It’s the dead of winter in Ontario, and 888poker Ontario is looking to melt the freeze a bit with some hot poker action. XL Winter runs from Jan 14 to Jan 29 with a total of 48 games under the brand including 34 numbered events.
Between the 48 events that fall under the XL Winter banner over the next couple of weeks, there are $335,900 in guarantees to be won.
The biggest game of them all is the Mystery Bounty Main Event with $50k guaranteed. It costs $162 to get into and has Day 1 flights running from Jan 24.
XL Winter Ontario Summary
| Games | 48 |
| Featured Games | 34 |
| Dates | Jan 14 – Jan 29 |
| Guaranteed | $335,900 |
| Median Guarantee | $5,000 |
| Median Buy-In | $109 |
| Buy-In Range | $11 – $525 |
Big Value Games to Warm Up Winter
There is some big value to be found in 888poker Onatrio’s XL Winter series. The Main Event is the best of the series, there are a few other games of note to watch out for.
Jan 21 features a Sunday Mystery Bounty game with $30k guaranteed, and there is also value to be found among the lower buy-in events. The $11 version of the Sunday Mystery Bounty on Jan 21 has $1,500 guaranteed.
XL Winter Ontario Best Value Games
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Name | Buy-in (CAD) | Guarantee | $GTD/$BI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 29 Jan | 8:00 p.m. | XL Winter #34 | $50,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Day 2 | $162 | $50,000 | $308.64 |
| Sun 21 Jan | 6:30 p.m. | XL Winter #16 | $30,000 Sunday Mystery Bounty 109 | $109 | $30,000 | $275.23 |
| Sun 21 Jan | 5:15 p.m. | XL Winter #15 | $1,500 Sunday Mystery Bounty 11 | $11 | $1,500 | $136.36 |
| Sun 28 Jan | 6:30 p.m. | XL Winter #31 | $12,000 Sunday Mystery Bounty 109 | $109 | $12,000 | $110.09 |
| Sun 28 Jan | 5:15 p.m. | XL Winter #30 | $1,200 Sunday Mystery Bounty 11 | $11 | $1,200 | $109.09 |
Eleven Games with Five-Figure Guarantees
There are a total of 11 games across the two-week series that guarantee at least $10,000. The Mystery Bounty Main Event tops the list, of course, and the Sunday Mystery Bounty on Jan 21 is one of two games with at least $30k up top.
In addition to those big games, there is a $12k guaranteed Sunday Mystery Bounty on the final Sunday of the series and seven games with $10k guaranteed.
XL Winter Ontario Five-Figure Guarantees
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Name | Buy-in (CAD) | Guarantee | Value ($GTD/$BI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 29 Jan | 8:00 p.m. | XL Winter #34 | $50,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Day 2 | $162 | $50,000 | $308.64 |
| Sun 14 Jan | 6:30 p.m. | XL Winter #02 | $30,000 Opening Ceremony | $109 | $30,000 | $275.23 |
| Sun 21 Jan | 6:30 p.m. | XL Winter #16 | $30,000 Sunday Mystery Bounty 109 | $109 | $30,000 | $275.23 |
| Sun 28 Jan | 6:30 p.m. | XL Winter #31 | $12,000 Sunday Mystery Bounty 109 | $109 | $12,000 | $110.09 |
| Sun 14 Jan | 7:00 p.m. | XL Winter | $10,000 Sunday High Roller | $525 | $10,000 | $19.05 |
| Tue 16 Jan | 7:30 p.m. | XL Winter #07 | $10,000 Mystery Bounty 109 | $109 | $10,000 | $91.74 |
| Thu 18 Jan | 7:30 p.m. | XL Winter #11 | $10,000 Mystery Bounty 6 | $109 | $10,000 | $91.74 |
| Sun 21 Jan | 7:00 p.m. | XL Winter | $10,000 Sunday High Roller | $525 | $10,000 | $19.05 |
| Tue 23 Jan | 7:30 p.m. | XL Winter #21 | $10,000 Mystery Bounty 109 | $109 | $10,000 | $91.74 |
| Sun 28 Jan | 7:00 p.m. | XL Winter | $10,000 Sunday High Roller | $525 | $10,000 | $19.05 |
| Mon 29 Jan | 7:30 p.m. | XL Winter #33 | $10,000 Mystery Bounty Closing Ceremony 109 | $109 | $10,000 | $91.74 |
Get Into the Games for Cheap
Players with smaller bankrolls can still have a shot at XL Winter glory. In addition to several $11 buy-ins that are accessible to lower bankrolls, 888poker Ontario will also be running satellites to the bigger games, including the $162 Mystery Bounty Main Event
Check the lobby in the 888poker Ontario app to get details on satellite times and get yourself into the games.
Ontario Market Key for 888poker
In a recent interview published by Poker Industry PRO, VP Head of Poker and MD ROW at 888 & William Hill Amit Berkovich spoke about the relatively new Ontario market and how it fits into the 888poker world. With only about two years of active service, it is one of the newer markets for the operator, comparing favorably in size to segregated US markets like Pennsylvania.
Berkovich noted that the small size makes it challenging but noted that North America has a strong poker culture that Ontario is very much in tune with. “It’s a smaller market which makes it much more challenging to hold liquidity on the one hand. On the other hand however, it’s a North American market, meaning it’s still very much in tune with poker in general, poker trends and poker content.”
Related to the market size, PRO also asked about the prospects for shared liquidity with other provinces in Canada. Berkovich replied that “there are no specific deadlines or any more provinces that are planning to regulate.” That likely means that Ontario will remain an independent market for the foreseeable future, especially given that Canada’s provincially regulated gaming services have full independence which creates a challenging, environment for cross-province pacts.
Unlike the US, there is no “multi-province gaming pact” to work within, though Canada does have some shared liquidity between three provinces through the PlayNow system that links Quebec, British Columbia, and Manitoba. That pact does not currently include any provisions for commercial operators, however, as it is focused on provincially regulated gaming software rather than commercial players.
With Ontario as the first Canadian province to open up to commercial operators, it will likely remain an independent jurisdiction in Canada in the short term as the required provincial cooperation may well be hard to get.
The games in Ontario coincide with the larger XL Winter festival ongoing on the global client for 888poker. There is $2 million guaranteed in the big series, with similar dates to the Ontario games so players outside Ontario can still take their shot at XL winter glory.
