As part of the 20 years celebrations, 888poker sent 20 players to play the 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. One of those talented individuals is Ian Simpson, a British poker pro with an impressive resume.
PokerNews spoke with Simpson, one of 888poker's newest ambassadors, to discuss his excitement for competing for a world championship and balancing poker and family.
Competing in Poker's Biggest Event
Ian Simpson
The Main Event begins July 3 with the first of four Day 1 starting flights, one more than in year's past. This won't be the first time Simpson has competed in poker's most prestigious live tournament. He's played in it a few times in the past and has one cash, a 297th place finish in 2014 for $33,734. But he's stoked and ready to chase some life-changing money.
"Each Day 1 has been an amazing experience at the tables," Simpson said of his past Main Event experiences. "The camaraderie is unique to this event, with players simultaneously battling it out, but also wishing each other deep runs when the tables break. You bump into these players later in the festival, and they’re solidly on your rail as if you’ve known them a decade."
Winning the Main Event would be a dream come true to any player, and Simpson is no different. The 888poker ambassador said it "would be the peak of any poker players career," and he's right. The Main Event has turned a number of Average Joe's, recreational players, and mid-stakes grinders into poker celebrities.
More than anything, poker's world championship tournament can provide life-changing money. Simpson is married with a young child, and the $10 million or so this year's Main Event will pay its winner would certainly go a long way toward securing his family's finances for life.
"My wife works long hours, starting first thing in the morning, whilst the best time to play poker is on an evening," Simpson said of his family life in England. "This makes time with my wife difficult to organize. My Thursdays are precious to me as it’s our daddy-daughter day. It’s hard going from grinding late at night to rising at 6 a.m. to enjoy the day with my little one, but the fatigue is worth it of course."
As a live tournament player, Simpson has over $1 million in cashes, according to Hendon Mob. His biggest score was for $339,604 when he took down the Irish Open in 2013.
Why He Loves 888poker
888poker is one of the top poker sites in the world. As such, it has attracted some big names and talented pros like Simpson to represent the brand. We asked him why he signed on to be patched up with the online poker site, and his answer was similar to what we've heard from other 888poker pros.
"Having just joined the 888 team, two things stand out. The team members are very welcoming, kind and hardworking. They’ve developed a healthy team of ambassadors and streamers who are all keen to grow their platforms and support one another along the way," Simpson explained.
"The second thing that stands out is looking at the progression a player can make on the client. There’s a generous amount of freerolls to help pad micro-stakes players’ bankrolls as well as a healthy spread of micro stakes tournaments on offer. The Made to Amaze Sunday tournament is a fantastic promotion awarding thousands of dollars of value to low stakes players every Sunday. Mid to high stakes players have a plethora of tournaments to sink their teeth into, with extra value coming from promotions like the Triple Threat PKO Collection. These extra promotions add that extra value to the games that really help build players bankrolls."
Simpson, who first learned to play poker at age five from his father, is also a streamer on Twitch (IanSimpsonPoker), and you can catch him playing on 888poker regularly. Streaming and playing his best poker at the same time isn't always an easy task, as he explains.
"It’s a double-edged sword really," Simpson said. "Explaining my thought process out loud helps me to analyze hands whilst I’m making my decisions. Simultaneously though, having a stream to manage as well as 8-12 tables can definitely lead to timing out or making the occasional mis-click."
Join 888poker With a Welcome Bonus
Now is the perfect time to join 888poker if you have not already done so. Download 888poker via PokerNews, create your free account, and 888poker will give you a free $88 worth of cash game and tournament tickets – this is a free £20 for residents of the United Kingdom – just for reaching this stage.
Your first deposit is matched 100% up to $400 in the form or a releasable bonus. You have 90 days to release as much bonus as you can. Contact 888poker support for more details.
