Jeff Gross Joins 888poker at the 2016 WSOP, Excited for the Patched-Up Grind

When Jeff Gross showed up for the fifth starting flight of the 2016 World Series of Poker $565 Colossus II Saturday morning there was something a little different about him: An 888poker patch on his chest.

The man Antonio Esfandiari once famously dubbed poker’s “Professional Best Friend,” who has $872,755 in earnings from 24 cashes and a handful of final tables at the WSOP, was made a member of the 888poker team before the start of play, and proudly donned the patch straight away.

“It’s great,” he told PokerNews. “I had been involved in negotiations with them and done some home game stuff with them, so when they asked me, I know they’re one of the main sponsors of the WSOP and I’ve been coming here for many years, so of course, yes. It’s great. It’s a reputable brand. Last year I helped [November Niner Thomas] Cannuli at the final table, and he got a deal with 888, and I know some of those guys, so it’s awesome. I’m really excited to be a part of the team.”

The always affable and constantly driven Ann Arbor, Michigan native plans to attack the 2016 WSOP the same way he does everything in life: With a smile on his face and enthusiasm in his heart.

“I’m playing everything from the $500 buy ins to the $111k, so I’m playing the whole range,” Gross said. “I was really …

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