We’ve never shied away from big partnerships, and they don’t get much bigger than the World Series of Poker (WSOP). That’s why we’re proud to announce that for the third year in a row, 888poker will sponsor poker’s largest annual event. That means 888poker will once again be the exclusive online provider of WSOP qualifier satellites and promotions.
We first joined forces with the WSOP in 2015, and now we’re committed for the long haul as the latest contract covers 2017/18 with an additional two-year option. It’s been a wildly successful partnership. The WSOP is the most recognised poker brand in the world, and as online poker’s premier site, it only makes sense for us to partner with the best.
Both the WSOP and 888poker are committed to providing players with a great experience. That includes a large variety of both cash game and tournament options, great structures, and playing against the pros. In addition, we both cater to players from around the world of all different skill levels. There are few places players can go to share in their common passion and celebrate the game they love, but WSOP and 888poker are two of them.
“WSOP is delighted to have renewed our agreement with 888poker for the third year running,” said WSOP Executive Director, Ty Stewart. “We’ve seen 888poker really up the stakes in the past few years, with a refreshing new online and offline approach which aims to give the power back to the players. This shared vision and love of the game means it’s a natural partnership for both our brands. I believe this mutually beneficial approach will continue to enhance our user experience and wish our players the best of luck in the Tournament!”
Sending More Players than Ever to Las Vegas
In 2015, we sent 128 players to the WSOP Main Event, which was eventually won by the 888poker-sponsored Joe McKeehen. Another of those players was Tommy Yates, a British ex-pat who earned his ticket to the Main Event via a one cent satellite entry. He wound up turning that penny into $19,500 by finishing 486th out of 6,420 players.
Last year, we sent more than 250 players including November Niners Fernando Pons and Griffin Benger, who qualified for the WSOP Main Event via €30 and €160 satellites respectively. Out of 6,737 players, Pons finished ninth for $1 million while Benger took seventh for $1,250,190.
In 2017, we’re putting the focus on our players, and that means we’ll be sending more qualifiers than ever to Las Vegas!
“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,” said Senior Vice President & Head of B2C at 888 Holdings, Itai Pazner.
“As part of our wider mission to empower all players, and in the interests of giving everyone a shot at winning big, we’ll once again offer our members the incredible opportunity to enter the world’s biggest and most prestigious live tournament, from as little as 1¢.
I’m confident that this year we’ll introduce another record-breaking number of players to the WSOP and look forward to seeing some of them on the Final Table. Best of luck!”
Crazy Eights and Kara Scott Return to WSOP
One of the highlights of last year’s WSOP schedule was the inaugural $888 “Crazy Eights” tournament, which was played eight-handed and guaranteed an $888,888 top prize. The tournament drew 6,761 entrants over four starting flights (341 more than the 2015 WSOP Main Event field) and saw 53-year-old Vietnamese immigrant Hung Le, who was playing in his first ever major poker tournament, capture the coveted gold bracelet.
The $888 Crazy Eights will return in 2017 on July 1 and 2. There will be two starting flights a day at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Once again, the winner is guaranteed to walk away with a cool $888,888. The event will be run eight-handed at each table, and features unlimited re-entry during the open registration period.
Also as part of the sponsorship, 888poker will continue to receive exposure through the WSOP Main Event television programming on ESPN, as well as throughout the summer on WSOP.com via official live streaming of gold bracelet event final tables.
Additionally, 888poker Ambassador and veteran television personality Kara Scott, who has done an incredible job representing the brand across the world, will return as host of ESPN’s coverage of the WSOP. Alongside Lon McEachern and Norman Chad, Scott and 888poker will remain the exclusive telecast partner airing in 84 countries and viewed annually by over 300 million people worldwide.
Interestingly, Scott was the only woman to cash in both the 2008 and 2009 WSOP Main Events, which also made her just the second woman in poker history to cash in consecutive WSOP Main Events.
Qualify Today
This year, 888poker will again be running their multi-step satellites tournaments, all day and all night long. With buy-ins starting from as little as one cent, every poker player has an affordable path to WSOP fame and glory and a once-in-a-lifetime live poker experience.
The exclusive online Qualifiers to WSOP events are already running at 888poker. There are seven Steps Satellites, starting at one cent, that can take a player, in style, to a 2017 WSOP Las Vegas Main Event package, worth $12,500.
Here they are:
| Tournament Name | Buy-in Amount ($) | Prize Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $0.01 | One Step 2 seat for every $0.10 in the prize pool |
| Step 2 | $0.10 | One Step 3 seat for every $1 in the prize pool |
| Step 3 | $1 | One Step 4 seat for every $5 in the prize pool |
| Step 4 | $5 | One Step 5 seat for every $30 in the prize pool |
| Step 5 | $30 | One Step 6 seat for every $160 in the prize pool |
| Step 6 | $160 | One WSOP 2016 ME Qualifier seat for every $1,050 in the prize pool |
Hosted at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, the WSOP attracted 107,844 entrants from 107 different countries in Las Vegas last year with Qui Nguyen winning the prestigious gold bracelet and Main Event top prize of $8,005,310. With the advent of the WSOP Europe in 2007 and WSOP Asia-Pacific in 2013, the extended partnership with the WSOP will provide a useful vehicle in driving 888poker’s already globally established online gambling communities.
