888poker’s 20th year in operations is coming to a close as 2022 winds down and we prepare for the new year. As one final thank you to players during its 20th-anniversary celebrations, the operator threw a 50% off holiday sale on some of its marquee events, and players came out in droves.
There were 13 tournaments during the Happy Holiday Sale helped close out 2022 on 888poker and the series was a tremendous success, drawing over 9,000 total entries across the series. And, while it is common for one or two events in a series to miss their guarantees, the Happy Holiday Sale had a clean run, breaking the guarantees across the board.
Just over $300k was collected for the prize pools across the series, a significant increase on the slightly better than $250k guaranteed before the kickoff. Even the Main Event, which usually carries the greatest guarantee of any series, banked more than 5% extra over the $100k promise.
In the end, 888’s Happy Holidays events collected almost $50k more than expected, leading to an increase of just under 19% across the board.
2022 Happy Holiday Sale Results Summary
| Total Prizes | $301,755.00 |
| Total Guarantees | $254,000 |
| Total Entries | 9,410 |
| % Above Gtd | 18.80% |
Year-End Blowout Sale Attracts Value-Hunters
Poker is all about finding value on every street you play, and 888poker gave players a bit of a helping hand with its year-end blowout sale. With buy-ins slashed by 50% on some of the most popular events on the operator’s schedule, players responded by showing up with cash for the cut-rate deals.
There were a total of 13 events, and every single one exceeded its promised prize pool. While the worst performer of the week only beefed up its guarantee by about 1%, the best performer doubled its guarantee by 130% of the promised prize pool.
2022 Happy Holidays Sale Results Details — Top Performers by % Increase
| Date | Tournament | Buy-In | TotalEntries | Prize Pool | Guarantee | % Over Gtd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Dec 25 | $5,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty 6-Max 55 | $27.50 | 460 | $11,500 | $5,000 | 130.00% |
| Friday, Dec 23 | $8,000 Holiday Sale PKO Rumble 109 | $55 | 281 | $14,050 | $8000 | 75.63% |
| Thursday, Dec 22 | $15,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty 55 | $27.50 | 892 | $22300 | $15,000 | 48.67% |
| Thursday, Dec 22 | $15,000 Holiday Sale Big Shot 320 | $160 | 140 | $21,000 | $15,000 | 40.00% |
| Monday, Dec 19 | $10,000 Holiday Sale Monday Big Shot 215 | $109 | 126 | $12,600 | $10,000 | 26.00% |
When raw prize pools are considered, it was no surprise to see the Main Event at the top of the list. With its $100k guarantee, it was always going to have the greatest prize pool of the whole series by far, and that proved true as the game came in with a prize pool of $105,150, just over 5% above its promise of $100k.
The second-best prize pool came on Christmas Day from the $40k guaranteed Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty High Roller. With its usual $515 buy-in slashed to $265, the game drew 185 entries for a prize pool of just over $46k. Two other games managed prize pools of $20k or more.
2022 Happy Holidays Sale Results Details — Top Performers by Prize Pool
| Date | Tournament | Buy-In | Total Entries | Prize Pool | Guarantee | % Over Gtd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Dec 25 | $100,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty Main Event | $55 | 2103 | $105,150 | $100,000 | 5.15% |
| Sunday, Dec 25 | $40,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty High Roller | $265 | 185 | $46,250 | $40,000 | 15.63% |
| Thursday, Dec 22 | $15,000 Holiday Sale Mystery Bounty 55 | $27.50 | 892 | $22,300 | $15,000 | 48.67% |
| Thursday, Dec 22 | $15,000 Holiday Sale Big Shot 320 | $160 | 140 | $21,000 | $15,000 | 40.00% |
| Tuesday, Dec 20 | $15,000 Holiday Sale Big Shot 320 | $160 | 101 | $15,150 | $15,000 | 1.00% |
The Happy Holiday Sale is now concluded, and prices have been reset across the platform to normal levels. With the completion of the last series of 2022, the 20th-anniversary celebrations for 888poker are also coming to a close as the operator looks forward to many more decades in the business.
