Big Weekend for the Super XL Series

This past weekend, the fifth edition of the 888poker Super XL Series kicked off. It is the first time that we have run this series twice in the same year. The series will feature 40 events from May 14-22 including a $1,050 buy-in, $1,000,000 guaranteed Main Event this Sunday – kicked off with the $88,888 Crazy 8 Super XL Kickoff. Since then, 14 events have finished, all of which we review below.

Like its predecessors, the series offers a Main, Mini and Turbo version of each tournament. Satellites for the Super XL Series are running now, and on Sunday, May 22 at 15:05, just a couple hours before the start of the Main Event, a $215 buy-in satellite will guarantee 50 seats.

During the event, the Mini Crazy Eights had the most players ever in a $1 buy-in tournament on a Saturday. On Sunday, we distributed over $1,000,000 and had 4 tournaments with over $100,000 in prize money.

Tuesday night boasts the highest buy-in tournament we have ever had in a series – Event #15, The Super XL High Roller with a $2,100 buy-in and $400,000 GTD.

Tobias "bale_11" Garp Wins Event #1 Crazy Eights

With a structure based on this summer's World Series of Poker Event #54: $888 Crazy Eights, the tournament took 12 hours and three minutes to complete and awarded the winner a $3,000 package to that event in Las Vegas, which includes hotel and travel expenses. This series event had the the largest prize pool we have ever had for a Saturday tournament, $124,240.

Tobias "bale_11" Garp topped a field of 911 players to take it down for $22,984.40, which comes just a few weeks after he bested a field of 307 players to win the $50,000 TURBO Mega Deep event for $11,880.90. What's more, a week before that he topped a field of 181 players to win the $20,000 Saturday Crocodile for $5,837.25.

Event #1 $88,888 Super XL – Crazy Eights
Date: Saturday, May 14
Buy-in: $88
Players: 911 players w/ 642 rebuys
Duration: 12hr 3min
Prize Pool: $124,240
Places Paid: 120

Jewelrunna Reigns Takes Down Mega Deep on Day2

On the second day of the 888poker Super XL Series, Canada's jewelrunna topped a field of 1,064 players to win the $215 Mega Deep, which surpassed its $150,000 guarantee by creating a $212,800 prize pool. jewelrunna struck a heads-up deal with Sweden's klimpen_2, one that saw the former take $38,304 and the latter $27,302.24.

Event #4 $150,000 Mega Deep
Date: Saturday, May 15
Buy-in: $215
Players: 1,064
Duration: 13h 34min
Prize Pool: $212,800
Places Paid: 135

*Denotes heads-up deal

Weekend's Biggest Prize Goes to Germany's ncqqqqqq

The biggest tournament over the weekend, in terms of the prize pool, was Event #5 $250,000 Opening Event, which attracted 1,558 players who accounted for 681 rebuys to surpass the $250,000 guarantee by creating a prize pool of $335,850.

Interestingly, Paul "paulleckey" Leckey, who finished eighth in Event #1, made yet another final table, ultimately finishing fourth in the Opening Event for $21,830.25. In the end, Germany's ncqqqqqq defeated The Netherlands InJeBakkes in heads-up play to win a $56,725.06 first-place prize, the biggest payout awarded over the weekend. InJeBakkes, who on July 27, 2014 won the 888poker $5,000 Thunder 2nd Chance 6-Max, took home $40,369.17 for his runner-up finish.

Event #5 $250,000 Opening Event
Date: Saturday, May 15
Buy-in: $160
Players: 1,558 players w/ 681 rebuys
Duration: 12h 50min
Prize Pool: $335,850
Places Paid: 207

Poker Pro Bryan "DePittsterje" Paris Wins Mini Opening Event

The biggest tournament over the weekend, in terms of players, was Event #6 $50,000 Super XL Mini Opening Event, a tournament that attracted 3,897 players who accounted for 1,559 rebuys to create a $59,470.40 prize pool.

After just over eleven hours of play, poker pro, Bryan "DePittsterje" Paris, who was playing poker from Canada, took down the first-place prize of $8,325.85. Paris is a well-respected player on the live circuit where he has earned $707,992 in tournament earnings. His best cash of $100,542 came in March 2014 when he finished fourth in the Eureka4 Vienna Main Event, and he also won $44,655 for finishing 193rd in the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Event #6 $50,000 Mini Opening Event
Date: Saturday, May 15
Buy-in: $12
Players: 3,897 w/ 1,559 rebuys
Duration: 11hr 8min
Prize Pool: $59,470.40
Places Paid: 600

Sebastian "p000cket000" Sikorski Takes Down the WHALE

The most expensive tournament over the weekend was the$600 buy-in WHALE, a tournament that surpassed its $200,000 guarantee by attracting 491 players who created a $277,415 prize pool that was distributed to the top 63 players.

In the end, Sebastian "p000cket000" Sikorski struck a heads-up deal with Enrico "hateh4tehate" Camosci that saw the former win $52,708.85 and the title. Camosci was award $38,838.10 for finishing second.

Event #7 $200,000 WHALE
Date: Saturday, May 15
Buy-in: $600
Players: 491
Duration: 10h 28min
Prize Pool: $277,415
Places Paid: 63

*Denotes three-handed deal

Be sure to check back right here on 888poker to keep on top of all the action.