2018 World Series of Poker

Event #62: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed - $888,888 Guaranteed 1st Place
Day: 1d
Event Info

2018 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
99
Prize
$888,888
Event Info
Buy-in
$888
Entries
8,598
Level Info
Level
41
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
150,000

Matt Salsberg Bags Big on Day 1d of the $888 Crazy Eights

Level 18 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante
Matt Salsberg
Matt Salsberg

The fourth and final flight of Event #62: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed kicked off at 5pm Sunday evening and by the time registration closed, 2,495 entries had been received, all chasing an $888,888 guaranteed top prize.

All those entries generated a prize pool worth $1,994,004. The top 374 spots got paid with anyone reaching that mark walking away with at least $1,331. The surviving players will move on to Day 2 where the remaining prize pool will be combined with what was left over from the previous three flights.

Just 138 were left with chips to bag after 18 levels. A well-known face sits atop the counts after an "absurd" run during the latter stages of Day 1d. Matt Salsberg had just 45,000 when the bubble popped in Level 15. Less than two hours later his stacked exploded to 428,000 before ending the night with 483,000.

Funnily enough, Salsberg busted his first bullet and was about to leave before his friend, Dylan Wilkerson, made him fire one more time. Wilkerson also found a bag with a healthy stack ending with 249,000. Han WoolJang (356,000), Au Ngo (318,000), and Ami Barer (254,000) were also among the top stacks in the room.

James Alexander (183,000), Ashton Griffin (170,000), Andy Spears (164,000) and two former Main Event Champions also found a bag with Ryan Riess having 150,000 and Martin Jacobson bagging 149,000.

Some talented individuals will be on to the next event as the likes of Shannon Shorr, Greg Raymer, Jon Turner, Daniel Weinman, Ari Engel, Erwann Pecheux, William Kassouf, Chris Ferguson, Kevin Macphee, and Shaun Deeb all saw their final bullets in the event squandered before the money.

There was no need for hand-for-hand play on the bubble as it popped with four different people busting on the hand before the dealers were told to halt. Some of the first notables to depart with some consolation included Alexander Lakhov, Martin Staszko, Mikhail Semin, and Ian Steinman who all received a min-cash.

Benoit Jean, Mike Dentale, Chanracy Khun, and Haixa Zhang all climbed the second rung on the ladder earning $1,471. The next payout bump paid $1,642, which Asi Moshe, Eddy Sabat, and Alex Foxen collected.

The survivors from all four flights will converge on Monday, 2 July, for Day 2 with cards hitting the air at 2pm. The action will kick off in Level 19 with blinds at 3,000/6,000. The blind levels will increase from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on Day 2 with ten levels on the agenda.

Stay tuned to the blog as PokerNews will be on the floor providing live coverage until the last card comes off the deck and the latest WSOP champion is crowned.

Tags: Alex FoxenAlexander LakhovAmi BarerAndy SpearsAri EngelAshton GriffinAsi MosheBenoit JeanChanracy KhunChris FergusonDylan WilkersonEddy SabatGreg RaymerIan SteinmanJames AlexanderJon TurnerKevin MacPheeMartin JacobsonMartin StaszkoMatt SalsbergMike DentaleMikhail SeminRyan RiessShannon ShorrShaun DeebWilliam Kassouf

"You got heart, kid"

Level 12 : 600/1,200, 200 ante
Maurice Hawkins
Maurice Hawkins

The under the gun player opened to 2,500 and the player in the cutoff flatted. Maurice Hawkins three-bet to 7,200 on the button clearing the initial raiser but the player in the cutoff stuck around.

A {k-Hearts}{9-Spades}{8-Diamonds} flop fanned out and the player in the cutoff checked. Hawkins bet 8,100 and his opponent check-raised to 18,000. Hawkins immediately shoved all in and his opponent snap-folded.

"You got heart, kid" Hawkins said to his opponent after he folded.

Player Chips Progress
Maurice Hawkins us
Maurice Hawkins
121,000 94,000

Tags: Maurice Hawkins

Don't Try and Bluff Kevin MacPhee

Level 5 : 100/200, 25 ante
Kevin MacPhee
Kevin MacPhee

With about 5,000 already piled up in the middle and a completed board reading {6-Spades}{4-Spades}{k-Clubs}{10-Diamonds}{9-Spades}, Kevin MacPhee checked and his heads-up opponent bet 2,000.

MacPhee took a few seconds before tossing in a call and his opponent tabled the {a-Diamonds}{q-Clubs} for just ace high. MacPhee quickly turned over a pocket pair of sevens with the {7-Hearts}{7-Spades} and raked in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Kevin Macphee us
Kevin Macphee
WSOP 2X Winner
36,000 11,000

Tags: Kevin MacPhee

Fourth and Final Day 1 Flight of the $888,888 Crazy Eights Kicks Off at 5 p.m.

A guaranteed top prize of $888,888 and a shiny, new World Series of Poker gold bracelet awaits the eventual champion of Event #62: $888,888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed. The fourth and final qualifying flight kicks off this evening at 5 p.m.

All players will begin the day with 8,000 in chips at 25/50 blind levels. The Day 1s will play 18 levels in total, each will be 30 minutes in duration and there will be a 20-minute break after ever four levels of play.

In 2017, Alexandru Papazian came out on top of 8,120 entries to take down the title after defeating [Removed:172] heads-up at a final table that also included Harry Lodge, Vlad Darie, Michael Tureniec, and Ben Yu.

There will be unlimited reentry for this event for all starting flights. The late registration period will be open for the first eight levels of play and will close as soon as the ninth level begins.

PokerNews has activated the My Stack App for this event, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting blog using your iPhone or Android phone.

You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.

Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.

Stay tuned to the blog as PokerNews will be on the floor providing live coverage of event until the last card comes off the deck and a new WSOP champion is crowned.

Tags: Alexandru PapazianBen YuHarry LodgeMichael TureniecVlad Darie