Phil Ivey, widely regarded as the greatest poker player of all time, took a short break from the high-stakes games to participate in the World Poker Tour Christmas Meet-Up Game (MUG) against fans this Tuesday at Wynn Las Vegas.
With over $47 million in live tournament earnings, it’s rare to see a player of his calibre in a low-stakes meet-up game, but Ivey joined in with ease. The eleven-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and WPT Club member played low-stakes cash games with $1/$3 and $2/$5 blinds alongside dozens of fans. He was also joined by other notable names in the poker community.
Speaking about his experience, Ivey told PokerOrg, “It just takes me back to the old days in poker when I played these limits.” He added that it was a fun opportunity, allowing him to connect with fans and play with people he wouldn’t usually get the chance to compete against.
2024 WPT Christmas Meet-Up Game
The 2024 WPT Christmas MUG took place during the ongoing WPT World Championship. Besides professional players, the meet-up game featured several well-known poker content creators, including poker vlogger and WPT Global Ambassador Brad Owen. With over 760,000 YouTube subscribers, Owen also participated in the low-stakes cash games, playing against his fans. Other vloggers such as Jaman Burton and Ethan “Rampage” Yau were also part of the event.
The Meet-Up Game, originally created by Owen and Andrew Neeme several years ago, provides fans and amateur players with a chance to compete against their favourite vloggers, streamers, and renowned pros. The friendly event included appearances from ClubWPT Marketing Manager Jamie Kerstetter and World Poker Tour commentators Tony Dunst and Lynn Gilmartin. WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage showed his Christmas spirit by dressing up as Santa Claus to lift players’ morale.
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Image Credit: WPT
