When the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event began on July 3, 888poker had 34 various qualifiers, team members, and ambassadors in action among 8,663 players..
While all qualifiers had been eliminated by the end of Day 5, they put up an impressive showing. In fact, seven members of Team 888poker cashed the tournament for a combined $259,400!
Along the way, we saw some big hands, gut-wrenching bad beats, and more!
Here’s a day-by-day look at how Team 888poker did in the 2022 WSOP Main Event, which will ultimately award the winner a smooth $10,000,000!
Day 1 Survivors
From the 888poker Team, two dozen survived their Day 1 flights. Unfortunately, among the eight that did not were Guilherme Benatto, Alfie Indira, back-to-back $50,000 Poker Players Championship winner Daniel Cates, and Brazil’s Vivi Saliba.
888poker Ambassador Sam Abernathy was at-risk early on Day 1a. According to PokerNews live updates, she was heads-up on a flop of J♠3♥10♥, and she bet 6,400 from the small blind.
Her opponent, who was on the button, called and the 10♠ paired the board on the turn. Abernathy checked, her opponent bet 15,000, and Abernathy jammed for 27,000 total.
Her opponent snap-called with the A♥Q♥ for straight and flush draws but was drawing dead as Abernathy rolled over the J♦J♣ for a full house.
The meaningless 5♦ ran out on the river, and Abernathy shipped the double.
Here’s a look at those that made it through each flight with their associated stack:
Day 1a
Kevin Frame – Bagged 125,100 on Day 1a
Mark Defaria – Bagged 89,700 on Day 1a
Sam Abernathy – Bagged 65,700 on Day 1a
Alexandre Mantovani – Bagged 92,900 on Day 1a
David Docherty – Bagged 36,700 on Day 1a
Day 1b
Nicholas Page – Bagged 71,000 on Day 1b
Danny Lavoie – Bagged 63,800 on Day 1b
Day 1c
Nick Eastwood – Bagged 41,200 on Day 1c
Thiago Pirani – Bagged 147,900 on Day 1c
Ian Simpson – Bagged 14,600 on Day 1c
Day 1d
Raul Martinez – Bagged 96,400 on Day 1d
Padraig O'Neill – Bagged 62,600 on Day 1d
Endrit Geci – Bagged 95,300 on Day 1d
Robin Sjögren Knutas – Bagged 60,100 on Day 1d
Thomas Cazayous – Bagged 115,500 on Day 1d
Dov Markowich – Bagged 76,600 on Day 1d
Matthew Silva – Bagged 86,600 on Day 1d
Johannes Straver – Bagged 86,900 on Day 1d
Jorge Ufano – Bagged 114,500 on Day 1d
Jack Dean – Bagged 40,800 on Day 1d
Jordan Banfield – Bagged 43,300 on Day 1d
Marios Iaonnides – Bagged 128,500 on Day 1d
Josh Manley – Bagged 56,100 on Day 1d
Day 2 Survivors
There were two separate Day 2 flights, the first gathering survivors from Day 1abc and the other from Day 1d. All told, nine members of the 888poker team fell by the wayside, meaning 15 advanced to Day 3.
One of them was Abernathy, who scored a double in Level 7 (500/1,000/1,000). It happened when she raised to 2,200 from the cutoff holding the J♣10♣. Raphael Wimmer three-bet to 7,600 with the K♥K♠ in the small blind.
Abernathy opted to call and then called a bet of 4,000 on the A♥K♣4♣ flop, which gave her both straight and flush draws against top set.
The Q♥ turn saw Wimmer bet 15,000 and then call when Abernathy, who had turned a Broadway straight, moved all-in.
The safe J♥ completed the board on the river, and Abernathy doubled to 160,000 while Wimmer was left with just 10,000.
Day 2a
Kevin Frame – Bagged 210,500 on Day 2a
Mark Defaria – Bagged 111,500 on Day 2a
Sam Abernathy – Bagged 106,000 on Day 2a
Alexandre Mantovani – Bagged 175,000 on Day 2a
David Docherty – Eliminated on Day 2a
Day 2b
Danny Lavoie – Bagged 207,500 on Day 2b
Day 2c
Nick Eastwood – Bagged 50,000 on Day 2c
Thiago Pirani – Bagged 305,000 on Day 2c
Chris Eubank Jr – Eliminated on Day 2c
Ian Simpson – Eliminated on Day 2c
Day 2d
Padraig O'Neill – Bagged 255,500 on Day 2d
Robin Sjögren Knutas – Bagged 50,000 on Day 2d
Thomas Cazayous – Bagged 171,000 on Day 2d
Matthew Silva – Bagged 195,500 on Day 2d
Jorge Ufano – Bagged 215,500 on Day 2d
Jordan Banfield – Bagged 122,500 on Day 2d
Josh Manley – Bagged 168,500 on Day 2d
Endrit Geci – Eliminated on Day 2d
Jack Dean – Eliminated on Day 2d
Johannes Straver – Eliminated on Day 2d
Dov Markowich – Eliminated on Day 2d
Day 3 Survivors
At the end of Day 3, the money bubble had burst, and just 1,299 players remained. Unfortunately, more than half – eight to be exact – of the Team 888poker members who began the day failed to make the money.
