€888 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2026 888poker LIVE Madrid
€888 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
2026 888poker LIVE Madrid
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
€888
Prize Pool
€273,600
Entries
360
Level
28
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
160,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 360
Filter
Level 28
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
The beauty of poker is that, on any given day, anyone has a chance to win. From seasoned pros to home game heroes, everyone begins a poker tournament on an even playing field. That includes a satellite winner with few prior results.
That description fits Gorka Akerreta, who defied the odds to defeat a field of 360 entries and emerge victorious and capture the €50,000 top prize in the €888 888poker Live Madrid Main Event. Akerreta, who earned his seat into this event in a €55 online satellite, defeated Raul Gordo in a brief heads-up match and described his triumph as a much-needed boost for his family.
Final Table results
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gorka Akerreta | Spain | €50,000 |
| 2 | Raul Gordo | Spain | €36,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Wu | China | €25,000 |
| 4 | Martin Pardo | Argentina | €19,300 |
| 5 | Julien Loire | France | €15,800 |
| 6 | Turlough McHugh | Ireland | €13,000 |
| 7 | Jake Collins | United Kingdom | €10,300 |
| 8 | Jorge Diego | Spain | €7,900 |
| 9 | Nima Jenabi | Spain | €5,900 |
“Very excited. A great, great support for the family economy at this time. I have two kids, 18 and 20,” Akerreta said, friend and popular Twitch streamer Jesus “el_chur” Ramos serving as translator.
Akerreta began playing poker eight years ago and describes himself as mainly an online player. The Pamplona native was recently forced to retire due to a back injury, the game providing an opportunity for some extra income. His poker resume is slim, but that changed today at the Casino Gran Via.
Despite the life-changing score, Akerreta doesn’t plan to change his poker career too much. “I think I’m going to keep playing the same way, the same mistakes, and try to improve,” he said.
Final Table action
Day 3 began with the nine finalists returning at 3 p.m. to battle for the trophy and €50,000 top prize. Akerreta began the final table in second place with 3,660,000, behind only chip leader Daniel Wu’s 4,445,000.
On the second hand of the day, Akerreta three-bet to 480,000 in the small blind and Nima Jenabi called for his last 425,000 in the big blind. Jenabi had woken up with queens and was a favorite to double up against Akerreta’s ace-seven, but Akerreta made two pair on the flop to win the pot and bust Jenabi in ninth place.
Jorge Diego then shoved for 520,000 in the small blind with ace-five and Martin Pardo called in the cutoff holding queen-nine. Diego stayed in the lead until a queen fell on the turn, followed by a nine on the river to give Pardo two pair and send Diego to the rail in eighth place.
Jake Collins, another online qualifier who was enjoying his first-ever live tournament cash, opened to 160,000 under the gun and Pardo called in the big blind. The flop was checked and an ace fell on the turn. Collins bet 350,000, but Pardo moved all in and Collins sighed before calling off his last 940,000 with ace-queen. His suspicions proved correct, as Pardo had flopped two pair and held on through the river to bust the Brit in seventh.
Pardo’s ascent up the leaderboard was halted when he bluff-shoved the river, but Gordo snap-called for 930,000 with a rivered flush to double up. Gordo then picked up kings and had Turlough McHugh at risk for 620,000 holding two eights. The board offered no help to the Irishman, and he was eliminated in sixth place.
Pardo and Akerreta tangled in a pot that went to the river, where Pardo bet 475,000. Akerreta then raised to 1,400,000, Pardo moved all in, and Akerreta snap-called for 3,035,000. Pardo could only show ace-high, while Akerreta had rivered a flush to win the pot and take over the chip lead.
Wu took his turn to earn a big double up, calling for 4,320,000 after Akerreta shoved from the small blind. His ace-queen had Akerreta’s ace-three dominated, and he improved to the nut flush on the river to jump up to nearly 9,000,000, good for half the chips in play five-handed.
Julien Loire, who was rooming with McHugh this week in Madrid, then shoved for 1,130,000 on the button with ace-ten, but Gordo woke up with kings in the big blind and improved to a set on the turn to bust the accomplished Frenchman in fifth. The remaining four players then took the first 15-minute break of the day, Wu holding more than double his nearest challenger with 8,740,000.
Pardo was nursing a short stack when he and Wu went to the river. Pardo bet 700,000 with two pair, Wu raised enough to put him all in, and Pardo called for 1,530,000. Wu, though, showed a rivered straight to bust Pardo in fourth place and increase his chip lead.
Wu then spiked a one-outer on the river and got called with a river raise to 420,000 by Akerreta as he crossed the 10,000,000-chip milestone. Gordo, though, showed a straight against Wu’s two pair to take a chunk off the chip leader, while Akerreta bluffed out Gordo on the river with just queen-high, forcing Gordo to lay down a pair of jacks.
The biggest pot of the tournament began when Wu opened to 250,000 on the button. Akerreta then three-bet to 850,000 in the small blind, and Wu shoved. Akerreta called for 5,675,000 with ace-queen and was flipping against Wu’s tens. Akerreta ended up hitting two pair to win the pot and earn the massive double up into an overwhelming chip lead.
