Steven Bean won the 888poker LIVE London tournament and £19,603

Britain’s Steven Bean claimed victory in the Crazy 8 Opening Event at 888poker LIVE London, cashing for the first time in five years and winning £19,603.

This past weekend, the Crazy 8 Opening Event at the 888poker LIVE London series wrapped up, marking a true triumph for British player Stephen Bean . For Bean, this victory was not only his first cash since 2020, but also brought him a personal record payout — £19,603 and the winner’s trophy. Stephen Bean’s Comeback: First Cash Since 2020 and the Biggest Win of His Career Stephen Bean was a prominent figure on the UK poker scene from 2014 to 2019. During that period, he made nearly twenty live tournament cashes, including a fifth-place finish in the GUKPT London Main Event. However, since January 2020, Bean hadn’t cashed in any live event. His return was nothing short of spectacular: not only did he make the money, but he also took down the Crazy 8 Opening Event, earning the largest payout of his career. The tournament featured a £500 buy-in and a £100,000 guarantee, attracting 258 entries . This turnout allowed the prize pool to surpass the guarantee, reaching £110,300 . After Atef Ramadan finished in tenth place, bubbling the final table, the nine finalists were guaranteed at least £2,520 each. Final Table: Battle for the Title and a Four-Way Deal The final table began with the elimination of Janice Phillips , who finished ninth and took home £2,520 . Phillips is known as one of the most active players in low and mid-stakes tournaments, with total live earnings exceeding $200,000 . She was followed by: Dan Samson — eighth place, £3,120 . His total live tournament winnings amount to $816,977 . Sebastien Jung — seventh place, £3,980 . Joe Hindry finished in sixth place. Three years ago, he won the 888poker Weekend Live Main Event at the same casino with a £444 buy-in, earning £60,000 . That success enabled him to play higher buy-in tournaments. This time, Hindry received £5,180 for sixth place. Louis Francis rounded out the top five, taking home £6,830 — the last four-figure prize of the tournament. When four players remained, they agreed to an ICM (Independent Chip Model) deal, which reduced the differences between payouts but left a portion of the prize pool and the trophy to play for in the final showdown. As a result of the deal, the top four prizes were distributed as follows: Scott Berko — fourth place, £12,343 . In 2023, he finished 43rd in the WSOP Main Event, winning $229,000 . Kallum Bascombe — third place, £12,405 . This is the second time in his career he has cashed for more than £10,000. The heads-up battle was between Stephen Bean and businessman Paul Ephremsen . Ephremsen is known for his third-place finish in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2015 WSOP, where he won $196,986 . This time, he once again came up just short of the title, earning £13,699 for second place. Stephen Bean emerged as the tournament winner, taking home both the trophy and £19,603 . Final Table Results of the 888poker LIVE London Crazy 8 Opening Event *Results reflect a four-way ICM deal 1st place — Stephen Bean — £19,603 2nd place — Paul Ephremsen — £13,699 3rd place — Kallum Bascombe — £12,405 4th place — Scott Berko — £12,343 5th place — Louis Francis — £6,830 6th place — Joe Hindry — £5,180 7th place — Sebastien Jung — £3,980 8th place — Dan Samson — £3,120 9th place — Janice Phillips — £2,520 About the 888poker LIVE London Series and the Upcoming Main Event The 888poker LIVE London series continues this week. The highlight of the festival will be the Main Event with a £1,250 buy-in and a £250,000 guarantee. The tournament kicks off on September 11 and will conclude on September 14, when the Main Event champion will be crowned. You can follow all the Main Event action thanks to the PokerNews team, who will be providing live coverage throughout the tournament. Brief Profiles of the Finalists and Notable Achievements Stephen Bean — active participant in UK live tournaments from 2014 to 2019, GUKPT London Main Event finalist, winner of the 2024 Crazy 8 Opening Event. Paul Ephremsen — businessman, WSOP 2015 finalist ($1,500 NLH, 3rd place, $196,986), 888poker LIVE London 2024 finalist. Kallum Bascombe — has cashed for more than £10,000 twice in his career. Scott Berko — 43rd place in the 2023 WSOP Main Event ($229,000), Crazy 8 Opening Event 2024 finalist. Louis Francis — tournament prizewinner with a four-figure payout. Joe Hindry — winner of the 888poker Weekend Live Main Event 2021 (£60,000), 2024 finalist. Sebastien Jung , Dan Samson , and Janice Phillips — regular live tournament players with solid experience and results. The Importance of the ICM Deal and Final Table Dynamics When four players remained in the tournament, they agreed to split the remaining prize pool using the ICM model. This is a common practice in poker tournaments, where payouts are distributed proportionally to players’ chip stacks at the time of the deal, reducing risk and narrowing the gaps between adjacent payouts. At the same time, a portion of the prize pool and the trophy remain up for grabs to keep players motivated to battle it out until the end. This approach allows participants to avoid large financial swings between places and secure a more stable payout, especially when stacks are short and variance is high at the final table. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this tournament is a clear example that even after a long break, you can return to the game and achieve outstanding results. Stephen Bean’s experience shows that regular practice, discipline, and participation in club tournaments lay the foundation for success at major live series. The ICM deal made at the final table is an important skill for any tournament player. By practicing such agreements in PPPoker online clubs, you learn to make strategic decisions that can significantly impact your final result and winnings. Finally, the success of players with club and online experience at live series like 888poker LIVE London proves that taking part in regular club games is excellent preparation for major festivals. Stay tuned for updates, learn from these examples, and don’t miss your chance to make a name for yourself at the next big event.