Stephen Bean’s First Cash in Five Years is an 888poker LIVE London Victory

The say form is temporary, but class is permanent, and that seems to run true in Stephen Bean’s case. Bean was quite active on the British live poker circuit from 2014 to 2019, racking up almost two dozen cashes, including a fifth-place finish in the GUKPT London Main Event.

Until the weekend just gone, Bean hadn’t cashed in a live event since January 2020. Bean not only finished in the money this weekend, but triumphed in the 888poker LIVE London Crazy 8 Opening Event and took home a career-best £19,603.

The £500 buy-in Crazy 8 Opening Event carried a £100,000 guarantee on its prize pool, but 258 entrants resulted in a £110,300 pot. By the time the nine-handed final table was reached, following Atef Ramadan’s untimely demise in tenth place, everyone had locked in £2,520 for their efforts.

888poker LIVE London Crazy 8 Opening Event Final Table Results

*reflects a four-way deal

The tournament became an all-male affair when Janice Phillips bowed out in ninth. Phillips is quite a prolific player in low-to-mid-stakes live events, from which she has accumulated over $200,000 in winnings.

Dan Samson added £3,120 to his impressive $816,977 earnings after falling in eighth place before Sebastien Jung joined the queue at the cashier’s desk, holding a payout ticket for £3,980.

Three years ago, Joe Hindry won the £444 buy-in 888poker Weekend Live Main Event at this very casino for £60,000. This result gave him the financial freedom to play higher-stakes tournaments. Hindry advanced to yet another final table but ultimately had to make do with the £5,180 sixth-place prize.

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The final five became four after Louis Francis ran out of steam. Francis banked £6,830 for his £500 buy-in, which was the last four-figure prize this tournament awarded.

The four surviving players struck an ICM deal that lessened the pay jumps, leaving a little up top and the trophy to play for. Scott Berko, who finished 43rd in the 2023 WSOP Main Event for $229,000, busted in fourth, with Kallum Bascombe falling in third for the second £10,000+ score of his career. Berko and Bascombe saw their bankrolls increase by £12,343 and £12,405, respectively.

Heads-up pitted Bean against businessman Paul Ephremsen. Poker players of a certain age may remember Ephremsen finishing third in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event at the 2015 WSOP for a cool $196,986. Although he went one place deeper in this London-based event, it still meant a second career victory eluded him. Ephemsen took home £13,699 for his bridesmaid finish, leaving Bean to collect a £19,603 top prize and the winner’s trophy.

£250,000 Guaranteed Main Event Begins September 11

The 888poker LIVE London festival continues this week, and there is not long to wait before the Main Event shuffles up and deals. Costing £1,250 to enter and guaranteeing £250,000 will be won, the 888poker LIVE London Main Event is the crown jewel of the festival.

PokerNews‘ live reporting team will be on the ground from September 11 through to the crowning of the eventual Main Event champion on September 14, so keep those browsers locked and loaded to PokerNews throughout the 888poker LIVE London festivities.

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.