The XL Winter Series ran from January 15-21, and the festival comprised 28 numbered tournaments ranging in buy-ins $5.50-$55. The series wound up catering to a combined 16,168 entrants and awarded $1,539,840 in prize money!

• Players from Romania and Brazil fared the best tying with five titles apiece.
• German players accounted for four titles.
• Lithuania players were one behind with three titles.
• Players from Sweden and Ukraine had two each.
• Meanwhile, players from Thailand, Latvia, Kuwait, Belarus, Canada, and the United Kingdom all accounted for one title.

Here are some highlights from the final week of play in the XL Winter Series on 888poker.

AMG_people Wins ME, Sickslick Collects $50K Bounty

The XL Winter Event #28: $500,000 Main Event, which cost $250 to enter, attracted 1,896 players who rebought 163 times. The 2,059-entry field meant the top 240 finishers received a portion of the $500K prize pool, part of which was for bounties. That included a $50,000 top bounty and a pair of $15,000 bounties.

A trio of Team888 members started the day in Vivian “vivi.888.” Saliba, who failed to cash. Josh “Josh_Manley” Manley and Ian “Simpioni” Simpson notched small cashes but no bounties.

The former finished in 152^nd place for $400 and the latter in 108^th place for $475..

Manley fell in Level 23 (2,500/5,000/625) after running pocket queens smack dab into the pocket kings of “SickSlick”. Erlier in the day, SickSlick was fortunate enough to receive the $50,000 top bounty!

Also collecting big bounties of $15,000 apiece were seventh-place finisher “Sim0nK” and 306^th-place finisher “Lenny03041”.

As for Simpson, who was streaming his action, he busted two level later in Level 25 (3,500/7,000/875). His pocket kings were cracked by ace-king. Simpson earned the distinction of being the last Team888 member standing.

Others to make the money were the following players –

• “pokanuktus” (57^th place for $600 plus $766.77 in bounties)
• “YerarMarino” (37^th place for $650 plus $933.70 in bounties)
• “Sickslick”, who finished in 29^th place for $900, which along with all his bounties made him the tournament’s biggest winner bagging $57,233.84.

Some others to fall before the final table were the following –

• “crizelda” (21^st place for $1,050 plus $1,800.31 in bounties)
• “Mr.Tatt00” (12^th place for $2,550 plus $3,100.61 in bounties)
• “RazvyB” (10^th place for $2,550 plus $2,400.93 in bounties)

At that point on Sunday, the final table of nine was set and went on an overnight hiatus.

• Ukraine’s “alwaySsmilee” led the way with 6.9 million, more than twice as much as his next closest competitor in the United Kingdom’s “badrobot27”, who sat with 3.3 million.

• Brazil’s “mgrazziotin” and Finland’s “_zarkou_” each sat over the two-million mark

• While a trio of other players had over a million in “TuckaIF” (1,709,011), “kellerassel0” (1,507,594), “AMG_people” (1,044,892).

• On the low end of things, a pair of Lithuanian players were short-stacked in “RUNRANRUNIT8” (867,148) and “Sim0nK” (705,383).

 “alwaySsmilee” managed to make it all the way to heads-up play. But it was their fellow countryman “AMG_people”, the third-shortest stack at the start of the final table, who mounted a comeback to win the tournament for $34,525.

They also collected $3,067.39 in bounties for a total payday of $37,592.08.

In the final hand of the tournament, which took place in Level 44 (200,000/400,000/50,000), “alwaySsmilee” got their chips in good holding the A♥K♣ and was way ahead of the A♦ J♦ of “AMG_people”.

But the J♠7♣A♣ flop gave “AMG_people” two pair and left “alwaySsmilee” in dire straits. Neither the 7♠ turn nor 10♦ river helped “alwaySsmilee”, and they had to settle for second place.

XL Winter Main Event Final Table Results

1^st – “AMG_people” (Ukraine) … $37,592.08

2^nd – “alwaySsmilee” (Ukraine) … $32,567.39

3^rd – “badrobot27” (United Kingdom) … $22,192.65

4^th – “mgrazziotin” (Brazil) … $17,592.38

5^th – “TuckaIF” (United Kingdom) … $11,750.62

6^th – “_zarkou_” (Finland) … $9,408.84

7^th – “Sim0nK” (Lithuania) … $25,476.84

8^th – “RUNRANRUNIT8” (Lithuania) … $5,633.84

9^th – “kellerassel0” (Germany) … $4,575.30

Niklas tutten7 Åstedt Takes Down Super High Roller

On Sunday, January 29, the $2,100 buy-in, $100K GTD Event #26: Super High Roller 6-Max attracted 41 players who rebought 10 times. That snuck by the guarantee as a $102,000 prize pool was up for grabs to the top six finishers. On a side note, 888poker cultural ambassador JaackMaate finished 8th.

The final table was an international affair, and arguably the best online tournament player in the game – Sweden’s Niklas “tutten7” Åstedt – was at the final table. Not only that, after 5 hours and 43 minutes, he prevailed in a heads-up match against Canada’s “beebsterizer” to win the tournament for $37,740!

