Simpson, Murciano, Perez in a poker ménage-a-trips
In the wee hours of Sunday night, I stayed up to watch the endgame of the 888Live Madrid Main Event. The blinds had ratcheted up, making it a shallow-stacked competition between Alvaro Murciano, Angel Perez, and 888 ambassador Ian Simpson. Back and forth went the chips as the players treated the audience to a deft game of tippy-tappy.
that strange kind of hyper-focus that comes when your body is eating into its adrenaline reserves
Eventually, something had to give, and it was Perez who ultimately bowed out in third, his pocket Queens succumbing to Simpson’s flopped pair of Kings. The stage was set for an engrossing heads-up contest between two men who had played two long days to battle through a field of 403 entrants. It was noticeable, however, how in the zone they were, both exhibiting that strange kind of hyper-focus that comes when your body is eating into its adrenaline reserves.
The onlookers on the rail and at home would have reasonably expected a rapid-fire mano y mano contest between two aggressive players. The casino staff was certainly rooting for that as closing time loomed. With €62,000 ($64,472) up top, Simpson and Murciano traded blows, but there would be no quick knockout punch, as the irresistible force of the Englishman ran into the seemingly immovable object that was the Spaniard.
Heads-Up
In the capable hands of Nicks Wealthall and Eastwood in the booth, I watched Simpson grind his small lead into a 3:1 advantage. An experienced campaigner, he put relentless pressure on his opponent. Credit to Murciano, who got the worst of the card distribution but somehow kept himself in the match, conjuring plausible bluff lines from the dustiest of holdings.
Simpson’s first chance to end it actually came when he shoved Jack-Five suited into the first premium hand Murciano had seen. Big Slick would manage a hold on that occasion to level things up once again. Undeterred, Simpson kept his foot on the gas, mauling his way to a 2:1 lead. Then came the second bite of the cherry, but this time it was Murciano who needed help.
There was an inevitability to Ace-Eight suited and Ace-Jack going on their backs for 17 big blinds each, but there was nothing inevitable about the outcome as the river Eight fell to deprive Simpson of victory. With 70% of the chips, Murciano went in search of his own coup de grâce, but immediately ran his Ten-Eight suited into pocket Tens. With that, the two gladiators were level once more.
No twist in the tale this time
A fascinating phase of play commenced with Simpson stepping out with a cheeky bluff, hero-calling an over-bet which was for value and correctly hero-calling a pot-sized bet which was a bluff. When the dust settled on those exchanges, Simpson had a 2:1 lead once more.
The blinds went up and Murciano shoved his nine big blinds with Six-Five suited. Simpson looked down at Ace-Three and made the call. All his fellow 888 ambassadors began chanting on the rail, baying for an Ace, which was duly delivered. Murciano needed running cards to win or chop and the turn kept the door ajar for the latter.
This time, however, there would be no twist in the tale and Simpson was deservedly crowned the King of Madrid and the first team pro to ever win an 888poker Live Main Event. After shaking his opponent’s hand, he fell into his rail, a moment of raw emotion and catharsis after such an epic final table.
Jubilant
No stranger to the winner’s circle, Simpson won the Irish Open and chopped the UKIPT London back in 2013. He won a side event at the WPT Five Diamond and took second in the SkyPoker UK Poker Championships in 2014. In the decade since, he has continued to make deep runs in marquee events, but another result of that magnitude has eluded him.
In 2023, he took down two 888Live Events in London and Coventry, but this Main Event victory, he admitted, was a bit more special. Speaking exclusively to VSO News, Simpson gave credit to his opponent, who went toe-to-toe with him for two hours at the end of two marathon 14-hour days on the felt. He also paid tribute to his supporters:
it’s such a benefit to have people who care about you watching out for you”
“I’m jubilant. Not just because I won a poker tournament, or because it was an 888 Poker Live Main Event, but because of all the love and support I’ve gotten the past few days. My 888 family stayed up past 4am to cheer me on while I battled at the final table. When you are emotionally exhausted and pumped full of adrenaline, it’s such a benefit to have people who care about you watching out for you. It all keeps your spirits up and your head in a good place.”
888poker Live Madrid Main Event Final Table Results
- Ian Simpson – €62,000
- Alvaro Murciano – €42,000
- Angel Perez – €30,500
- Carlos Diaz – €22,500
- Michaelangelo Serra – €17,000
- Jonas ten Cate – €13,400
- Jorge Alvarez – €10,000
- Yakiv Syzghanov – €7600
- Alberto Diaz – €5985