At what table could you be sitting with a famous Sports Personality, Hollywood Actor, TV Presenter, Hedge Fund Millionaire, Tech Mogul, Train Driver or Porn Star. Having paid significantly less or even nothing for the privilege compared to your table cohorts? – Poker of course.
In Chinese numerology, 888 means triple fortune, a strengthening of the meaning of the digit 8 luck. Christian numerology 888 means god or angels.
888 Poker invited me to Live the Dream on day 1b of their Main Event Poker Tournament at their inaugural 888Live London Poker Festival.
Staged at Aspers Casino, Stratford, with an entry fee of £880 and a guaranteed prize pool of over £200,000 the main event was the centrepiece of the 11 days 888live London Festival organised by 888poker”
228 players entered the Main event with a buy-in of £880. Playing over 2 days Day 1a and Day 1b. The guaranteed £200,000 prize pool was significantly raised with players all vying for a total prize pool of £228,096.
Team888 ambassadors, Kara Scott, Natalie Hof, Sofia Lovgren, Chris Moorman and Dominik Nitsche each had an $888 bounty on their heads. Dominik lost his bounty on Day 1a Chris gave his up on Day 1b. Kara and Natalie hung onto theirs well into Day 2 of this 4-day event
Shah Raza finished second earning £40,000 with Ka Him Li winning the event taking away both the trophy and a jackpot of £45,300.
So with the luck of a Devil worshipper with Dyscalculia 888 Poker kindly bought me into the Lightning 6 max £120 buy-in – a chance to wet my poker chops. and “Live the Game”.
For me, this was a Freeroll, ie a tournament with a free entry fee. Freerolls are a great way to play poker giving you a chance to win real money prizes (bankroll), tickets to other tournaments (satellites) or poker merchandise. Freerolls run regularly on 888 poker and special freerolls are announced on their Facebook page. With patience, you can grind up a cash bankroll purely from playing freerolls. If you have no money you can still play with play money another great way to practice without any cash outlay.
The best way to get a seat to an 888Live Event is to qualify online playing satellites. Qualify now for the 888Live Festival Rozvadov, Czech Republic King’s Festival January 26th – February 6th with a Main Event guaranteed prize pool of 600,000Euros
“Listen, here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in your first half-hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker” – Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) in the cult poker film Rounders (1988).
Online poker has several advantages
• No Travelling you can literally fall out if bed join a table and play in your underwear if you so desire
• Dealing, betting and folding is automatic on a computer – so when the dealer asks what do you want to do? And you reply after a slight pause” um stick” – that’s a tell
• Time you can play multiple tournaments (multi-tabling)
• Jumping around your laptop screaming ’wee!!! get in!!!” when you hit a Royal Flush goes unnoticed online, live – that’s a tell
• You play and more hands gaining experience faster
• Table Etiquette – not required
Like Fish out of water, a Poker Fish and his chips are quickly parted. With a tendency to dash away from the table to grab a picture or video, ask what’s the blind now, err is it my go? When’s the next break, does a straight beat a flush?
In a nutshell, Lighting 6Max wasn’t as quick or Lightening as it was spelt on the day (weight of chips owned) At least two tables of six players. I made the final table the top two players made the money but the top 3 could make a deal I came 4th – Close but no cigar….
Written by Kim Vernon