888 Renews Its WSOP Main Event 8-Team Contest
April 13, 2018 9:27 amIn 2015, 888poker became the official sponsor of the World Series of Poker, and in 2017 it subsequently sent teams representing five different nations to the $10k Main Event as part of its inaugural 8-Team promotion.
This year, the operator has announced that it will be running the survival style competition once again, this time with a number of changes made to the promo, including awarding a special 2019 WSOP Main Event package to the best performing team.
8-Team Concept
Five teams (UK, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Sweden) consisting of a Captain, Wingman and Online Qualifier represented 888poker at the 2017 WSOP Main Event, with a 2018 WSOP Main Event package then awarded to the qualifier who lasted the longest out of the teams. In the end, it was Team Brazil (Captain Bruno Politano, Wingman Denilson, Qualifier Joao Sousa Monteiro) who lasted longer than their competitors, with Monteiro lasting until Day 4 before exiting in 583rd place for $22,449.
Competition Changes
This time around, the operator has introduced some exciting changes, including adding a sixth teams to the mix, namely Spain, whose Captain has already been named as Marti Roca, with all the individual teams’ Wingmen and Qualifiers to be name later. Interestingly, Roca qualified for the 2017 WSOPE Main Event in the Czech Republic via a €220 buy-in satellite on 888poker.es, before then going on to win the prestigious tournament for a whopping €1,115,207 ($1,301,815).
This year, however, a WSOP ME package will be awarded to all three members of the national team, instead of just the single Qualifier, with a new points-based system used to determine the ultimate winners. Under the new rules, points are awarded to each team depending upon how long their players last in the Main Event, equivalent to 10 points per day up until Day 10. In addition, bonus points will be given to the chip lead, and the team with the most chips, as well as a massive extra 100 points for the last player standing.
Meet The Team Captains
Sweden: Martin Jacobson tops his country’s ‘All Time Money List’ with $16,530,173 in winnings, $10 million of which is accounted for by his WSOP Main Event victory in 2014.
Germany: Dominik Nitsche has won 3 WSOP bracelets and $13,630,318 over his illustrious career, and last year finished the WSOP Main Event in 195th place for $46,096.
UK: Chris Moorman is the world biggest online tournament winner with $14,740,294 in winnings. He has also amassed $5,351,664 on the live circuit, including finishing runner-up at the 2011 WSOPE Main Event for €800,000 ($1,068,690).
Brazil: Vivian Saliba is one of her country’s most recognizable female pros, and has earned $195,976 from live tournaments since 2014, including finishing the 2017 WSOP Main Event in 421st place for $27,743.
Canada: Parker Talbot is a popular Twitch streamer with $386,616 in live earnings. Last year, he finished the WSOP Europe Main Event in 25th place for €26,530 ($30,868).
Spain: Marti Roca was thrown into the poker limelight after taking down the 2017 WSOP Europe for $1,297,552, with the win currently accounting for all but $47,328 of his career earnings.
Winning Partnership
888poker has been the World Series of Poker’s official sponsor for three years, and each year sends hundreds of players to the prestigious WSOP in Las Vegas via its numerous promotions and online satellites. According to WSOP executive director Ty Stewart, the organization values 888poker’s refreshing online and live approach that aims to empower the players, while Itai Pazner, Senior VP Head of B2C division at 888holdings, previously stated:
“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.”