2017 888Live Poker Festival Sao Paulo

Main Event
Day: 1d
Event Info

2017 888Live Poker Festival Sao Paulo

Final Results
Winner
Haroldo Silva
Winning Hand
k8
Prize
R$200,000
Event Info
Buy-in
R$1,300
Entries
757
Level Info
Level
33
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
25,000

Main Event

Day 1d Completed

Sofia Lövgren on Playing With Celebs, the Ladies Event, and Plans for the Future

Sofia Lovgren
Sofia Lovgren

We caught Sofia Lövgren’s recent bust out from the Celebrity Invitational tournament. She and Leo Margets both went all in without looking at their cards and they were called down by another player at the table. Once the flop hit, they all turned up their hands one by one. Lövgren held {A-}{9-} while Margets was holding {Q-}{10-}. Unfortunately, both of them had run into {A-}{A-} and were drawing dead by the turn.

After her bust, Lövgren was kind enough to speak with us about her time in Brazil and some of her initial impressions of the city and the poker so far.

Is this your first time in Brazil? How do you feel about the city so far?

“Yes, and it’s my first time in South America as well. My first impressions are that I think the city is very cool. I’ve heard that it can be dangerous, walking outdoors, alone at night, but when you are in groups it’s totally safe.”

How about the poker? How are you feeling about the Poker here so far?

“I like the poker here so far. I’ve only played the High Roller and the Flop O Mania tournament, and now the charity tournament. And it’s been great fun.”

What are your impressions of the players that you’ve played with?

“Actually I played with a lot of the teammates from 888. So I played with some good friends and yeah we had a good laugh. It’s been some fun poker.”

What about the celebrity event? How did you feel playing with all of these different celebrities?

“Of course it’s really fun when some big soccer legends join the poker game, and it’s been really fun. Denílson and Cafu, they both have big personalities and great personalities.”

Is this something new for you? To play in a celebrity tournament like this?

“I’ve been in a couple of celebrity tournaments before, but it’s the first one that I’ve played outside of Europe, with some Brazilian celebs.”

You guys were playing “fun” poker, not so serious obviously.

“We for sure don’t play that serious. It’s just for fun. We don’t play that serious. Like I was making raises with {7-}{2-} and I made a bluff with {7-}{2-}. And I got called down. You know, it doesn’t matter. And then we made a couple raises blind. I mean it doesn’t matter if you lose or win this tournament, it’s just to hang out and have a laugh.”

Are you planning on playing the Ladies Event?

“Yes for sure, it’s tomorrow, and actually it’s added the 13,000 Euro package to the World Series of Poker Europe, so that’s some extra value and for sure it will be good to win it. It’s nice.”

When you play a Ladies Event, do you have a different strategy? Do you approach the game a different way?

“I think when you play the Ladies Events, it's usually more shots at the tables. In general, I think the ladies event is a little softer than other tournaments, because more women just play for a hobby. Depending on the table I think I’ll play like usual. They are limping a lot and they like to see a lot of flops. So I like to raise bigger with bigger hands and then maybe put smaller bet sizing when I don’t have any hands. I probably shouldn’t say much more. I just play, there isn’t a really big difference.”

What are you looking forward to most for your time here in Brazil?

“I talked to a couple of local guys here in São Paulo and they suggested me some really good Brazilian restuarants. I definitely want to check out those. Some really good steakhouses. And then I have some Brazilian friends, like Bruno Foster and Nicolau Villa-Lobos, they know the good places here in Brazil and in São Paulo so I think I’ll get some advice and go hang out with them.”

What’s next for you?

“Actually this year I’ve been playing mainly cash games, so cash games in Macau and some places in Asia. So I’ll go back to Asia and play some cash games after Brazil. Then I will play World Series of Poker Europe in November, beginning of November. I will also play ACOP in Macau. I will also be in London for 888Live’s Festival there too.”

That’ll wrap things up for our coverage here today at 888Live São Paulo. Tomorrow we’ll conclude Day 1d with updates on chip leaders and total number of players. Currently 191 players have entered the event filling almost every table in the venue. Tommorow Day 1e kicks off at 2 p.m. local time while Day 1f, the turbo flight, kicks off at 8 p.m. Once Day 2 begins, we’ll start back up with our normal hand for hand coverage. So stay tuned!

Tags: 888LiveFlop O ManiaSofia Lovgren

Celebrities Abound at 888Live São Paulo

Much of the focus is on the celebrity event at 888Live São Paulo that has brought out the likes of Denilson, Cafu, Chris Moorman, Tiffany Michelle, Sofia Lövgren and a host of other celebrities, football stars, company executives and more.

