The 2026 PokerNews Online Championship kicked off at 888 on October 18, and 888 ambassador Aaron “abarone68” barone wasted no time in helping himself to a title.
Barone came out on top in the first of 40 numbered events, the $16.50 Mystery Bounty. The tournament drew 1,060 entrants and created a $15,900 prize pool, with Barone capturing $1,375 of that pot.
The popular 888 ambassador, who recently completed a $2,000 to $10,000 bankroll challenge in only six days, emerged victoriously after seven hours of mystery bounty action. He defeated Germany’s “MRTHSCHEL” heads-up to claim the title and a $1,375 haul.
Only the 27th-place finisher, “JohnnyOther,” won more than Barone. That’s because they collected a $1,500 jackpot mystery bounty before busting.
#01: $16.50 Mystery Bounty Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Bounties | Prize | Total Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron “abarone68” Barone | Canada | $139 | $1,235 | $1,375 |
| 2 | M4RTHSCHEL | Germany | $21 | $966 | $987 |
| 3 | Barrymehome | Sweden | $46 | $718 | $764 |
| 4 | Jonieandwulf | United Kingdom | $75 | $493 | $568 |
| 5 | venom_779 | Germany | $36 | $330 | $367 |
| 6 | BigBetBird | United Kingdom | $6 | $241 | $247 |
| 7 | Cheks88 | Ukraine | $40 | $168 | $208 |
| 8 | st0nks | Germany | $49 | $126 | $175 |
Reigning XL Spring Series Main Event Champion Takes Down High Roller
888 isn’t best known for its high-roller tournaments, but the $525 buy-in High Roller, part of the PokerNews Online Championship, drew 52 entrants and busted the guarantee with a $26,000 prize pool.
Ian “Simpioni” Simpson came close to matching his 888 teammate’s victory but ultimately had to make do with a seventh-place finish, while 888 regular “Reggie_Degen” fell in fifth.
“CPU0r” defeated “MorayEEEEEL” heads-up to become the High Roller champion. They took home $7,787. The champion also won XL Spring Series RAKELESS Mystery Bounty Main Event in May for $41,775.
#07 – $525 High Roller Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CPU0r | $7,787 | |
| 2 | MorayEEEEEL | Sweden | $5,148 |
| 3 | kellerassel0 | Germany | $3,536 |
| 4 | AzaAzaAza | Costa Rica | $2,496 |
| 5 | Reggie_Degen | Canada | $1,820 |
| 6 | filuspl | $1,365 | |
| 7 | Ian “Simpioni” Simpson | United Kingdom | $1,118 |
| 8 | Flopzilla_XD | New Zealand | $962 |
PokerNews Online Championship Results
Six PokerNews Online Championship events have crowned their champions. Check out the table below to see which players won which events and how much they won.
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #01 – $16.50 Mystery Bounty | 1,060 | $15,900 | Aaron “abarone68” Barone | $1,375 |
| #02 – $33 Mystery Bounty Frenzy | 371 | $11,130 | Barth.S2 | $1,735 |
| #03 – $55 Mystery Bounty | 400 | $20,000 | Linbabay | $3,577 |
| #04 – $8.80 Mystery Bounty | 935 | $8,000 | satoschi_01 | $777 |
| #05 – $109 Mystery Bounty Opener | 730 | $80,000 | TBD | TBD |
| #06 – $22 Mystery Bounty Big or Small | 523 | $10,460 | MagicJ16 | $1,043 |
| #07 – $525 High Roller | 52 | $26,000 | CPU0r | $7,787 |
Final Table Reached in the $80,000 PokerNews Mystery Opening Event
A field of 730 entrants in the $109 PokerNews Mystery Opening Event has been reduced to the final table of eight on Day 1. The final table shuffles up and deals at 6:00 p.m. UK time, with the 888 Twitch channel streaming all of the action an hour later.
“Lurich28,” one of three Brazilians at the final table, holds a commanding lead when the final table’s action begins. They sit down with 91 big blinds, almost double the stack of Denmark’s “otteotteotte” on 48 big blinds.
Those who keep tabs on online poker tournaments will likely notice “C3H5NO33” is at the final table with 42 big blinds, enough for fourth place at the restart. That alias is the chemical formula for nitroglycerin, and they will be hoping for an explosive start to their quest for glory.
$80,000 PokerNews Mystery Opening Event Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | player | Country | Bounties | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lurich28 | Brazil | $2,089 | 3,171,379 | 91 |
| 2 | otteotteotte | Denmark | $2,172 | 1,682,960 | 48 |
| 3 | User1912 | Moldova | $1,016 | 1,551,367 | 44 |
| 4 | C3H5NO33 | $4,003 | 1,477,169 | 42 | |
| 5 | Nik32112 | Germany | $230 | 1,280,648 | 37 |
| 6 | Clay_Born | Sweden | $772 | 771,868 | 22 |
| 7 | MachadadaRS | Brazil | $1,154 | 518,638 | 15 |
| 8 | TheHueyLewis | Brazil | $261 | 495,971 | 14 |
2026 PokerNews Online Championship by 888 Schedule
Another three PokerNews Online Championship events take place on October 19, running alongside the $80,000 PokerNews Mystery Opening Event final table.
Expanding the table reveals the full, remaining schedule of this exciting series. Check it out, plan your schedule, and see if you can become a poker champion.
Matthew Pitt
Senior Editor