888poker XL Spring Series Wraps Up By Paying Main Event Champion $41K

The 2026 edition of the XL Spring Series wrapped up at 888poker on May 12 with the crowning of the $500,000 guaranteed RAKELESS Mystery Bounty Main Event champion. 888poker regular “CPU0r” was the last player standing. They walked away with the title of champion and with $41,775 reasons to be delighted with their performance.

“CPU0r” sat down at the eight-handed final table second in chips, their 83 big blind stack trailing only the 95 big blinds of Malta’s “overbet13.”

All eyes were on the man starting the final day fourth in chips, the 888poker ambassador Leo “KaizenStyle” Jokura, who was hoping to keep the XL Series Main Event title in the 888poker family.

XL Spring #54 – RAKELESS Mystery Main Event Final Table Chip Counts

The finalists felt each other out for the first 30 minutes before “pvss10” crashed by the wayside. “CPU0r” opened from early position with the best starting hand in poker, pocket aces, “pvss10” called from the big blind with pocket nines, and the flop fell four-five-three with two diamonds. “pvss10” initially checked but then check-raised all-in for 19.2 big blinds after “CPU0r” made a continuation bet. “CPU0r” quickly called, and they improved to an unnecessary set on the river. The busted player banked $25,841, partly due to opening mystery bounty envelopes containing more than $21,000 before they exited.

Over the next 20 minutes, “neverback” allowed their stack to dwindle to under six big blinds. Their final action was to call all-in from the big blind with pocket nines after “rulerr” open-shoved from the small blind with jack-eight of diamonds. A jack on the flop was enough to bust “neverback” just as the XL Spring Series Main Event headed into its first scheduled break.

Sixth place went to Jokura, who never seemed to get going at the final table. “rulerr” again open-shoved from the small blind, this time with jack-ten, and Jokura called all-in for 10 big blinds with king-ten. Joura’s hand remained best until the river, when a jack landed to send the popular Brazilian to the showers.

The final five became four only five minutes after Jokura bowed out. “CPU0r” moved all-in from the button with the lowly jack-three, with both blinds nursing stacks of less than seven big blinds. “overbet13” folded their six-three in the small blind, but “danielwbr” called off their 5.3 big blind stack with pocket sixes. The door card was a jack, and “danielwbr” couldn’t find the case six to stay in the tournament.

The elimination of “UncleJo1955” in fourth meant the last three exits were all from Brazilian heroes. Having lost half of their stack with pocket queens against the tens of “overbet13,” “UncleJo1955″‘s last action of this event was to shove for less than five big blinds with king-four of clubs in the small blind and lose to the pocket eights of “rulerr” in the big blind.

Three-handed play lasted just over 10 minutes, ending with the short-stacked “neverbet13” heading for the rail. “neverbet13” open-shoved for a shade under 12 big blinds with ace-eight on the button, “CPU0r” called with king-queen in the big blind, and a queen appeared on the flop. The turn was a king, giving “overbet13” a double gutshot straight draw, but a brick on the river sent the XL Spring Series Main Event into the heads-up stage.

“rulerr” held a 76.9 big blind to 42.1 big blind advantage over “CPU0r” at the start of heads-up play, but was ultimately unable to press home that advantage. The chip lead exchanges hands several times over the next hour or so, but a coin flip brought the curtain down on proceedings.

“CPU0r” opened with pocket fours, “rulerr” responded with a three-bet holding ace-queen, only for “CPU0r” to four-bet jam for 34 big blinds. “rulerr” called off the 22.1 big blinds they had behind, and it was up to the poker gods how this hand would pan out. The pocket fours held on a king-high board, busting “rulerr” in second place for $27,241 and crowning “CPU0r” as the champion, an accolade that came with $41,775.

XL Spring #54 – RAKELESS Mystery Main Event Final Table Results

888poker XL Spring Series Results

The crowning of the Main Event champion brought the XL Spring Series to a conclusion. All 60 numbered events have crowned their worthy champions, each padding their bankrolls.

Surprisingly, exactly half of the XL Spring Series events overlaid, mostly the mystery bounty tournaments, although that format made up the bulk of the schedule. Perhaps players will see a different kind of schedule when 888poker announces its XL Autumn Series later in the year.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.