888poker’s First LIVE 2025 Stop in Madrid Sees Team Ambassador Ian Simpson Win €62K Top Cash!

We kicked off our first 888poker LIVE stop of 2025 at the Casino Gran Via in the beautiful, chic city of Madrid! 888poker LIVE Madrid proved to be a massive success, with the Main Event prize pool topping out at a whopping €€306,280.

The series kicked off on 12 January and culminated with the Main Event from 15 through 19 January. The tournament attracted 403 entries and generated an enormous prize pool, with € 62,000 going to the winner.

That winner just happened to be 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson, who won his first 888poker LIVE Main Event after an arduous heads-up battle.

He is also the first-ever team ambassador to win an 888poker LIVE Main Event!

From the start of the final table action, In had his eye on the prize and never lost sight of the goal. With determination and grit, he fought to come out on top after a lengthy heads-up duel versus Spain’s Alvaro Murciano.

Both players deserve a massive round of applause for the effort and skill they brought to the table.

After winning the title, Simpson had this to say:

“I don’t have words. It’s the best. I’ve always wanted to run deep in a Main Event, and then when it’s like final 20 you’re like, okay, maybe I’ll final table. Then it’s like final 13 or 14 and you’re like, I’m really hoping I don’t get like ninth, 11th. Then you get to the final table and you’ve got the chip lead. It’s a lot of emotions, and they’re all good ones.”

Days 1B through 3 featured tables were live-streamed on our 888pokerTV Twitch channel, and there was no shortage of action!

Day 1A Action – 888pokerLIVE Madrid Main Event

Last year’s winner, Manuel Ledesma, stood atop the leaderboard at the end of Day 1A. In 2024, he took home the trophy and €58,000 top cash. This year, he returned to Casino Gran Via and seemed poised to do it again, ending the night with 222,000 for second in chips among the 28 surviving players.

A total of 58 players took to the felt for the first starting flight, with 888poker Ian Simpson throwing his cap into the ring. Unfortunately, it was not to be, and he hung up his hat to try another bullet in the upcoming flights.

Day 1B Action – 888pokerLIVE Madrid Main Event

Day 1B proved to be much better for 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson and his teammates. He catapulted to the top of the Day 1B leaderboard, primarily down to a three-way all-in hand where he knocked out two players. His pocket Kings dominated his opponents’ Eights and Tens – and the KK held!

He ended the day with 172,500, easily making Day 2 alongside the 38 Day 1B survivors.

Joining Simpson on Day 2 were teammates Lucia Navarro (62,500), Ricardo Mateus (46,000), and Vivian Saliba (23,500). However, fellow ambassador Alexandre Mantovani wasn’t so lucky, busting on the final level of the night.

On Day 1 B, 87 players made their way to the Casino Gran Via, creating a total field of 145 through the first two starting flights. 66 punched their tickets to Day 2.

Day 1C Action – 888pokerLIVE Madrid Main Event

Day 1C was expected to be the busiest of the four 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event flights, and it didn’t disappoint.

A total of 201 players showed up, hoping to take down what was going to be a massive top prize. By the end of the night, 113 players had bagged and tagged for Day 2.

Francisco Togores was top of the heap after he flopped a flush to beat an opponent’s trip aces, scoring a knockout and a massive chip stack.

At the end of Day 1C, we had amassed a combined field of 346, with 179 securing a seat for Day 2.

Day 2 All Tallied Up with €306,280 in Prize Pool!

After the end of Day 1 registrations, we entered Day 2 action with blockbuster numbers. Forty-eight of the Day 2 runners were guaranteed a min-cash of €1,765, with €62,000 going to the ultimate winner.

But first, we had to whittle down the 173 players still in the running.

🚨 TOURNAMENT UPDATE!

📣 The numbers are in:

👀 The total amount of entries is 403, with 160 remaining, and a prize pool of €306,280!

🏆 48 players will make the money with 1st place paying €62,000 while the min-cash is €1,765! #madrid #poker #livepoker pic.twitter.com/G88kcpK1pz

— 888poker (@888poker) January 18, 2025

The action on Day 2 lasted well into the early hours of the morning, and for some, it was well worth the wait. 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson was among the 23 players to make Day 3 after the bubble burst.

