The World Series of Poker Main Event is a dream to play or at least attend for countless poker fans, but for many it is something that they’ll unfortunately never get to experience in person. However, the latest 888poker WSOP Docuseries brings you the full account of the journey from start to finish from the perspective of several of the online poker site’s ambassadors.
It may not be the same as being there, but it is the next best thing, and it can also help you make up your mind if you’re on the brink of making that leap and making the trip out to attend or play in next year’s WSOP Main Event. The 888poker WSOP Docuseries tells several stories about many ups and downs that come with the experience, and, of course, the ups heavily outnumber the downs.
If you haven’t yet, you should definitely check the series on 888poker’s YouTube channel. It is completely free and a great watch. In this review, you’ll find out more about what to expect inside along with embedded videos for each of the five episodes; we’ll keep it as spoiler-free as possible.
Creating the 2024 888poker WSOP Docuseries
As poker fans, we love seeing content like this. It’s fun, enjoyable, and something to look forward to watching for a few weeks as each new episode gets released. But most people don’t really think about how much hard work goes into producing even just a few short episodes of content like this, featuring several players and filmed across several different locations.
Idan Strawczynski, Head of Brand and Content at 888Holdings, shed some light on the entire process. The first order of business was selecting the right people to feature in the videos, and that alone is quite a task. It’s obviously not just about poker playing abilities, but also their charisma, the ability to engage with the viewing audience, and so much more.
After that, the task was to create and coordinate the content and provide the selected ambassadors with the support they needed – from travel and accommodation to working closely with them to ensure smooth content production through interviews and conversations that had to be set up in a way that don’t take away from the players’ ability to focus on what mattered the most – playing their best poker in the WSOP Main Event.
According to Idan, the idea was to highlight the drama of the Main Event, all the buzz and excitement of the WSOP, but also to focus on personal stories and experiences. It’s not an easy balance to achieve, but having watched the finished product, it’s fair to say the entire team did an excellent job with this – the ambassadors and the production crew behind the scenes alike.
“By capturing the real essence of the WSOP, we hoped to offer our audience a virtual glimpse into this prestigious event and bring them closer to realizing their own poker aspirations.”
I’d say that the series managed to do just that, and quite abundantly in fact. Below, we’ll give you an idea of what to look forward to and (hopefully) inspire you to watch the whole thing. If you love the WSOP and the excitement that comes with it, you’ll enjoy the 888poker WSOP Docuseries!
Episode 1: They Came to Vegas With a Dream
The first episode sets the scene up, following five 888poker ambassadors as they prepare for the anticipated journey to Las Vegas.
The five in question are Nick Eastwood, Aaron Barone, Lucia Navarro, Vivian Saliba, and Jack ‘JaackMaate’ Dean. Those who follow poker closely will probably know the first four names but ‘JaackMaate’ was a bit of a wild card in this mix.
Jack is a YouTube personality with a big following and love for poker, but his experience is very limited compared to the other four. So, if you had to pick one ‘everyday guy’ out of the bunch, he was definitely the one to watch.
The shortest of the five episodes, it features each of the five players as they get their bags ready, figure things out at home, and depart for the World Series of Poker. One of them, Aaron Barone, got to Las Vegas a week early to have a bit of vacation ahead of the big event, and he is on the ground to meet the rest of the team as they arrive in town.
READ MORE: Interview with Aaron Barone
There isn’t much poker in the first episode, but it perfectly shows the jitters and the excitement that come with organizing this type of a journey. There is a lot to do before you leave — you want to leave everything well organized — but at the same time, your mind is already at the tables.
Episode 2: One Bracelet to Rule Them All
As the WSOP Main Event begins, players are sharing their thoughts before taking their seats at the tables. For Jack, this is a big experience, playing his third Main Event and hoping to last longer than the previous two times.
Talking about the experience later, he said that the whole filming and vlogging part wasn’t particularly nerve-wracking as this is what he does for a living, after all. However, he did say that filming at a poker table felt awkward at times because he was worried about people getting annoyed. Luckily, that didn’t happen a lot, and him filming was more often a great conversation starter than anything else.