A few days before, Denilson hosted a barbeque party at his home and our own Nicki Pickering was invited. She captured some of the fun of the event and gave us a taste of what it's like to live like football star Denilson. Check out her video here:

The Main Event is taking place across the room from the celebrity tournament and has now brought out over 166 players through the first three levels, which has almost doubled the total amount of entries so far.

Tags: DenilsonChris Moorman888LiveTiffany Michelle

Kara Scott Needs to Try To Remember How to Play Poker Again – “I’m Jonesing a Little”

Kara Scott - Courtesy of Joe Giron/888Live
Kara Scott - Courtesy of Joe Giron/888Live

We caught Kara Scott after her exit from the Flop O Mania Invitational to talk a little bit not only about the game itself but about her trip to São Paulo and how she’s preparing for the upcoming tournaments. While she hasn’t played in a while, Scott has always been a force to be reckoned with on the felt and she really wants to lock up a WSOPE package from this event.

We asked Scott about her experience with Flop O Mania first and asked her to give us some insights into her game plan for the tournament.

“It’s the first time that I’ve played Flop O Mania,” Scott explained. “I haven’t even been able to play it online, so it was really good fun. It started so well for me. And it’s really… it’s a lot easier to play it when you have a big stack. When you have a small stack and you need to shove, you’re like whatever, eight to ten big blinds, and you see the flop and you have no equity, that’s really hard.”

We asked Scott about changing shoving ranges for this type of poker, and what kind of experience it was to adjust her game in that way.

“Yeah! I mean yeah, and I couldn’t quite do that on the fly,” she said about changing her ranges. “So I was like you know what? I’m just gonna blind out. Which I didn’t. I’m kidding. But it got really close,” she said laughing.

She elaborated on this idea a bit as well, saying that because of the tournament structure, and the all antes no blinds, she was forced to adapt, changing the way she thought about the game a little bit.

“I mean if it’s a tournament, absolutely the idea of your shoving ranges, you have to adjust that because there are times where you really should, if it was preflop, shove, but then you have no equity whatsoever,” she said. “Finding the line between that is going to be interesting. Really interesting. And also the fact that it’s like an ante only tournament, how much are you betting on the flop after everyone’s anted in, and that sort of thing. I’d have to look at that specifically and kind of figure that out because it’s a new one for me.”

Despite not being able to find success in the Flop O Mania tournament, Scott is enjoying her time in Brazil so far, explaining that the city itself has left her in awe.

“This venue is beautiful,” Scott said. “I went and took some really lovely photos of the city. You have a whole view over São Paulo, which is the biggest city I’ve ever been to in my life. It’s just this massive mega city. It’s like being in some sort of futuristic city that’s been compressed into an area that’s too small to be this big a city.”

We gave Scott the comparison of Blade Runner, to which she replied, “It’s so futuristic like that. Yeah. I love it though. I really want to get out and take some photos and kind of have a look around but we’re pretty busy. There’s like a load of poker. So.”

When it comes to poker, Scott said she is really excited to be getting back into the game, despite not having played for a little while, and not having a chance to get her feet wet in Brazil at all either, besides Flop O Mania of course.

“I’m hoping to win a package for the World Series Europe in the ladies event, and if not, I’m gonna try it in the main event, so that’s my plan,” Scott said about her goals for the 888Live Festival in São Paulo. “You know what I’ve been thinking about it and this year has been the least I’ve played poker in my entire career. Going back like how many years, I don’t know, 12 years? I’ve never played this little and it’s incredible. I haven’t really played much online because of regulation stuff, and then I have really not played a lot live. I didn’t play any World Series this year because I was in a wedding. I mean it’s weird. I’ve played maybe five live tournaments this year? I need to play some poker. I’m feeling the itch. I’m jonesing a little.”

We asked Scott what he plan was for both tournaments, or if there are any specific strategies she wants to bring into the Ladies Event and the Main Event.

“Try to remember how to play poker for one,” Scott said laughing. “When you don’t play poker for a long time, or at least when you’re not playing regularly and enough, it really harms your game, and not being able to play online is incredibly difficult but then not actually playing a lot live either, it means you kind of fall behind where everyone else is moving ahead. The disparity is huge. So I’m just going to try to find my feet again.”

While Scott doesn’t plan to enter the Main Event until tomorrow, she does want to find a way to play in both events.

Speaking of the Main Event, Day 1d has already reached 140 entrants, which is more than any other starting flight so far with time still left to register. Also kicking off soon is the celebrity invitational which should be starting any moment. Be sure to stay tuned as we will bring updates from both events through the rest of the day.

