Check Out the First Part of 888poker’s WSOP Main Event Docuseries

It is every poker player’s dream to fly to Las Vegas, buy into the $10,000 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, and emerge victoriously with a $10 million top prize and the title of poker’s world champion. Five of 888poker’s ambassadors followed their dream at the recent 2026 WSOP. A camera crew followed that quintet from the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to grinding away in poker’s most prestigious live tournament.

The video team created a six-part documentary highlighting the journeys of Aaron Barone, Ian Simpson, Lucia Navarro, Nick Eastwood, and Vivian Saliba, who had the 2026 WSOP Main Event title in their sights.

Part 1 – The Pilgrimage has just landed on the 888poker YouTube channel, and here’s what went down.

As you would expect from the title, The Pilgrimage, Episode 1 of 888 at the WSOP primarily focuses on the team’s long journey across the Atlantic to the place affectionately known as “Sin City.”

Spanish star Navarro revealed the 2026 WSOP was her 10th year heading to Las Vegas each summer. When Navarro first went to the WSOP in 2016, she promised herself she’d play the Main Event if she had a fruitful time at the cash-game tables. She did and is now a 10-year WSOP Main Event veteran.

Saliba had already been in Las Vegas for a week before her teammates arrived. The Brazilian seemed confident of a deep Main Event run if only because her mind is in a good place.

“I don’t even have a schedule for this year. Every day I wake up, and I see how I feel, what I want to play, and I go day by day. It’s very different than any other year.”

“I’ve been through many final tables at the WSOP. I’ve played for a lot of money. So, when the time comes, just because of experience, I think I will be more prepared than in previous years. I’m excited but not overly excited, and I like where my mind is right now. It wasn’t always like this, and it’s a good place to be right now.”

Barone, the 888poker ambassador who went the deepest in last year’s Main Event, revealed that he cannot imagine not playing the Main Event, even though his first entry was as recently as 2023.

“I never thought that playing the Main was really important for me; it wasn’t something I would have been sad not to do. I just didn’t think it was for me. Now it’s my fourth year playing it, and I can’t imagine not playing it.”

Popular pro Simpson was his usual happy self when the cameras turned on him. Simpson is very family-oriented, and he revealed that he has gotten better at dealing with being away from his wife and daughter during long WSOP trips.

“I’ve had a really good 18 months playing cards. It’s great for the confidence going into the World Series because you can drop a lot of money here like that. The homesickness hasn’t really hit yet. I do miss home. I think 2 or 3 years ago I wasn’t really good at managing it, being away from my daughter; that took some getting used to, and I know that I’m doing it for her.”

Be sure to check out Episode 1 of 888 at the WSOP and watch the full 10-minute video. 888poker plans to release a new episode every Saturday at 6:00 p.m. GMT.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.