2017 WSOPE Champ Martí Roca Signs with 888poker Spain

As Europe’s shared online poker liquidity gathers momentum across national borders, major operators have been looking to recruit ambassadors to help promote their brands on the continent and around the world.

One of the companies hoping to make inroads into the Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French markets is 888Poker, which has now signed the 2017 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Martí Roca to be its Spanish representative.

As part of his duties, Roca will be attending the upcoming 888Live Barcelona, followed by the 2018 WSOP in the US, after which he will be a regular on the National Poker Circuit 888 in in his native country.

Roca will also be the figurehead of a special 888 promotional campaign targeting recreational players, and commenting upon its latest ambassador, an official statement released by 888poker described Roca as “a player who fits perfectly with the philosophy of the recreational game we promote at 888.”

Martí Roca

Martí Roca is a Barcelona resident and former economics professor who left his job at an institute in Mataró to pursue a career as a professional poker player, with the 37 year-old explaining that he has “always had a very mathematical mind and ability to concentrate.”

In 2013, the Spaniard then cashed in at his first live poker tournament, but up until November 2017 had only recorded 10 cashes worth $30,712. That year, however, Roca’s fortunes changed dramatically after winning a seat through to the €10,350 buy-in WSOP Europe Main Event via a €220 satellite on 888poker. Incredibly, Roca then went on to best a field of 529 runners to win the prestigious tournament outright and claim a top prize worth €1,115,207 ($1,297,552).

On May 8th of this year, Roca subsequently announced news of his sponsorship deal with 888poker on Twitter, and as a translation of his tweet explains:

“Very happy to be able to contribute my bit to @ 888poker with work and humility, and at the same time try to represent in the best possible way the entire Hispanic community, which is not a few.”

Debut Appearance at 888Live Barcelona

Roca is expected to make his first public appearance representing his new sponsor at the 888Live Barcelona, which will be held at the Casino Barcelona from May 23 to June 4th and feature more than 20 events. A total of $1 million in guarantees will be offered throughout its schedule, half of which will be awarded at its flagship €1,100 Main Event.

2018 WSOP

The Spanish pro now joins a truly international team of 888poker pros which includes the likes of Germany’s Dominik Nitsche, the UK’s Chris Moorman, Sweden’s Jacobson, and Brazil’s Bruno Politano. Roca and the rest of  his colleagues will take part in the 2018 WSOP due to place in Las Vegas from May 29 to July 17, with plenty of opportunities for the Team 888poker pros to win accolades at the 78 bracelet festival.

888poker has been the official sponsor of the World Series of Poker since 2015, and commenting upon its relationship with the prestigious tournament series held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Itai Pazner, Senior VP Head of B2C division at 888holdings, said:

“Our extended partnership with the WSOP is a testament to our increasingly dominant position in the industry and our longstanding commitment to making poker more exciting and accessible for players around the world.”

In keeping with last year’s promotion, the operator will also be running its 8-Team competition this year in which the best performing of six team representing different nations will receive a lucrative 2019 WSOP Main Event package. Whereas as in 2017 the teams included those from the UK, Germany, Canada, Brazil, and Sweden, this year Spain has been added to the mix, with Marti Roca captaining the team consisting of Wingmen and Qualifiers.