there were four…
We Have a Winner, Sir!
After an exhausting 15-hour session, fatigue set in during the four-handed phase of play.
The standard payouts for the top four finishes were outlined as follows:
1st Place: £42,957.00
2nd Place: £29,985.00
3rd Place: £19,280.00
4th Place: £14,260.00
As the four-handed play continued for several hours, the players agreed that a deal was necessary given the considerable prize pool at stake.
They decided that the trophy would go to the player with the highest chip count at that point, with the remaining funds divided according to ICM principles.
Final Four Payouts
Winner – Jonathan Bowers - £30,634
2nd place – James Simms - £28,464
3rd place – Eric Le Goff - £24,068
4th place – Ali Sakallioglu - £23,280
Congratulations to Jonathan Bowers on his victory – great job!
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming 888poker LIVE event in Bucharest!