He finished the night in 9^th place with a healthy 860,000 chip stack. Bubble boy Matteo Montanari wasn’t so lucky, going out in 49^th place.

Ian’s teammates Lucia Navarro, Vivian Saliba, Ricardo Mateus, and Alexandre Mantovani also fell short of the money.

Not faring much better was 2024 Main Event winner Manuel Ledesma. His downfall came in just two hands after losing a flip to double Matteo Montanari.

Then Montanari hit two pair to bust the defending champion in the next hand.

888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event Payout Schedule

Day 3 Action – 888pokerLIVE Madrid Main Event

Day 3 kicked off with 23 runners chasing €62K top cash and the 888poker LIVE trophy but currently guaranteed a €2,435 payday.

888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson was the lone survivor, flying the flag for the team and sitting pretty in ninth place.

It took another 5 hours to reach the final table, by which time Ian had worked his way into third place.

888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event Final Table of Nine

888poker LIVE Madrid - Final Table Action!

The final table got underway with 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson firmly fixated on bringing home the trophy for the team.

But first, he had to make it through eight tough and determined opponents.

Albert Diaz, who entered the final table in last place, was first to get his marching papers. He ran QTo into Jonas Ten Cate’s AJs and found no joy on the flop, turn or river. He took home €5,985 for his ninth-place finish.

Next up was Yakiv Syzghanov, whose 75o bluff was no match for Anel’ Perez’ pocket Kings and was eliminated in 8th place (€7,600).

After the dinner break, it was Jorge Alvarez’s time to find the rail. He moved all-in for his remaining 1M with K8o, which Michaelangelo Serra’s KJs dominated. He ended the night in seventh place for €10.000.

Out in sixth place was Jonas Ten Cate when he called Angel Perez’ button all-in from the small blind with his remaining 145K. Joanas’ 65o was no match for Angel’s A4o, sending Jonas to the rail for €13,400.

Shortly after Jonas’ exit, Michaelangelo Serra found himself in trouble and all in with 54s up against Ian Simpson’s K9o. Despite spiking four on the flop, Serra’s pair couldn’t hold, and he walked away with €17,000 for his 5^th-place finish.

Carlos Diaz entered the final table in first place, but it was not to be for the Spaniard. He made his exit in fourth after running ATo into the A9-two pair of Angel Perez. He exited in fourth place for a €22,500 payday.

Three-way action was furious, with Murciano and Simpson trading blows. However, it was Angel Perez’s turn to take his leave in third place after his pocket Queens were crushed by the turned King in Ian Simpson’s K6-suited hand. He ended his night with a well-earned €30,500 in cash.

888poker LIVE Madrid – Heads-up Action!

Ian Simpson (10,800,000) held a slight chip lead over Alvaro Murciano (9,350,000) going into heads-up play. However, those roles were reversed on the very first hand of play when Ian folded post-flop after raising on the button.

At one point, Simpson opened up close to a 3:1 chip lead over Murciano. But Alvaro found AK and then a double-up with A8o versus Ian’s AJo, spiking the eight on the river to turn the tables.

Ian clawed his way back after sniffing out a bluff and, after two hours of heads-up action, finally found a hand where he had his opponent on the ropes.

Murciano’s 6d5d was no match for Simpson’s Ad3d on an As-Kd-Jc flop. The Td turn gave Alvaro outs to a chop, but the 5s on the river sealed the win for the 888poker ambassador.

“Pretty crazy. That eight on the river was something. But we kept our edge and just reset and did the best we could. Got it in good eventually and held,” Simpson said regarding the win.

Alvaro Murciano collected €42,000 for his valiant effort and second-place finish.

Ian Simpson walked away with his first 888pokerLIVE Main Event win, the trophy and €62,000 in cash.

Ian had this to say about his plans to celebrate the win:

“Tired. Really goddamned tired. I’m so very ready for bed. I can’t make tomorrow’s flight, I’m staying in bed all day long,”

Well played to all!

888poker LIVE Main Event Final Table Results