This summer, the easiest way for players from the UK, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Poland, Sweden and Australia to get to the World Series of Poker is via 888poker, which once again returns as official sponsor of the WSOP, and our brand new WSOP League.
From May 6-20, we'll be hosting special WSOP League tournaments with buy-ins starting at just 10¢. At the end of the two-week period, the top 27 players in each country’s respective WSOP League leaderboard will win tickets to their country’s Grand Final Championship, which will be held on May 23.
It's there that they’ll face their fellow countrymen and women in a final showdown with the winner taking home a $3,000 package to 888poker’s official "Crazy Eights" WSOP Event in Las Vegas.
That tournament will begin on Friday, July 1, feature reentries over four starting flights, and will guarantee an $888,888 first-place prize. The event, which was named one of the five best tournaments for first-time players by USA Today, is also the first time in WSOP history that a sub-$1,500 buy-in event will be run eight-handed.
Flight A – Friday, July 1 at 10:00 a.m.
Flight B – Friday, July 1 at 4:00 p.m.
Flight C – Saturday, July 2 at 10;00 a.m.
Flight D – Saturday, July 2 at 4:00 p.m.
"An 8-handed tournament is one of my favorite format live events," 888 Pro Sofia Lövgren previously said of the event. "In an 8-handed tournament, you will obviously see more hands per hour compared to a slow 10-handed game. 8-handed, your hands will be worth a little more, since there are less players in each hand, and you will more often sit with the best hand."
Lövgren hails from Sweden, and chances are you'll see here battle it out in the Swedish WSOP League against amateurs and pros alike. While there's no telling who'll play, but one player will follow in the footsteps of fellow Swedes like Martin Jacobson, who tops the country's all-time money list after winning the WSOP Main Event in 2013; poker legend Chris Bjorin; and online superstar Viktor Blom.
Likewise, the other six countries eligible for our WSOP Leagues have been well represented in the past. Will you join players like those listed below in representing your country on the poker felt?
UK – The most accomplished online poker player in history, Chris "moorman1" Moorman; the UK's all-time money leader with $20.5 million, Sam Trickett; and two-time WSOP bracelet winner John Gale, who just won a European Poker Award for Moment of the Year when he returned to poker after battling a brain tumor for three years.
Germany – 888 Ambassador Dominik Nitsche, who has already talked at length about his excitement for the 2016 WSOP; 2011 WSOP champ Pius Heinz; and the country's all-time money leader with $11,084,985, Ole Schemion.
Brazil – 888 Pros Bruno Kawauti and Bruno Politano; Brazilian footballer Denilson, who teamed up with 888poker back in March; and Jorge Augusto Bie, who won the first-ever 888Live Event in Brazil at the end of 2015.
Canada – Jeff "YoungSuprmcy" Hakim, Ben "Paralagloria" Wilinofsky, and TJ "petitetete" Ulmer, who've all been known to play on 888poker.
Poland – Dzmitry Urbanovich, who will make his WSOP debut this summer; and Polish 888poker players "rataj" ($199,303 in 888 earnings), "jestemkoniem" ($52,576), and "ioveurskilz" ($39,318), just to name a few.
Australia – former 888 Ambassador, Jackie Glazier, is a WSOP bracelet winner with over $850k in WSOP earnings. She'll definitely be gunning for bracelet number two at the 2016 WSOP.
While we certainly won't see all of the aforementioned players participate in our WSOP Leagues, you have the chance to show the world that you belong among your country's best poker players. Get started today, and you just might be representing them at the 2016 WSOP.
Let the games begin!
