In the lead-up to the 888poker LIVE London Main Event, Team 888poker ambassadors squared off against a trio of streaming personalities in a special single-table showdown. For the streamers, the prize was a package to 888poker LIVE Madrid, while the ambassadors battled for pride and bragging rights.
Streamers Take on Team 888poker
The ambassador lineup featured Ian Simpson, Nick Eastwood, Vivian Saliba, Lucia Navarro, Aaron Barone, and Jack Dean. Representing the streaming community were Inaki Angulo, Becky “bambinobecky” James, and Sophie “Sophie Snazz” Power.
While Saliba offered advice to the newcomers, Simpson cheekily encouraged slowrolling—a suggestion that would come back to haunt him later in the night.
Quick Exits Narrow the Field
The action moved at a brisk pace. Becky James was the first to bow out, her short stack falling to Sophie Snazz. Jack Dean followed soon after when his queen-eight failed to improve against Angulo’s king-queen.
Eastwood was next on the chopping block, running ace-five into Angulo’s ace-queen. A queen on the flop left him trailing badly, and despite pairing his five on the turn, the river ended his run.
Navarro exited in sixth after back-to-back clashes with Simpson. First, her jack-ten shoved into his pocket jacks. Then, her queen-ten couldn’t overcome Simpson’s kings.
Simpson Surges, Then Stumbles
Simpson surged ahead, building a big stack with a string of knockouts. His six-three suited paired up to crack Saliba’s ace-nine suited, and his king-three flopped another three to bust Snazz’s ace-king in fourth place.
From there, it looked like Simpson was cruising to victory. But momentum quickly shifted. Barone doubled through him after catching an ace on the river, setting the stage for a dramatic clash.
When Simpson shoved with three-deuce on a queen-deuce-ace flop, Barone, holding a flopped set of queens, went into full theatrics. After a long tank that looked straight out of Broadway, Barone made the inevitable call and sent Simpson packing in third.
Barone Seals the Win Against Angulo
Heads-up play was brief but decisive. Angulo was all-in with king-eight against Barone’s suited seven-six. The flop brought two sixes, and the turn delivered a full house, leaving Angulo with the runner-up finish.
Barone claimed victory, relishing both the win and the satisfaction of turning Simpson’s own slowroll antics back on him in front of teammates and fans alike.
