The second stop of the 2025 888poker LIVE tour is officially in the books. The festival, which took place at Grosvenor’s Merchant City Casino in Glasgow, was another success, attracting players from left and right and blowing the £250,000 Main Event guarantee out of the water.
This was the first time 888poker visited Scotland’s largest city, and judging by the results, the decision to add Glasgow to this year’s live calendar was spot on.
The festival ran March 19 — 23, featuring a rich schedule of tournaments, with the £888 Main Event stealing the spotlight. Despite a slow start, the tournament managed to significantly exceed its original promise.
888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event a Major Success
As is common for poker main events these days, the Glasgow affair featured several starting flights. Things got off to a really slow start, as the first of six flights attracted only eight players, with just one of them progressing to Day 2.
This was no cause for alarm, though, as the event consistently picked up the pace, and Day 1D turned out to be the busiest of the lot.
When it was all said and done, the tournament clock was showing 407 entries, which translated into the prize pool of £309,320 — a significant increase over the £250k guarantee.
888poker kicked off its live season with an event in Madrid earlier this year, and that festival certainly met and exceeded expectations. The inaugural Glasgow event followed in these footsteps, proving that, if action is good, poker players will flock to it.
A Local Player Claims the Win
With 888poker LIVE visiting Glasgow for the first time, it was only apt for the title to go to a local player, giving them a chance to defend it in the future.
Dean Lyall dominated the Main Event final table, claiming the victory and the £58,310 payday, ahead of Daniel Johnson and Martin Byrne, both from the UK, who picked up £42,940 and £31,800 for their efforts in the tournament.
It is interesting to note that the final table was almost exclusively a UK affair. Only one player of the final nine was from outside the United Kingdom. Zbigniew Wieczorek carried the flag for Poland, but he was sent to the rail fairly early on, finishing in 7th place.
888poker ambassadors showed up in force for the Main Event, but it wasn’t meant to be this time around. Ian Simpson, who made history winning the first 888poker LIVE event of 2025, busted during Day 2. Lucia Navarro met a similar faith, hitting the rails some 20 places before the money bubble.
Vivian Saliba was the last one carrying the banner for the operator, and she managed to get in the money. Her run eventually finished in 25th place, netting her £2,410.
All Eyes on Barcelona
With the Glasgow event done and dusted, 888poker is once again setting its sights on Spain. Casino Barcelona will host the third event of the 2025 season, set to take place May 8 — 18.
Barcelona has always been a popular destination for poker tournaments, and with what we’ve seen with 888 events so far, the May festival could be a record-breaker.
The operator is running online satellites offering $1,800 packages for the Main Event, covering the tournament entry, travel, and accommodations, so if you’re looking to experience one of the most popular poker destinations in Europe, this just might be the right way to go about it!