The rest of the ambassador crew were in familiar waters. Each of them brought with their previous experiences and lessons learned to the tables.
Eastwood, for example, decided to come into town close to the Main Event, looking to stay fresh after coming early last year and tapping out a lot of his energy before the Main had even started.
Lucia Navarro, on the other hand, was coming into the tournament on a high note, finishing fifth in a big tournament for over $90,000. That’s a proper confidence boost any player can use ahead of the biggest poker tournament of the year.
The episode ends with the end of Day 1 and all five players manage to find a bag heading into the next day of play.
Episode 3: An Emotional Rollercoaster on Their Day Off
Having successfully bagged after the first day, all five team members had a day off before Day 2. The 888poker camera crews followed them around to see how they were spending their time away from the tables.
As luck would have it, the Main Event was happening as the final stages of the 2024 Euro (UEFA European Football Championship) took place, so for the boys in the crew, the plans made themselves. Nick, Jack, and a few of their mates spent the day preparing for and watching England play Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
Barone, a Canadian, is apparently not a big football (soccer) fan, so he spent his off day at a gym and taking care of his physical fitness. It’s probably a better way to get ready for Day 2 of the Main Event, but when you’re from the UK and England are playing quarterfinals of the Euro, the choice between a gym and a pub is a no-brainer.
There was even more soccer happening in Las Vegas as the Copa America quarterfinal was taking place as well, so Jack figured he ‘might as well’, and Saliba went there as well to cheer on her Brazilian national team.
Episode 4: The Party’s Over – Busting Day 2 of the Main Event
After much-deserved rest, all five 888poker ambassadors returned to the felt to play Day 2, with the goal of trying to make it through the massive field and survive yet again.
This episode is a recap of the Day 2 run, including some of the biggest moments for every player. Of the five, three manage to survive and find the bag, including ‘JaackMaate’. Since his best run up to this point was Day 2, making Day 3 was quite an achievement and, indeed, the goal he set for himself for 2024.
Vivian Saliba and Aaron Barone make it through as well, while the journey ends for Nick and Lucia who simply couldn’t find the much-needed good run of cards to go further.
It is interesting to hear thoughts from both immediately after busting, seeing pure emotion and disappointment that can’t be hidden. It is a part of the Main Event and it’s good to see that 888poker is showing this part as well and didn’t leave that footage on the cutting floor. Of course, that disappointment isn’t long-lasting, but those first moments are hard, regardless of how experienced you might be.
Episode 5: Is Phil Ivey the Final Boss of the Main Event?
The fifth and final episode of the 888poker WSOP Docuseries sees the remaining three ambassadors come back to the tables ready to play and take their spots. The money bubble is approaching as well, adding some pressure to the whole situation.
Barone gets seated at the same table as none other than Poker Hall of Famer Phil Ivey, and although it’s not who you want to see at your tournament table, no one can deny the excitement of playing with Ivey – something that can only happen for most players at the WSOP Main Event.
Jack can’t get the ball rolling and he busts not long into the start of the day, but he’s happy to have beaten his own record. The pain on his face is real, though, and anyone who busted a big-field tournament will understand it.
Vivian and Aaron are left alone representing the Team 888poker. Aaron loses the flip (and doesn’t fulfil his wish to get it in against Ivey). Saliba manages to find a bag, though, and returns for Day 4. She doesn’t last long, but she is the only one from the team to make it into the money.
Watch the 2024 888poker WSOP Docuseries Today!
888poker has done an excellent job, packaging the entire experience in five episodes each of which lasts under 10 minutes. If you want to witness an entire WSOP Main Event experience from multiple people’s perspectives in the time it takes you to have your morning coffee, this is it!
This miniseries has it all – the pre-trip jitters, Las Vegas fun on and off the tables, and, of course, the excitement of big hands as the tournament progresses. It shows the emotion that comes with playing these types of tournaments without too many words.
It’s quite extraordinary to see it all packaged in such a small space, but the production team and the players managed to somehow pull it off, and they did an excellent job of it, so if you’re a poker fan of any kind, this one is a must watch!
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