More big names. More special events.
More Will "#9highlikeaboss" Kassouf, even?
The inaugural 888poker Festival at Aspers London is just a week away and all signs point to it living up to its "Make It Big" motto.
The newest add-on to the growing list of "big" things? American poker icon Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi.
Mizrachi, Esfandiari Come to London
The 11-day poker festival at the Aspers Casino was already set to feature the 888poker team pros Dominik Nitsche, Sofia Lövgren, Chris Moorman and Kara Scott.
Now two very high-profile poker professionals from across the pond have jumped in to represent the brand.
Former Nov. 9er and 2-time $50k PPC champ Mizrachi just announced via Twitter that he’ll be “in London for the main event and the high roller, and maybe some more…”
No way can you can miss @TheGrinder44 & @magicantonio in the same place & possibly even at the same table...#888Live London Festival! pic.twitter.com/tF2G44uAy4— 888poker (@888poker) October 4, 2016
With Antonio Esfandiari announcing his plans to attend last month it seems 888poker is sparing no expense to boost its US profile in advance of the opening of the US market.
More Moorman, Plenty of Surprises
Larger than life!
Also newly announced for the schedule are Chris Moorman spending some time promoting his new book, Moorman, and Kara Scott hosting a VIP reception.
888poker will also roll out “plenty of surprises during the main event" which, considering that in past 888 live events players were given GoPros and iPhones just for suffering a bad beat, will add some serious value.
As a London local Will “ninehighlikeaboss” Kassouf is also expected to be there. Kassouf’s deep run in the WSOP main event and his antics at the table have already given ESPN’s broadcast the nickname of the “Will Series of Poker.”
You might not know this but Scott and Kassouf actually have some history at the poker table. When Scott finished second at the Irish Open in 2009, Kassouf was also at the final table (and made a lot of questionable calls with bad hands out of position).
He finished in sixth place for only his second Hendon Mob entry and his first major international event. Watch him here next to Scott.
For the record she remembers him as “very entertaining,” but his speech game was nowhere near what it is today.
Qualify and Play
If you want to play at the London Festival without paying the complete buy-in, you can qualify online on 888poker for both the opening and the main event.
Direct satellites to the opening event cost $30. Those that can get you into the main event cost $109 but you can also make your way up through the 888poker steps system where the satellites start as low as 1 cent.
Here’s a shortlist of the major events at the 888poker festival. The location is the Aspers Casino, Westfield Mall, Stratford, London.
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 1 | 888live opening event | $300 |
| 2 | Lightning 6-max | $165 |
| 3 | Turbo Mega Deep | $165 |
| 4 | High Roller | $2650 |
| 5 | Main Event | $1180 |
| 6 | Two day 25k | $300 |
| 7 | Turbo Mega Deep Omaha | $335 |
| 8 | Mega Knockout Live | $540 |
There are other events as well, including satellites. Check an overview of the complete schedule here.
While you’re at it, check for the Battle of Malta satellites in the same area of the lobby. The BOM will take place on November 2-7 this year and it’s shaping up to be bigger than ever.
