The XL Winter Series at 888poker burst into life on January 18, with the first numbered events officially getting underway. In just the opening days, 13 tournaments have already crowned champions, highlighted by the $100,000 Rakeless Opening Event. That flagship opener was claimed by Brazil’s “preTu.ras,” who transformed a $109 buy-in into an impressive $9,601 payday.
The $100,000 Opening Event attracted 926 entries on Day 1. Under normal circumstances, that turnout might have resulted in an overlay, but this tournament was different. With 888poker charging zero rake, every dollar of the buy-in went straight into the prize pool, pushing it to $100,934.
Play paused at the end of Day 1 when “Oddiseyes” exited in ninth place, setting the stage for an eight-handed final table. Those remaining players returned on January 19, battling for the title under the spotlight of the 888poker Twitch stream. Ambassadors Nick “eastyyy22” Eastwood and Josh “JoshManleyPoker” Manley provided live commentary as fans watched every card face up.
Early Final Table Drama
Short stacks didn’t last long. “Blondefox777,” who began the final table with just 10 big blinds, shoved with ace-jack of diamonds after dwindling to 3.5 big blinds. “M.Baranov” called from the big blind with nine-eight of clubs and hit a straight, sending the UK player out in eighth.
Another ace-jack fell soon after. “CurrD” three-bet shoved for 12.5 big blinds with ace-jack of spades after “saveno4ek” opened with pocket tens. The tens held, eliminating “CurrD,” though the Brit later found consolation by building a strong stack in the $500,000 guaranteed Rakeless Mystery Main Event.
One of the most dramatic hands followed when “Fl4tbush20” jammed ten-nine from the big blind and was called by “preTu.ras” holding ace-six. A ten-nine-ace flop looked perfect for “Fl4tbush20,” but a seven and eight on the turn and river completed a straight for the Brazilian, ending another deep run.
From Six to Heads-Up
Malta’s “Hyper_” exited in fifth after running pocket nines into the pocket queens of “preTu.ras,” with a queen appearing on the turn to seal the outcome. Ukraine’s “M.Baranov” then bowed out in fourth after slow-playing pocket kings and running straight into a flopped straight held by fellow Ukrainian “saveno4ek.”
Despite finishing third, “saveno4ek” emerged as the tournament’s biggest earner. A massive $12,946 in bounties—boosted by a $10,000 jackpot bounty—pushed their total haul to $17,403.
That set up a Brazilian heads-up duel between “preTu.ras” and “jhstaygler,” with the latter holding a sizeable chip advantage at the start. Momentum swung back and forth for nearly an hour before the decisive hand played out.
In the final confrontation, “jhstaygler” limped with queen-ten and called a raise from “preTu.ras,” who held king-queen of spades. On a king-jack-jack flop, “jhstaygler” shoved with an open-ended straight draw, but the Brazilian called and faded the turn and river to lock up the title.
A Fast-Starting Series
With 13 events already in the books, the XL Winter Series has wasted no time delivering action. Buy-ins have ranged from micro-stakes to high rollers, and champions have emerged from all corners of the globe.
The series runs through January 27, with the centerpiece still to come: the $250 buy-in Rakeless Mystery Main Event, boasting a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Multiple Day 1 flights are already underway, and more than 1,000 players have taken their shot so far.
If the explosive start is any indication, the XL Winter Series is set to deliver plenty more big moments before the final cards are dealt.
