For the exclusive roster of Team888 ambassadors, the WSOP Main Event is not purely another stop on the worldwide circuit; it is the culmination of an entire year's worth of preparation, study, and sacrifice.
Episode 2 of the 888poker WSOP Docuseries, titled Shuffle Up & Deal, captures the raw, bare-knuckled journey of five prominent team ambassadors as they navigate the shark-filled waters of Day 1: Aaron Barone, Ian Simpson, Vivian Saliba, Nick Eastwood, and Lucia Navarro.
From early-level optimism to heart-wrenching eliminations and dramatic late-night comebacks, their experiences mirror the breathtaking emotional spectrum of the tournament itself.
Check out Episode 2 of their journey, Shuffle Up & Deal:
Summary of Ambassador Results (Day 1)
All participants in the WSOP Main Event start with a standard stack of 60,000 tournament chips.
Across five demanding two-hour levels, each ambassador experienced dramatically differing trajectories:
In-Depth Recaps of the 5 Ambassadors’ WSOP Day 1
1. Lucia Navarro: Late Entry Miracle (128,500 / +114%)
Lucia Navarro’s Main Event story began under less-than-ideal circumstances. Battling a severe sickness that had kept her bedridden for three full days before the tournament, Lucia faced a difficult choice on the morning of Day 1.
Prioritising health and physical recovery, she made the tactical decision to sleep in and forfeit the entire first level of play, entering the tournament room a level late with an invigorated perspective and raring to go.
Her calm, relaxed mindset proved to be her ultimate superpower. As she explained before taking her seat:
"If I'm in a bad spot, I'm not gonna get tilted... or if I get card dead, I'm not gonna be tilted because I feel very, very chill and very calm."
Once seated, Lucia executed a flawless performance of chip accumulation. Steadily building her chip stack level by level, she surged from her 60,000 starting stack up to 75,000 by Level 4
After surging in the final hours, finishing on an impressive 128,500 chips, the team's highest stack of the day, she celebrated with an enthusiastic "¡Vamos!" as she bagged for Day 2.
2. Aaron Barone: Steady Heat (76,400 / +27%)
Entering the 2026 Main Event, Team888’s Aaron Barone had a proven track record of deep runs in previous years. Starting slowly in Level 1, his stack dipped slightly to 52,400 chips before he found his rhythm.
After donning a jacket to combat the chill of the ballroom, Aaron "hit some heat" during Level 2, working his stack back up to 64,000.
Aaron's defining hand arrived in Level 3 during a high-intensity clash against a fellow poker influencer. On a board where Aaron rivered a full house while his opponent held trip nines, Aaron put her all-in on the river.
His opponent sank into a prolonged tank, prompting other players at the table to call the clock. With seconds ticking down, she made the call, handing Aaron a massive pot that pushed him to a peak of 94,000 chips. Though slipping back slightly during the final stretch, Aaron ended Day 1 comfortably with 76,400 chips.
3. Nick Eastwood: Grinder's Journey (56,300 / -6%)
For British ambassador Nick Eastwood, playing his fifth WSOP Main Event was an exercise in patience and emotional control. Facing what he characterised as the "grindiest" Day 1 table he had ever encountered, Nick spent much of the day battling erratic table dynamics, including an opponent on his right playing at breakneck speed.
After a modest early gain to 61,400 in Level 1, Nick suffered a setback in Level 2 when he flopped a set, only to run into an opponent's superior set on a precarious board. Careful pot control saved him from total catastrophe, leaving him with 45,000 chips.
Refusing to panic, Nick managed to chip back up during Level 4 to end the night on 56,300 chips. Describing his stack size as "completely mid," Nick noted that survival is what matters most heading into his day off.
4. Vivian Saliba: From High Flying to Crushing Folds (36,200 / -40%)
Brazilian superstar Vivian Saliba brought her trademark energy and focus to Day 1, preparing for competition by listening to Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold." Her mental prep initially paid off as she exploded out of the gates, building her 60,000 starting stack up to 80,000 in Level 1 and peaking at 85,800 in Level 2.
However, the tournament turned into a "nightmare" over the final three levels. In one painful river scenario with a monster pot brewing, Vivi was forced to make an agonising fold with pocket Aces after the clock was called on her.
The painful late-level slide saw her stack bleed down to 36,200 chips. Despite being physically and emotionally exhausted, Vivi found a silver lining: she survived the day with chips intact and remained dangerous for Day 2.
5. Ian Simpson: Cooler Agony & Early Exit (0 / Busted)
The dark side of poker’s variance fell upon UK ambassador Ian Simpson on Day 1B. Entering the room feeling "more ready than I ever have in my career," Ian's preparation was quickly tested by unrelenting setup hands. In Level 1, he suffered an early blow when an opponent called him down with a second-nut flush while Ian held an inferior flush, dropping his stack to 55,000.
By Level 2, Ian was crippled down to 12,300 chips. The knockout blow occurred in Level 3: after flatting an under-the-gun raise with AK off-suit, Ian back-jammed his remaining stack over a 3-bet from a strong player.
His opponent called with pocket Jacks and held, eliminating Ian from the tournament. Showing true sportsmanship, Ian accepted the outcome with grace:
"And that's poker. See you next year!"
Key Takeaways Heading into Day 2
The journey of the 888poker ambassadors on Day 1 illustrates the essential psychological mindset required to succeed in tournament poker.
- Lucia Navarro's triumph encapsulates the value of adequate rest over extra playing time.
- Aaron Barone's steady rise illustrates how staying cool during high-tension clock calls can yield massive chip rewards.
- Meanwhile, Nick Eastwood and Vivi Saliba demonstrated the grit needed to survive severe card dead stretches and setup hands.
"Most tournaments, no matter how good you are, end in busting. But once in a while, they don't." — Ian Simpson
With four out of five ambassadors advancing to Day 2, Team 888poker entered the next stage of the 2026 WSOP Main Event in a strong position.
As the field merged and blind levels escalated, all eyes were on Lucia, Aaron, Nick, and Vivi while they continued their quest for bracelet glory.
