The new year is starting on a strong note for all tournament grinders out there, with a number of online festivals taking place during January. 888poker will be throwing its hat into the ring with its popular XL Winter Series.

The series runs Jan 18 — 27, featuring a total of $1.5 million in guaranteed prizes, spread across well over 60 events. With buy-ins starting as low as $5.50, all players are invited to join the action.

The $250 Main Event is the star of the show, featuring a generous guarantee of $500,000, and, once again, no rake is charged to the players, meaning that every dollar paid goes straight into the prize pool, increasing chances that the original guarantee will be exceeded.

XL Winter Series 2026 Highlights

The XL Winter Series at 888poker has once more been designed to be inclusive and welcoming for all players, regardless of their bankrolls. There are over 60 tournaments on offer, with buy-ins starting as low as $5.50, and many events in the $11 – $22 range.

The Main Event comes with a higher asking price of $250, but the $500,000 guarantee more than justifies the buy-in. Plus, there are many different satellites available on the site, allowing players to qualify at a big discount.

The tournament will play out in the popular Mystery Bounty format, with multiple Day 1 flights. In fact, Day 1s are already underway on the site, well ahead of the official start of the series. As already mentioned, the operator is charging no rake for the Main Event, so all buy-ins are going entirely to the prize pool.

For players with lower budgets, 888poker is also running the $25 Mystery Bounty Mini Main Event with a guarantee of $100,000. Day 1 flights for this particular tournament will get underway on Jan 11.

Beyond these two, there are many quality events on the schedule, including:

  • Jan 18 – $109 XL Winter #6 — MB Opening Event (Rakeless Edition) – $100,000 GTD
  • Jan 19 – $5.50 XL Winter #11 — MB Frenzy Special – $5,000 GTD
  • Jan 21 – $22 XL Winter #22 — Daily Gems — MB Big or Small – $10,000 GTD
  • Jan 22 – $320 XL Winter #25 — DeepStack High Roller – $15,000 GTD
  • Jan 25 – $55 XL Winter #43 — Mystery Bounty – $30,000 GTD

Tune In for Free Seats & Special Giveaways

Following the tried and tested formula, the XL Winter series will be accompanied by strong promotional activities across 888poker’s social media channels.

Once the action gets underway, there will be live streams pretty much around the clock, with the site’s ambassadors showing their efforts on the virtual felt, but also giving away a number of free tournament entries to those who tune in for the action.

Additionally, daily no-ticket XL Winter Series freerolls will give away $90,000 worth of tickets to the Main Event.

To top it all off, 888poker will be organizing a variety of contests and giveaways across its social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even Reddit, so make sure to tune in and keep your eyes peeled for these freebies.

With its XL Winter Series, 888poker is announcing another strong and action-filled year ahead. Officially, the series kicks off on Jan 18, but initial flights for the $500k MB Main Event are already underway, and Day 1s for the $25 Mini Main will start in a few days’ time, so if your fingers are itching, you don’t have to wait!