At long last the 2016 World Series of Poker main event has begun and poker summer camp is nearing its big conclusion.

With 2,500 players registered over the first two days and a massive day expected for Day 1C today, the field will once again be huge.

Adding to that massive tally are 148 players that directly qualified via main sponsor 888poker — part of a total tally of 250 players who have lived out their WSOP dreams via 888poker.

Qualifiers hail from 35 countries and have ranged from recreational players to seasoned pros along with eight official 888 ambassadors.

Urbanovich, Wigg Sport the 888

Being the only online poker room to offer online satellites to WSOP events, 888poker had over 134,000 players trying to win packages in satellites running since February.

Pros know satellites are boss.

Of that six-figure group 148 of them are now taking (or have taken) their seats in the Main Event while another 100 played in the first-ever 888 Crazy Eights.

Every one of them won a prize package that included buy-in and hotel as well as travel expenses. Players of international acclaim who won their main event tickets on 888poker this year include

• Dzmitry Urbanovich (Poland)
• Tobias Reinkemeier (Germany)
• Toby Lewis (UK)
• Anton Wigg (Sweden)

Together that group has amassed more than $20 million in tournament winnings and will be looking for even more under the black and blue flag of 888.

Eight players are already representing 888poker as ambassadors and will also try to win the most coveted prize in poker, including:

• Dominik Nitsche; 3-time bracelet winner from Germany
• Chris Moorman; Most successful online MTTer of all time
• Sofia Lövgren from Sweden       
• Bruno Kawauti, Bruno Politano and Nicolau Villa-Lobos, the Brazilian triumvirate
• Americans Jessica Dawley and Tom Cannuli, last year’s sixth-place finisher

Online satellites are the best way to get into poker tournaments which you might not always be able to afford, but even players with seven-digit winnings clearly make good use them as well.

Everybody wants what McKeehen has.

30 Players Eligible for $5m Bonus

Almost 150 players from all over the world will play in poker’s biggest tournament by qualifying via 888 and 30 of them are also eligible to take an extra $5 million if they win, thanks to another 888poker promotion.

The UK, Germany and Canada will send the largest numbers of players to Vegas, but there are also participants from Brazil, Austria, Sweden, Spain and many more.

Last year three players sported the 888 patch at the final table with Cannuli (sixth), Neil Blumenfield (third) and the winner Joe McKeehen.

PokerListings is on location and reporting 24/7 in almost a dozen languages. Check out our On-Demand Live Coverage right here and if you have someone you’d like an update on, let us know here in the comments or via or Twitter account.

Check the infographic below for a full breakdown of the 888poker qualifiers: