888poker��s Team Germany Geared Up for Day 1C of the WSOP Main Event

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Jul 04, 2018 3 min read

On Tuesday, 888poker hosted a special meet and greet for invited guests to rub elbows with the 21 players in the 8-Team competition, which is being held for the second year in a row.

In 2017, five teams �C each represented by a different country and consisting of a captain, wingman, and a qualifier �C competed in a traditional last longer competition. Qualifier Joao Sousa Monteiro, who won his way into the Main Event via a $30 satellite, took it down it for Brazil.

This year, seven teams will compete �C Spain and Russia join Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany �C and a new scoring system will replace the last-longer format.

Nitsche: ��He has no idea how to do it but he��s trying.��

Each team member will receive points based on the WSOP Main Event Day they survived and can earn bonus points if they finish the day as the chip leader. Also, the team qualifier who is the last player standing will gain a 100-point bonus for their team. The team with the most points will win three seats into the 2019 WSOP Main Event.

It was at the gettogether that an impromptu sit n�� go sprung up for bragging rights. Team Brazil opted to sit out, while Team Spain was just starting media interviews. Likewise, Team Sweden sat on the sidelines while the likes of Team Canada (Parker ��Tonka�� Talbot, Mike Leah and Jonathan Schaler), Team UK��s wingman Niall Farrell and qualifier Billy Chattaway, and Team Russia (Arseniy Karmatskiy, Daria Feshchenko, and Georgy Filippovich) all competed.

Noticeably absent was Team Germany, which was comprised of captain Dominik Nitsche, wingman Andre Krieger and qualifier Claas Segebrecht.

��They already started by the time we got here,�� Krieger responded when asked why the team wasn��t participating in the single-table tournament.

��It��s very typical of Tonka to keep dodging the Germans in any game imaginable and this SnG is no exception,�� added Nitsche, who in the 2016 WSOP Main Event finished 195th out of 7,221 players. ��We were outside doing a photo shoot with the team and as soon as we get back in there��s a circle around the table and Tonka has a smart smile on his face while raking in the chips. He finally found a game he can beat.��

It was clear the good-natured ribbing was heating up in the 8-Team competition.

��All I can say is Team Russia better be prepared,�� Nitsche continued. ��I don��t see much hope for Team Canada.��

��Is Dominik trying to talk shit over there?�� Tonka said as he looked up from the table. ��He has no idea how to do it but he��s trying.��

��Just like your poker game,�� Nitsche shot back.

As Nitsche weathered some back and forth from the table, the 38-year-old Krieger, better known as ��CommanderKrieger�� on YouTube where he has 177 million views, talked about the man leading his team.

��We have the best captain here in the whole tournament,�� he said. ��We have beautiful opponents but no better opponents.��

Online qualifier Segebrecht, who has played the WSOP Main Event two times before but with no cashes, also gave his two cents about the whole experience. ��I��m pretty positive,�� he said. ��I think the competition can be strong but we��re not really scared of them. We��re in good faith, good spirits. We have a good team captain. I��m looking forward to playing.��

Indeed, if there��s any German worthy of leading his country in the WSOP it��s Nitsche, a four-time bracelet winner known for his dedication to studying the game. That said, Nitsche hasn��t made many deep runs in this year��s series and was absent for much of it.

��I was here early in the series, lost all my money,�� Nitsche joked. ��Went home, got a refill and reloaded. I��m winning so I have more money to fire away.��

PokerNews will be keeping track of all the 888poker 8-Teams during flight 1C of the 2018 WSOP Main Event, which you can follow in our dedicated live blog.

_{Lead photo courtesy of 888poker.}

PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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