Sadly, one of those to fall was Abernathy, who lost in one of the most memorable hands of the tournament. It took place in Level 11 (1,000/2,500/2,500) when she raised to 5,500 with the K♥K♠ and Mike Gao three-bet to 22,000 with the K♦K♣.
Abernathy moved all-in for 110,000, and Gao wasted little time making the call.
It looked as if the duo would split the pot, but the Q♦5♦3♥ flop gave Gao a freeroll to running diamonds. Well, it was bad luck for Abernathy as the 4♦ appeared on the turn followed by the 9♦ on the river to give Gao the flush and eliminate the 888poker Ambassador.
In the next level, Yuval Bronshtein raised to 7,000 in early position and Brazil’s Thiago Pirani, an 888poker qualifier, three-bet to 47,000 from the big blind after two other players had limped. Bronshtein four-bet to 110,000, the other two players folded, and Pirani jammed.
Bronshtein called off with the Q♦Q♣ only to see Pirani roll over the K♣K♠. The board ran out a clean 4♦2♦6♥8♣3♣ and Bronshtein hit the rail.
Meanwhile, Pirani went on to bag over 1.1 million, by far the biggest stack among the surviving 888poker team.
Day 3
Kevin Frame – Bagged 226,000 on Day 3
Alexandre Mantovani – Bagged 678,000 on Day 3
Danny Lavoie – Bagged 125,000 on Day 3
Nick Eastwood – Bagged 31,000 on Day 3
Thiago Pirani – Bagged 1,181,000 on Day 3
Padraig O'Neill – Bagged 309,000 on Day 3
Robin Sjögren Knutas – Bagged 123,000 on Day 3
Jordan Banfield – Eliminated on Day 3
Sam Abernathy – Eliminated on Day 3
Mark Defaria – Eliminated on Day 3
Raul Martinez – Eliminated on Day 3
Thomas Cazayous – Eliminated on Day 3
Matthew Silva – Eliminated on Day 3
Day 4 Survivors
At the end of Day 4, the field had been whittled down to the final 380 players. Among the crowds of bustouts, only three members of Team 888poker hit the rail –
- Robin Sjögren Knutas (505th place for $28,400)
- Kevin Frame (799th place for $19,000)
- Nick Eastwood (1,214th place for $15,000)
Day 4
Alexandre Mantovani – Bagged 485,000 on Day 4
Danny Lavoie – Bagged 915,000 on Day 4
Thiago Pirani – Bagged 1,150,000 on Day 4
Padraig O'Neill – Bagged 780,000 on Day 4
Robin Sjögren Knutas – Eliminated on Day 4 … 505th place for $28,400
Kevin Frame – Eliminated on Day 4 … 799th place for $19,000
Nick Eastwood – Eliminated on Day 4 … 1,214th place for $15,000
Day 5 Survivors
At the end of Day 5, just 123 players remained - each guaranteed $62,500 in prize money. Unfortunately, the remaining Team 888poker members met their demise in Monday’s action.
The first to fall on Day 5 was the UK’s Danny Lavoie, who took a hit in Level 21 (10,000/25,000/25,000). Mark Egbert got his stack of 315,000 all-in preflop with the 9♠9♦.
Lavoie held the A♣A♥ only to see his rockets cracked after the board ran out 9 ♣4♠2♣7♥4♦. Lavoie would exit in 296th place for $40,900.
Brazilian Ambassador Alexandre “Cavalito” Mantovani, who signed with 888poker in March, had been crushing most of the tournament. That continued in Level 21 when he opened to 60,000 with the A♣A♦. He then called when Marek Liyanage three-bet jammed for around 500K with the A♥K♥.
The board ran out a clean 10♦9♦8♣6♥4♦, and Liyanage hit the rail in 348th place for $40,900. Unfortunately for Mantovani, he would follow him out the door a few hours later in 266th place for $46,800.
A short time later, Irishman Padraig O'Neill took 258th place for $46,800. That left Brazil’s Thiago Pirani as the last qualifier standing.
Pirani won his $13,000 “Road to Vegas” package to the 2022 WSOP Main Event in an 888poker partnership with SuperPoker. He was one of eight champions from qualifying champions to battle at a final table on SuperPoker’s Twitch channel.
Pirani’s journey ended in 157th place for $62,500 as the official “Last 888poker Qualifier Standing” in the 2022 WSOP Main Event!
Day 5
Danny Lavoie – Eliminated on Day 5 … 296th place for $40,900
Alexandre Mantovani – Eliminated on Day 5 … 266th place for $46,800
Padraig O'Neill – Eliminated on Day 5 … 258th place for $46,800
Thiago Pirani – Eliminated on Day 5 … 157th place for $62,500
