The former Irish Open champion and 888poker Ambassador defeats a field of 403 in Spain for €62,000.
The first 888poker LIVE event of 2025 took place at the Casino Gran Via in Madrid and featured a field of 403 players.
The winner was none other than 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson from the UK. In taking this event down he became the first 888poker sponsored player to win an 888poker event.
He defeated Alvaro Murciano of Spain heads-up for the title and €62,000 first prize.
🏆 THE WINNING HAND!
🎢 What a roller coaster of a heads-up match! Congratulations again @IanSimpsonPoker!#madrid #poker #finaltable pic.twitter.com/e28st8Wbfx
— 888poker (@888poker) January 20, 2025
Simpsons is no stranger to big tournament success as he is a former Irish Open Main Event champion. If you will forgive the editorialising, he is also one of the good guys in poker, so this is a delight to see.
Speaking after the win, Simpson said:
I don’t have words. It’s the best. I’ve always wanted to run deep in a Main Event, and then when it’s like final 20 you’re like, okay, maybe I’ll final table. Then it’s like final 13 or 14 and you’re like, I’m really hoping I don’t get like ninth, 11th. Then you get to the final table and you’ve got the chip lead. It’s a lot of emotions, and they’re all good ones.
Next up for 888poker LIVE is a stop in Glasgow in March. You can see the full 2025 schedule here.
| Place | Name | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Simpson | United Kingdom | € 62,000 |
| 2 | Alvaro Murciano | Spain | € 42,000 |
| 3 | Angel Perez | Spain | € 30,500 |
| 4 | Carlos Diaz | Spain | € 22,500 |
| 5 | Michaelangelo Serra | Italy | € 17,000 |
| 6 | Jonas ten Cate | Netherlands | € 13,400 |
| 7 | Jorge Alvarez | Spain | € 10,000 |
| 8 | Yakiv Syzghanov | Ukraine | € 7,600 |
| 9 | Alberto Diaz | Spain | € 5,985 |
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