XL Winter Event #26 Final Table Results

1^st – Niklas “tutten7” Åstedt (Sweden) … $37,740

2^nd – “beebsterizer” (Canada) … $25,500

3^rd – “ruthy33” (United Kingdom) … $15,300

4^th – “sk8erisz” (Lithuania) … $10,200

5^th – “SpielerKind” (Ukraine) … $7,650

6^th – “420SilentBob” (Mexico) … $5,610

Kuwait’s TheMoeQasem Wins $200K Mystery Bounty

Throughout the series, Day 1 flights were held for the $160 buy-in, $200K GTD Event #17: Mystery Bounty 8-Max. On Monday, January 23 the 236 surviving players from a 1,380-entry field (1,187 unique plus 193 rebuys) returned to compete for their portion of a $207,000 prize pool.

For the bounty pool, there was a top prize of $20,000, which went to Ireland’s “9salute46”, who also finished in 50th place for a total payout of $20,553.10.

The top 120 finishers made the money after “RUNRANRUNIT8” bubbled in 121^st place. They included the following –

• “CARRAMROD” (10^th place for $1,219.80 plus $1,064.20 in bounties)
• “B.Drumond” (13^th place for $941.60 plus $1,016.05
• “ThaiMagick” (43^rd place for $363.80 plus $2,648.15 in bounties)
• “3AHYDA” (45^th place for $363.80 plus $2,648.15 in bounties)
• “VladRon13” (94^th place for $331.70 plus $2,864.20 in bounties)

At the final table, it was Kuwait’s “TheMoeQasem” defeating Belarus’ “Sonde” in heads-up play to win the tournament for $17,473.10 plus $3,112.35 in bounties for a total payday of $20,585.45!

XL Winter Event #17 Final Table Results

1^st – “TheMoeQasem” (Kuwait) … $20,585.45

2^nd – “Sonde” (Belarus) … $15,797.19

3^rd – “Nathjb” (United Kingdom) … $11,469.50

4^th – “magoooo12” (Ireland) … $8,117.55

5^th – “perrivini” (Brazil) … $11,514.60

6^th – “NgoloforGB” (Malta) … $4,182.45

7^th – “jsj588” (Ukraine) … $3,867.60

8^th – “lelecones7” (Brazil) … $3,134.65

Also, on Monday, the $109 buy-in, Event #15: $20,000 PKO saw Germany’s “Knudi1979” prevail over a 272-entry field to win $5,420.34.

Their fellow countryman “wackworm376” won the $11 buy-in Event #16: $5,000 PKO Mini for $1,009.29.

sNap36484 Victorious in Event #18: Mystery Bounty

On Tuesday, January 24, the $320 buy-in, $30K GTD Event #18: Mystery Bounty had 73 players rebuy 20 times. So, the $30,000 prize pool was split between the regular and bounty pools.

The biggest bounty available was $3,000, and that went to Sweden’s “Clay_Born”, who also finished in ninth place for $3,450.

After just over six hours of play, it was “sNap36484” of Belarus defeating Brazil’s “what1sl0v3” in heads-up play to win the tournament for $4,200.

They also had $3,321.42 in bounties so walked away with a total payday of $7,521.42.

XL Winter Event #18 Final Table Results

1^st – “sNap36484” (Belarus) … $7,521.42

2^nd – “what1sl0v3” (Brazil) … $4,090.71

3^rd – “KURDEdersim” (Sweden) … $4,497.86

4^th – “chrisfrimodt” (Denmark) … $1,975.72

5^th – “armlockvoado” (Brazil) … $4,853.58

6^th – “QuietMike” (Jersey) … $787.50

7^th – “Raise1ln.” (Lithuania) … $637.50

8^th – “s.totuli” (Brazil) … $1,060.71

9^th – “Clay_Born” (Sweden) … $3,450

In other Tuesday news, the $33 buy-in, $12K GTD Event #19: Mystery Bounty Mini saw Brazil’s “KryderURSS” come out on top of a 455-entry field to win the tournament for $2,152.85.

Germany’s pactamah23 Ships High Roller 8-Max

On Saturday, January 28, the $1,050 buy-in, $35,000 GTD Event #24: High Roller 8-Max saw 35 players rebuy 15 times. The entries generated a $50,000 prize pool that was paid out to the top five finishers.

Among those to compete but fall short of a cash were “MorayEEEEEL”, “BetBetFck”, and bubble “BombayBG”, just to name a few.

The exits of “bucurestean” (5^th place - $4,000), “Reggie_Degen” (4^th - $5,000), and “feerofeero” (3^rd - $7,500) left two German players to do battle heads-up.

After nearly six hours of play, it was “pactamah23” defeating fellow countryman “kellerassel0” to win the title and $20,000 top prize.

XL Winter Event #24 Final Table Results

1^st – “pactamah23” (Germany) … $20,000

2^nd – “kellerassel0” (Germany) … $13,500

3^rd – “feerofeero” (Ukraine) … $7,500

4^th – “Reggie_Degen” (Canada) … $5,000

5^th – “bucurestean” (Romania) … $4,000

2023 XL Winter Series Winners …