XL Autumn 2026 Series at 888poker: $900,000 in Guarantees and Mystery Bounty

From September 20 to 29, 888poker will host the XL Autumn Series featuring 41 tournaments and nearly $900,000 in guarantees. The main highlight is the Mystery Bounty tournaments.

From September 20 to 29, 2026, the annual XL Autumn Series tournament series will take place on the 888poker platform, traditionally marking the start of the autumn season for online poker fans. This year, the organizers have prepared a packed schedule of 41 numbered tournaments, with a total guaranteed prize pool of nearly $900,000. Special attention in the schedule is given to Mystery Bounty format tournaments, which make up the majority of the series’ events. Mystery Bounty Format: Features and Advantages 888poker was one of the first poker rooms to introduce the Mystery Bounty format into its regular tournament lineup. Unlike standard knockout tournaments, in Mystery Bounty the bounty amount for eliminating an opponent is unknown until the player is knocked out—the prizes are distributed randomly among participants, adding an element of surprise and extra excitement. In the XL Autumn Series 2026, as many as 26 out of 41 tournaments will use this format, highlighting its popularity among players. The series kicks off with the Mystery Opening Event, featuring a $109 buy-in and a $100,000 guarantee. This tournament starts on September 20 at 18:00 UK time. Previously, a similar weekly tournament on 888poker had an $80,000 guarantee, but recently it hasn’t always attracted enough participants. Increasing the guarantee to $100,000 makes the opening event especially attractive for value-seeking tournament hunters. Main Events of the Series: Main Event and Mini Main Event The climax of the XL Autumn Series will be two main No Limit Hold’em tournaments, both in the Mystery Bounty format: $250 Mystery Main Event — $300,000 guarantee. Nearly 1,300 entries will be needed to cover the guarantee, creating intrigue about a possible overlay (when the prize pool exceeds the total buy-ins collected and the room covers the difference). $25 Mystery Mini Main Event — $50,000 guarantee. Just over 2,220 registrations are needed to meet the guarantee. Both tournaments will have multiple starting days (Day 1), beginning as early as September 13, giving players more opportunities to choose a convenient time to participate and increase their chances of reaching the final day. Last year, the winner of the $250 Mystery Main Event was a player with the nickname "amormori" from Romania, who outlasted 2,319 opponents and took home $55,782. In the similar Mini Main Event with a $25 buy-in, "brocanuts" triumphed, earning $6,077 after beating a field of 4,413 participants. XL Autumn Series 2026 Schedule on 888poker The XL Autumn Series 2026 features 41 events covering various formats and buy-in levels. The total guarantee across all tournaments is nearly $900,000, with $350,000 allocated to the two main Mystery Bounty events. The schedule includes both deepstack tournaments and classic PKO (Progressive Knockout) events, allowing every player to find the best option for themselves. Exact dates and start times for each tournament, as well as buy-in amounts and guarantees, can be found in the official schedule table on the 888poker website. Thanks to the large number of starting days in the key tournaments, players have several chances to qualify for the final and compete for big prizes. Statistics and Results from Previous Years Statistics from last year’s series show strong interest in the XL Autumn Series events. In 2025, the main event with a $250 buy-in attracted 2,319 players, while the Mini Main Event with a $25 buy-in had 4,413 participants. The winners of these tournaments—"amormori" and "brocanuts"—received $55,782 and $6,077 respectively. These results confirm that even with relatively small buy-ins, players can count on solid payouts thanks to the large number of participants and generous guarantees. Key Features of XL Autumn Series 2026 41 tournaments held over 10 days, from September 20 to 29, 2026. Total guaranteed prize pool—nearly $900,000. 26 tournaments in the Mystery Bounty format, including both main events. Main Event ($250 Mystery Main Event) with a $300,000 guarantee and Mini Main Event ($25) with a $50,000 guarantee. Multiple starting days for the main tournaments, starting from September 13. The chance to win big prizes even without reaching the final table—thanks to random bounties. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, news about major series like the XL Autumn Series is a great reason to explore new tournament formats, especially Mystery Bounty. This format can be introduced in club games to add an element of surprise and diversify the usual PKO tournaments. It helps boost player interest and engagement. Additionally, analyzing the structure and schedule of large online series helps club organizers better plan their own events: alternating starting days, flexible buy-ins and guarantees, and prize pool distribution with bounties—all of this can be adapted to suit the needs of the club community. Finally, the experience of successful players in major series shows that even with small investments, it’s possible to achieve significant results through smart strategy and choosing the right tournaments. This inspires PPPoker club members to participate in regular events and develop their skills in various poker formats.