It hasn’t been officially announced yet but 888poker will host another live festival this year at its home casino in London.

Running October 4-16 this will be the third 888Live festival this year after successful forays at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov and the Gran Casino in Barcelona.

There is no official schedule yet but both the Main Event and the High Roller event will see an important new feature – a shot clock.

Fair, Fun and Progressive

All of the major live tournament organizers have experimented with shot clocks over the past few years and 888poker is no exception.

Keeping it moving good for the game.

With positive feedback from its last implementation the shot clock will return and do its work in the two most important events of the upcoming London festival.

It’s not clear yet how much time players will have but we can safely expect that it will be a countdown anywhere between 30 and 60 seconds.

The shot clock will be operated by the dealer at each table and every player will have the chance to extend their time in a tough spot by means of “time chips.”

“Taking back the game is about going one step further for our players to create a fairer, more fun and progressive gaming environment,” said Itai Pazner, Head of B2C at 888 Holdings.

 “As a huge influencer in a fast-evolving market, it’s important that we listen to our players in order to enrich their experience in the most innovative ways possible. 

“We believe that implementing Shot Clocks in our 888Live Festivals is one more step towards us improving our games through cutting waiting times and creating a more even-handed poker experience.”

Ongoing Debate Since 2014

While it’s perfectly normal to have a shot clock in online poker – and nobody would ever seriously ask for it to be removed – live poker has for many decades relied on etiquette, meaning that every player should get the time they need but nobody should deliberately slow down the game.

Action implemented on WPT

Not everyone has the same interpretation of that etiquette, however.

As early as January 2014, Josh Arieh talked to PokerListings about how annoying permanently tanking players had become. Two months later the WPT announced the introduction of said clock.

Mike “Timex” McDonald made a couple of alternative suggestions about how to stop stalling at the table but still welcomed the shot clock idea despite not being a very fast player himself. 

The shot clock, then, seemed inevitable, even if it wasn’t the ideal solution. But there were also players who claimed that stalling was an integral part of their game and it led to a heated Twitter discussion between Daniel Negreanu and Jordan Cristos.

The shot clock, while building some momentum as a tool to stop stalling, remains one of the more controversial topics in live poker. 

888 London Schedule to Follow

Like Barcelona in May, the next 888Live event in London will be a 13-day poker bonanza. No detailed tournament schedule has been released yet but it will look similar to the one in the heart of Catalonia that attracted more players than any 888 event before.

Expect London to see fields like Barcelona.

Expect a Main Event with an £888 buy-in and two or three starting days. There are no official satellites introduced yet but you’ll definitely be able to qualify online by using the 888 steps format.

Level 6 is a $160 satellite and this will be the one that can get you into the 888Live London main event. For further qualifying ways, check back to the PokerListings 888 section and the 888poker lobby.

If you don’t have an account at 888poker yet click through to our review page to get started and access our exclusive $888 sign-up bonus.