888poker Releases Episode 2 of Its WSOP Docuseries
‘Shuffle Up & Deal’ tracks Team888 through Day 1, where Ian Simpson busts and Lucia Navarro ends up leading the squad.
888poker released Episode 2 of its 2026 WSOP Main Event docuseries on YouTube on Aug. 15. Titled “Shuffle Up & Deal,” the chapter follows Team888 ambassadors Aaron Barone, Ian Simpson, Lucia Navarro, Nick Eastwood and Vivian Saliba as they begin Day 1 of the tournament. PokerNews described the project as a six-part series.
As reported last week, Episode 1 set up the five ambassadors’ trip to Las Vegas. This new chapter moves from the travel story into the actual grind, starting after then-reigning champion Michael Mizrachi told the dealers to shuffle up and deal.
The early chip counts show how uneven the day was. Saliba built her 60,000-chip starting stack to 80,000 in Level 1 and then 85,800 in Level 2. Barone slipped to 52,400 before climbing to 64,000, Eastwood fell to 45,000, and Simpson ended Level 2 with 12,300 chips before crashing out in Level 3 after back-jamming ace-king offsuit into pocket jacks.
Navarro had the strangest start of the group. She entered her starting flight late after being sick in bed for three days, and the 888poker page says she skipped the first level to rest and recover. Even with that delayed start, she surged to 75,000 by Level 4 and finished Day 1 with 128,500 chips, the most on the 888poker team.
By the end of five 120-minute levels, Barone, Eastwood, Navarro and Saliba all bagged chips, while Simpson was already gone. Barone finished on 76,400, Eastwood on 56,300 and Saliba on 36,200 after sliding over the last three levels, including a spot where she laid down pocket aces on the river after the clock was called on her. Saliba also said the Main Event stands out because players can still win life-changing money without taking first place, and 888poker says the next episode arrives on Aug. 22.