“When you have a chance, you have to put the chips in the center and wait for the cards,” Akerreta said, describing the biggest moment of his poker career.
Wu plummeted to the short stack, and soon after got in his last 2,645,000 with queen-ten against Akerreta’s king-queen. Wu picked up straight and flush draws on the flop, but he missed all of his outs and Wu, who spent much of the final table firmly atop the leaderboard, had to settle for third place.
Akerreta led Gordo 13,935,000 to 4,065,000 at the start of heads-up, and it didn’t take long for them to get in their chips. On one of the first hands of the match, Akerreta limped in from the button and Gordo raised to 550,000. Akerreta then moved all in, and Gordo tanked for a minute before calling for his last 4,125,000. He needed to improve with king-queen against Akerreta’s ace-three, but Akerreta instead flopped two pair and had Gordo drawing dead by the river.
It started in humble circumstances, a €55 online satellite, but ended in glory as Akerreta provided further proof that, on any day, anyone's poker dream is just the turn of a card away from becoming reality.
That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the 888poker Live Madrid Main Event. The tour next heads to Glasgow from March 12-22, and PokerNews will once again be on hand to provide live coverage of the Main Event.
Level 28
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Gorka Akerreta, who earned his seat into this event in a €55 online satellite, turned that investment into €50,000 and a gold-plated trophy after winning the €888 888poker Live Madrid Main Event.
Stay tuned for a recap of the final table and interview with the new champion.
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gorka Akerreta | Spain | €50,000 |
| 2 | Raul Gordo | Spain | €36,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Wu | China | €25,000 |
| 4 | Martin Pardo | Argentina | €19,300 |
| 5 | Julien Loire | France | €15,800 |
| 6 | Turlough McHugh | Ireland | €13,000 |
| 7 | Jake Collins | United Kingdom | €10,300 |
| 8 | Jorge Diego | Spain | €7,900 |
| 9 | Nima Jenabi | Spain | €5,900 |
Level 28
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Gorka Akerreta limped in from the button and Raul Gordo raised to 550,000. Akerreta then moved all in. Gordo burned a time bank card and tanked for a minute until calling for his last 4,125,000.
Raul Gordo: K♦Q♥ 
Gorka Akerreta: A♥3♠
Akerreta left Gordo drawing thin after the A♠5♦5♥ flop improved him to two pair. The 2♦ sealed the pot, while the K♣ river arrived too late for Gordo as he was eliminated in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
18,000,000
4,445,000
|
4,445,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 28
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Gorka Akerreta limped in from the button and Raul Gordo checked back J♦8♠.
Both players checked the 10♠6♠4♦ flop before Gordo led out for 220,000 on the J♣ turn. Akerreta called, and the 3♥ fell on the river.
Gordo then bet 800,000 with his top pair, and Akerreta got rid of J♥2♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
13,555,000
380,000
|
380,000 |
|
|
4,445,000
380,000
|
380,000 |
Level 28
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Gorka Akerreta and Raul Gordo posed for photos and the trophy was placed on the table for the start of heads-up action.
Level 28
: Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Daniel Wu raised to 420,000 in the small blind, Gorka Akerreta moved all in from theh big blind, and Wu called for 2,645,000.
Daniel Wu: Q♣10♣
Gorka Akerreta: K♥Q♥
Wu found himself dominated and at risk, but the 9♦8♣3♣ flop gave him straight and flush outs. The 8♦ turn was no help, while the river was the Q♠ as both players hit top pair, but Akerreta's king-kicker played to send Wu to the rail in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
13,935,000
2,405,000
|
2,405,000 |
|
|
4,065,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level: 28
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 160,000
Level 27
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Daniel Wu raised to 250,000 on the button before Gorka Akerreta three-bet to 850,000 in the small blind. Wu then moved all in, and Akerreta snap-called for 5,675,000.
Gorka Akerreta: A♣Q♠
Daniel Wu: 10♥10♦
Whoever won this massive coin flip would become the overwhelming chip leader, and fortune favored Akerreta as the A♦K♥2♥ flop gave him top pair. The rest of the board ran out 4♠Q♥ and he doubled up with two pair, while Wu plummeted to a short stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,530,000
5,855,000
|
5,855,000 |
|
|
2,645,000
5,675,000
|
5,675,000 |
|
|
||
Level 27
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Gorka Akerreta raised to 240,000 on the button and Daniel Wu called in the big blind.
Both players checked the 8♦6♥2♥ flop. Wu then bet 215,000 on the 10♣ turn, and Akerreta called.
The Q♦ river was checked down, and Akerreta showed A♠9♣. Wu mucked K♠9♥, and Akerreta took the pot with ace-high.
Raul Gordo then opened to 240,000 on the button and both Wu and Akerreta called in the blinds.
Gordo bet 225,000 on the A♣10♠4♣ flop, and only Akerreta called. Both players checked the J♦ turn, and Akerreta then bet 800,000 on the 7♦ river.
Gordo took a minute before folding Q♥J♣, while Akerreta took the pot with Q♣3♣.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,320,000
755,000
|
755,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
5,675,000
1,280,000
|
1,280,000 |
|
|
4,005,000
705,000
|
705,000 |
