888poker recently sent 34 players to the World Series of Poker Main Event in conjunction with the site’s 20th anniversary. The site offered a complete $13,000 travel package and a few made the most of the trip, finding a deep run in poker’s biggest event.
888 tracked each player’s progress via social media, vlog posts, and on the company’s online platform. The site gave the promotion the tagline, “20 stories for 20 years.”
“For some players, it was their first-ever trip to Vegas and the WSOP.” the company noted of the promotion. “For others, it was their third or fourth trip even. What they all had in common was their desire to make the most of this opportunity from 888poker.”
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Scoring big at WSOP courtesy 888poker
One of those players making the trip to Las Vegas has played at 888 since the online poker site launched in 2002. Danny Lavoie (pictured in lead image, courtesy 888poker) hails from Canada and 888 rewarded him for his two decades of play.
Lavoie actually advanced to Day 5 of the tournament, finishing 296th place for $40,900. This was his first major live tournament cash.
“When I got the call from 88poker, I expected a surprise but not that big,” he said after site ambassador Kara Scott told him about the trip to Vegas. “It’s a dream come true to come to Vegas and play the Main Event.”
https://twitter.com/888poker/status/1546558852115574784?s=20&t=VOEKWe_2SguRrALjdQtOsQ
Another player in the 888 crew scored an even better finish. Brazil has been a hotbed for poker over the last few years and Thiago Pirani represented his country and 888 in the Main Event.
He also scored the highest finish among all the qualifiers. Pirani turned a $22 satellite entry into a huge WSOP run, ultimately making Day 5 and finishing 157th for $62,500. That finish also earned the Brazilian the 888 last-longest honor.
More 888 players run deep
Some other qualifiers and ambassadors also cashed in the Main Event. A few of those included:
- Nick Eastwood – $15,000
- Alexandre “Cavalito” Mantovani – $46,800
- Padraig O’Neill – $46,800
New poker video series launches
Beyond the Main Event promotion, 888 also recently launched a new “Ask a Poker Pro” series. The YouTube video series asks players some questions that might help other players at the tables.
The first episode features 888 ambassadors commenting on a particular subject. The pros offer some insight on: “How do you stay calm after taking a bad beat?”
Ian Simpson, a recent addition to the 888 ambassador team, said players should be aware of their hands and be willing to fold when they feel a player may have sucked out.
“You have to be willing to fold the bad beat,” he says. “Whenever you enter a tournament, the most likely result is that you’re going to bust before the money. It doesn’t matter how good you are, that is the most likely result.”
Fellow ambassador Samantha Abernathy notes that the more hands a player sees, the more bad beats come their way. Experienced players begin to get more accustomed to seeing these hands and adjust.
“I think when you play more volume, you get more used to it,” she says. “You have to understand that this is part of the game.”
Here’s a look at the entire first episode of “Ask a Poker Pro.”