Tags: 888LiveFlop O ManiaKara Scott

David Tuchman Talks Early Impressions and Strategies on 888poker's New Flopomania

David Tuchman - Courtesy of Joe Giron/888Live
David Tuchman - Courtesy of Joe Giron/888Live

David Tuchman, who's most notably known for his fantastic abilities as a poker commentator, just arrived in São Paulo this morning, but his first stop was obviously to head to 888Live to play some Flopomania poker. The game, which is new to 888Poker, is a brand new take on No-Limit Hold’em that removes preflop action entirely. Instead, players put up an ante, are dealt cards, then are forced to make decisions from the flop onwards. Tuchman was one of the few players invited to play in the 888Live Flopomania Invitational, where he busted after just a few levels of play.

We caught up with Tuchman though and he not only gave us some of his initial interpretations of that game, but he provided a little bit of strategy talk as well. Despite busting, and sulking over jokingly to do an interview, Tuchman really enjoyed the game, saying it was something about the way Flopomania brings people together that removes some of the seriousness from the game of poker.

“I think it’s fun,” Tuchman said when asked about the game. “I think it was actually fun. I didn’t really know anything about it before today and then I found out about it. And I was a little skeptical, because I was like, ‘Huh? We all see a flop?’ But it’s kind of fun because I think it, the camaraderie of poker, and you’re all having a good time and you’re all laughing and it kind of takes the serious nature out of it.”

Tuchman explained that a lot of the seriousness of the game comes directly from the preflop action. It’s an entire street of betting that encourages players to get out of hands, but with Flopomania, all of that extra tension and pressure is gone.

“Because a lot of the preflop play is really serious,” Tuchman explained. “And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think as a nice contrast it’s kind of fun because you kind of forget that you’re playing poker for real. It’s almost like a home game again. You’re like ‘Oh yeah! We all see a flop! Let’s go! Let’s do it!’”

When it comes to strategy, Tuchman stressed that position is still key, and not only that, it’s about knowing that your opponents are going to give up on hands, and knowing that a lot of speculative hands have already missed the flop.

“Ok so Sofia was at my table and I could see that once you get some chips you can really take stabs at a lot of pots,” he said. “Because of the hands that people speculate with, especially in position, and so the hands that people speculate with preflop, well now they’ve seen a flop. And it’s hard to hit. And even if they have like bottom pair they’re not always compelled to fight for it.”

But it’s not always about firing firing firing, Tuchman explained. You still have to pick good spots to fire.

“So like, if you have any draw or anything like that and you’re in position, it’s a really good spot that you can take stabs,” he continued. “Especially if you’re short handed. Now if you’re playing a full ring game it’s different. But I think in short handed you can take stabs at it because the antes are really big compared to what you have to bet to get people to fold.”

Tuchman is unfortunately unable to play in the Main Event since he’s already made other commitments, but he’s still confident in his abilities.

“I wish I could,” He said about playing the Main Event. “I would love to. ‘Doran let me play!’ No I wish I could but I’ll be doing commentary tomorrow. So I’ll be doing commentary every day Day 1, Day 2 and the final table. I come down here for the commentary. And I’m such an amazing poker player that you know if I played I would make it deep, and then who would do commentary? Right? That wasn’t a joke! You’re not supposed to laugh right in my face.”

We can look forward to seeing and hearing from Tuchman on all of the future live streams of 888Live Festival in São Paulo, as his full-time job as commentator starts then. Meanwhile, the 888Live Flopomania Invitational is still in session with Chris Moorman and Sofia Lövgren heads up for the title.

Tags: 888Live888PokerChris MoormanDavid TuchmanFlopomaniaSofia Lövgren

Day 1d Begins Today Amidst the Flop O Mania and Celebrity Invitationals

While action doesn't kick off until 8 p.m. local time for Day 1d, there are two other events kicking off today at the venue; The Flop O Mania and Celebrity invitationals. We will be of course tracking and bringing stories and updates through the Main Event, but you can definitely expect some Flop O Mania strategy interviews today. The celebrity invitational will also see football star Denílson join the action and he is sure to stir up a lot of hype!

Players who enter Day 1d will play through 10 levels today each of which will be 50 minutes long, and we can be sure to expect many entrants to join us as this is the first starting day without any open side events running, as well as some recognizable faces firing their first bullets at the Main Event.

PokerNews will be providing more feature type coverage today where we will capture a little bit of everything, and we will resume with hand coverage starting on Day 2 of the Main Event. Be sure to stay tuned!

Tags: 888Live888PokerDenilsonFlop O Mania

Main Event

Day 1d Started