A cup of tea.
The rain.
Chicken Tikka Masala.
Winston Churchill.
Things that pop into my head when I hear the word 'London'. You don't get more British than the Bowler hat wearing, cigar-chomping, former Prime Minister - and did you know, he was half American?
As Santa and his little lovelies put the sledge into the garage for an MOT, and Rudolph and the boys head to the vets to make sure their fairy dust is pumping, 888poker is preparing to return to the home of 888pokerLive, Aspers Casino, Stratford.
888pokerLive London runs from Nov 22 - Dec 3, and the online poker giants will be putting up more than $1m in guaranteed prize money, as well as honouring Mr Churchill’s memory by inviting a few of America’s finest into the fold.
Churchill once said that one always measures friendships by how they show up in bad weather, and the former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion, Scott Blumstein, and the only person to win three WSOP Poker Player Championships, Michael Mizrachi, will do just that when they make an appearance at 888pokerLive London.
Bros vs Pros – What’s It All About?
The two US poker giants, Blumstein and Mizrachi, will take part in 888poker’s brilliant promotion Bros v Pros, and it goes a little something like this.
On November 14th & 17th at 21:00 (GMT), 888poker will host two $1 buy-in, $888 GTD Bros v Pros qualifying online events. Both tournaments are password protected, and you will need to tune into 888poker's social media channels to get your grubby mitts on it.
The top five finishers from each qualifier will compete in a 10-person Sit n Go on November 18th at 21:00 (GMT) with the winner earning a Bros v Pros 888pokerLive London goody bag.
So, what’s in the goody bag?
- A seat in the £1,100 888pokerLive London Main Event
- Free tickets to watch the London derby between Arsenal and Spurs
- A £1k buy-in for a special Bros v Pros cash game
- The opportunity to bring two friends along with you
It promises to be a unique experience, as the Bros will clash with Blumstein, The Grinder and 888poker Ambassadors Dominik Nitsche, Parker "Tonka" Talbot and Vivian Saliba in that Bros v Pros Cash Game.
You will find the qualifiers in the lobby under - $888 Bros vs. Pros 888poker Live London Qualifier. Here are the terms and conditions.
888pokerLive London Schedule - $1m in Guarantees
Another one of Churchill’s gems was we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give, and 888poker are giving a lot with a myriad of cheap and cheerful ways to qualify for the star events, and more than $1m in guaranteed prize money.
The series opens on Thursday 22nd November with a five-starting-flight, 3x re-entry, £220, £88,800 GTD Opening Event. The low stakes action continues with a £150 Whale, £125 Pot-Limit Omaha, and a £100 Ladies Event.
And, there is also a little something for those with deep pockets.
The £2,200, £50,000 GTD High Roller begins on Wednesday 28th November, and there will be a £5,000 Super High Roller on Sunday 2nd November. But all eyes will be on the £1,100, £400,000 GTD 888pokerLive London Main Event, with the first of five starting flights beginning on Thursday 29th November.
Last year, Tom "Jabracada" Hall conquered the 427-entrant field to win the top prize of £78,888 in the £1,100 888pokerLive London Main Event showing you the calibre of folks that turn up with the intention of earning a coveted 888pokerLive title.
And that’s not all.
God of the Arena Makes a Special Appearance
888poker will follow up the $1m GTD God of the Arena, by hosting a special live event of the same name during 888pokerLive London. Expect more fun and laughter than recovering from an infestation of fleas, as a spattering of amateurs and pros alike compete in the special bounty tournament.
888pokerLive London is the third 888pokerLive event of 2018, and Romanians have taken down the previous two after Andrei Racolta vanquished 469 entrants to win the €71,042 first prize in Bucharest, and Adrian Constantin banked €114,025 after defeating a field of 709-entrants at the Casino Barcelona.
Churchill wouldn’t have been happy about that.
So, come on you Brits, are you ready?
Winston always said that if you wanted to be really happy and really safe, you ought to have two or three real hobbies, so why not make one of them poker in November?
Here are the main highlights of 888pokerLive London:
Thu 22/11 £220, £88,800 GTD Opening Event Day 1A
Fri 23/11 £220, £88,800 Opening Event Day 1B
Sat 24/11 £220, £88,800 Opening Event Day 1C
Sat 24/11 £220, £88,800 Opening Event Day 1D Turbo
Sun 25/11 £220, £88,800 Opening Event Final Day
Wed 28/11 £2,200, £50,000 GTD High Roller Day 1
Thu 29/11 £2,200, £50,000 GTD High Roller Final Day
Thu 29/11 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Day 1A
Fri 30/11 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Day 1B
Fri 30/11 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Day 1C
Fri 30/11 £150 The Mega Knockout (£50 Bounty)
Sat 1/12 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Day 1D
Sat 1/12 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Day 1E Turbo
Sat 1/12 £125 Pot-Limit Omaha
Sun 2/12 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Day 2
Sun 2/12 £150, £5,000 GTD The Whale
Sun 2/12 £5,000 Super High Roller Day 1
Sun 2/12 £100 Ladies Event
Mon 3/12 £1,100, £400,000 GTD Main Event Final Table
Mon 3/12 £5,000 Super High Roller Final Table
*There are live satellites galore dotted throughout the full schedule, which you can access right here.
