Last night saw the first of two Day 2 flights of the 2022 WSOP Main Event. The tournament has attracted over 8100 entries so far, and the registration is still open for tonight’s Day 2D flight, so that number is guaranteed to grow. A total of 2789 turned out for the Day 2 action last night, and 1262 managed to bag some chips at the end of the previous level, including several 888poker ambassadors and qualifiers.
As one of the world’s biggest online poker operators, 888poker has a strong presence at the World Series of Poker every year. Every year, 888 tries to follow the Main Event journey of its ambassadors and qualifiers to add to the hype and share their experiences with the world.
The reporting crew of 888poker has been quite busy over the last few days as several qualifiers have managed to overcome the initial hurdles and move on to Day 3. Although it is still a long way to reach the money (let alone the coveted final table), even getting through the first few days is no small feat in such a massive field.
888poker Qualifiers Proceeding to Day 3
Six 888poker qualifiers turned up for the first Day 2 flight yesterday, looking to make their poker dreams come true. Of those six, three were able to navigate all the traps and hurdles along the way, bagging some chips for Day 3.
Kevin Frame was the most successful in this task, as he finished the day with 210,500 in chips, which should give him plenty of wiggle room once the Day 3 play commences on Saturday, July 9. Kevin may not have a huge tournament experience, but he is no slouch, with $70,000 in earnings accumulated over numerous lower buy-in events.
Danny Lavoie of Canada finished the day with a similar stack, bagging 207,500 according to the official WSOP chip counts. On Day 3, Frame and Lavoie will be joined by Mark Defaria, the third 888poker qualifier, who ended the day with 111,500.
Of these three, Danny Lavoie is the biggest story of the event. He received his $13,000 Las Vegas package to play in the 2022 Main Event as a reward for his loyalty. The Canadian has been with 888poker for two decades. It was a dream come true for Lavoie to play in poker’s biggest event, but he is now well on his way to making the money.
More Qualifiers Coming Back Tonight
The second Day 2 flight will be commencing tonight, and more 888poker qualifiers will be taking their seats at the Rio and Bally’s tables, looking to keep the run going.
Among them is Matthew Silva, a 37-years old school teacher from Canada who says he wants to bring the positivity he tries to spread in his classroom to the poker tables. Like many others, Matthew discovered poker almost accidentally but instantly fell in love with the game nearly two decades ago.
This is Silva’s second attempt at the Main Event, as he qualified once before, 11 years ago. This time, he says, he is playing for his family, and if he were to win, the first thing on his to-do list would be to throw a big party for all the friends and family who supported him on his poker journey.
He will return with 86,600 in chips, a solid stack to get things going. With some luck, Matthew Silva will be joining the rest of the 888poker qualifiers who already secured their seats for the start of Day 3 on Saturday.
Stories of online qualifiers making a run at the WSOP Main Event are always exciting. These are the stories that helped create the poker boom back in the mid-2000s as they show that poker is a game where everyone can win.
How far can these qualifiers make it this year, and will we see one of them at the final table? It is impossible to guess, but it is hard not to root for the 'underdogs’ here, especially given the potential positive impact that one of them winning could have on the popularity of poker!
