PokerNews Online Championship 2026: major series on 888 starting October 18

From October 18 to 27, 888 will host the PokerNews Online Championship 2026 with 40 tournaments and a guaranteed prize pool of over $780,000. Don't miss the main online event of the fall!

From October 18 to 27, 2026, the major online series PokerNews Online Championship will take place on the 888 platform, organized jointly by two leaders of the poker industry — 888 and PokerNews. This year, participants can look forward to 40 tournaments with total guaranteed prize pools of over $780,000, making the series one of the most notable online events of the fall. Format and Schedule of the PokerNews Online Championship 2026 The series kicks off on October 18 and concludes on October 27. Over 10 days, 40 tournaments will be held, each crowning its own champion. The total guaranteed prize pool for the series is nearly $800,000, attracting both professionals and online poker enthusiasts. Buy-ins range from $8.80 to $525, allowing players with different bankrolls to participate. The schedule features a variety of formats: Classic Tournaments — standard multi-table events with no additional conditions; Deep Stack — tournaments with increased starting stacks, giving more room for play; Progressive Knockouts (PKO) — part of the buy-in goes to the prize pool, and part goes to bounties for knocking out opponents; Mystery Bounty — a special format where the size of the bounty for knocking out a player is revealed only after their elimination. From Monday to Saturday, three tournaments are held daily, while on Sundays there are 13 events at once, traditionally making this the busiest and most profitable day for participants: the largest guarantees of the series fall on Sundays. Key Events: Two Main Tournaments with $300,000 Guaranteed The PokerNews Online Championship 2026 features two main events with a combined guarantee of $300,000: Mystery Mini Main Event — the 35th tournament on the schedule, $25 buy-in, $50,000 guarantee. This is a multi-flight event: Day 1s start on October 18, and the final Day 2 will be held on October 26 at 21:30 GMT. Mystery Bounty Main Event — the series’ main event with a $250 buy-in and a huge $250,000 guarantee. Day 1s begin as early as October 11 and run through October 26, when Day 2 takes place. On this day, play continues until the final table of eight players is determined. The finalists will meet at the 888 tables on October 27 at 19:00 GMT, and their game will be broadcast live on the 888poker Twitch channel. Both main events offer numerous satellites — qualifying tournaments with buy-ins starting from $0.10, making it possible to enter major events even with minimal investment. Format Features: Mystery Bounty and PKO The series schedule gives special attention to Mystery Bounty and PKO tournaments. In Mystery Bounty events, players receive random cash prizes for knocking out opponents, but the size of each bounty is revealed only after the hand is completed. This adds an element of surprise and extra excitement. In PKO tournaments , part of the buy-in immediately goes to the bounty pool, and for each opponent knocked out, a player receives a cash reward, while part of their own bounty increases — so the more you knock out, the more valuable you become to your opponents. Schedule and Tournament Structure The series’ tournament grid covers all popular formats and buy-in levels. Here are the main parameters: Total number of events: 40 Buy-in range: from $8.80 to $525 Total guaranteed prize pool: over $780,000 Number of tournaments per day: 3 (Monday–Saturday), 13 (Sunday) Dates: October 18–27, 2026 Satellites to key events start with minimum buy-ins from $0.10, making participation accessible to a wide audience. For example, starting October 18, you can play in the $109 Mystery Opening Event with an $80,000 guarantee — the first major event of the series. How to Participate: Bonuses and Registration To take part in the series, you need to register on the 888 platform. New players are eligible for a welcome bonus, with terms depending on their country of residence. If you register via PokerNews links, you are guaranteed to receive the best possible offer. After registering, simply choose your preferred tournament in the 888 lobby and pay the buy-in or qualify through a satellite. The series is designed for both experienced players and beginners: thanks to the wide range of buy-ins and the large number of satellites, everyone can try their hand and compete for big prizes. Table of Key Events and Guarantees Mystery Mini Main Event — $25 buy-in, $50,000 guarantee, Day 1s: October 18–26, final: October 26, 21:30 GMT Mystery Bounty Main Event — $250 buy-in, $250,000 guarantee, Day 1s: October 11–26, Day 2: October 26, final: October 27, 19:00 GMT Mystery Opening Event — $109 buy-in, $80,000 guarantee, starts: October 18 Total number of events: 40, total guaranteed pool: over $780,000 Buy-ins: from $8.80 to $525 Organizers and Series History The PokerNews Online Championship is jointly organized by PokerNews and 888 — two of the biggest brands in the world of online poker. PokerNews is the industry’s leading news resource, while 888 is one of the oldest and most popular online platforms. The series is not being held for the first time and traditionally attracts a large audience of players of all levels. PokerNews Editor-in-Chief Matthew Pitt, who has worked in the industry since 2008 and has held leadership positions at PokerNews since 2010, notes that the series once again brings together the best players and offers unique opportunities for all participants. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great reason to pay attention to modern formats of major online series. The Mystery Bounty and PKO formats, which are becoming standard on top platforms, can also be adapted for club games: they make tournaments more dynamic and appealing to a wider audience. Moreover, the PokerNews Online Championship schedule shows how important it is to vary buy-ins and tournament structures to attract players of different levels. This can serve as a good example for PPPoker club event organizers: a variety of formats and accessible satellites increase engagement and allow everyone to feel part of the larger poker community. Finally, the experience of participating in major online series helps PPPoker club players improve their strategy and skills, which can be applied both in online tournaments and live games. Stay tuned for updates, explore new formats, and don’t be afraid to test yourself at different levels — this is the path to growth and new victories.