The Best Value for Money Tournaments in 888poker's 2022 XL Winter Series

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Senior Editor & Live Events Executive
6 min read
XL Winter Series

The XL Winter Series on 888poker is right around the corner and there is more than $1.5 million up for grabs across 44 events. The series, which runs from January 16-31, has several of tournaments with affordable buy-ins so all players can get involved in the action regardless of the size of their bankrolls.

Each event will have a main, mini and late version meaning that there are plenty of tournaments that fall within in the $16.50 to $55 buy-in range, all of which come with bumper guarantees.

So, if that has peaked your interest, PokerNews has gone through the series' schedule to find out the events which offer players the best value for money. Five tournaments have been selected which offer players more bang for their buck so continue reading to find out more information about these events:

DATETIME (GMT)EVENTBUY-INGUARANTEE
Sun, January 167 p.m.XL Winter #2 - $20,000 Mini Opening$16.50$20,000
Fri, January 216 p.m.XL Winter #16 - $30,000 DeepStack$55$30,000
Sun, January 237 p.m.XL Winter #23 - $20,000 Mini Tune Up$16.50$20,000
Wed, January 267 p.m.XL Winter #32 - $15,000 Mini PKO 8-Max$16.50$15,000
Sun, January 307 p.m.XL Winter #44 - $50,000 Mini Main Event$33$50,000

1. XL Winter #2 - $20,000 Mini Opening

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Date: Sunday, January 16
Time: 7 p.m GMT
Buy-in: $16.50

The first event on this list also coincides with the first day of the series. The XL Winter #2 - $20,000 Mini Opening comes with a $16.50 buy-in and $20,000 guarantee. Players get a 20,000 starting stack which is good for 250 big blinds.

Blinds increase every ten minutes with late registration closing after three hours of play, in that time players are allowed three rebuys should they bust. Direct satellites are currently running on the platform's client and are only $1 to enter.

2. XL Winter #16 - $30,000 DeepStack

Date: Friday, January 21
Time: 6 p.m. GMT
Buy-in: $55

Moving on to the most-expensive buy-in on this list, this $55 event also gives players the biggest stack to play with. The first-place prize from the XL Winter #16 - $30,000 DeepStack will likely be one of the biggest, other than the Mini Main Event, from the affordable tournaments which makes this a must play.

In this event, tables will be nine-handed with blinds going up every 12 minutes. The late registration period lasts for four hours and again players are permitted three rebuys. Entrants will be able to have plenty of play from their buy-in as the starting stack is a whopping 30,000 chips (375 big binds).

There are direct freeroll satellites to this event as well as regular $5.50 satellites so if that $55 is out of your budget, fear not there are multiple ways to get into the tournament for a fraction of the cost. Before the event begins, brush up on your deepstack poker skills with these tips and tricks.

3. XL Winter #23 - $20,000 Mini Tune Up

Date: Sunday, January 23
Time: 7 p.m. GMT
Buy-in: $16.50

Mirroring the Mini Opening event, the XL Winter #23 - $20,000 Mini Tune Up comes with a $16.50 buy-in, $20,000 guarantee and a stack of 20,000 (250 big blinds). The Mini Tune Up also has ten minute blinds, three hours of late registration and allows three rebuys.

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4. XL Winter #32 - $15,000 Mini PKO 8-Max

Date: Wednesday, January 26
Time: 7 p.m. GMT
Buy-in: $16.50

Variety truly is the spice of life so why not mix it up by hopping into the XL Winter #32 - $15,000 Mini PKO 8-Max event. Progressive knockout tournaments have soared in popularity in recent years and offer players the chance to make some cash even if they fail to make the money.

The structure follows the previous $16.50 buy-in tournaments, direct satellites to the event start at $1 and for those who are uninitiated with this poker format, make sure to check out this quick guide to progressive knockout tournaments.

5. XL Winter #44 - $50,000 Mini Main Event

Date: Sunday, January 16
Time: 7 p.m GMT

The XL Winter #44 - $50,000 Mini Main Event is the final tournament on this list also has the biggest guarantee and will likely be the best attended. In 2020, the Mini Main Event had 1,983 entries which smashed the guarantee creating a final prize pool of $59,490.

Playing this tournament costs $33 which gets you a 20,000 starting stack (250 big blinds). Each level last 12 minutes and the event's late registration period lasts for two hours and 35 minutes. As per, three rebuys are available for each participant and there are a plethora of satellites ongoing to get into the event.

How to Get Your XL Winter Series Tickets for Free

Even if some of the events discussed are out your reach for the time being there are host of satellite tournaments available for each event, starting from just one cent! Also, depositing players can even qualify to some certain events for free.

There are a few ways to get into selected tournaments on the cheap and you can get you hands on tickets via:

  1. XL Winter Series Freerolls
  2. Social Media and 888pokerTV competitions
  3. Satellites from 1¢

XL Winter Series Full Schedule

DateTime (GMT)EventBuy-inGuarantee
Sun, January 166 p.m.XL Winter #1 - $100,000 Opening Event$55$100,000
Sun, January 167 p.m.XL Winter #2 - $20,000 Mini Opening$16.50$20,000
Sun, January 168 p.m.XL Winter #3 - $15,000 Late Opening$33$15,000
Mon, January 176 p.m.XL Winter #4 - $30,000 PKO 6-Max$88$30,000
Mon, January 177 p.m.XL Winter #5 - $20,000 Mini PKO 6-Max$44$20,000
Mon, January 178 p.m.XL Winter #6 - $10,000 Late PKO 6-Max$22$10,000
Tue, January 186 p.m.XL Winter #7 - $30,000 Freezeout$215$30,000
Tue, January 187 p.m.XL Winter #8 - $15,000 Mini Freezeout$55$15,000
Tue, January 188 p.m.XL Winter #9 - $10,000 Late Freezeout$109$10,000
Wed, January 196 p.m.XL Winter #10 - $30,000 PKO$109$30,000
Wed, January 197 p.m.XL Winter #11 - $15,000 Mini PKO$16.50$15,000
Wed, January 198 p.m.XL Winter #12 - $10,000 Late PKO$33$10,000
Thu, January 206 p.m.XL Winter #13 - $40,000 PKO 8-Max$160$40,000
Thu, January 207 p.m.XL Winter #14 - $20,000 Mini PKO 8-Max$55$20,000
Thu, January 208 p.m.XL Winter #15 - $10,000 Late PKO 8-Max$22$10,000
Fri, January 216 p.m.XL Winter #16 - $30,000 DeepStack$55$30,000
Fri, January 217 p.m.XL Winter #17 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack$16.50$15,000
Fri, January 218 p.m.XL Winter #18 - $10,000 Late DeepStack$33$10,000
Sat, January 226 p.m.XL Winter #19 - $30,000 6-Max$109$30,000
Sat, January 227 p.m.XL Winter #20 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max$16.50$15,000
Sat, January 228 p.m.XL Winter #21 - $15,000 Late 6-Max$55$15,000
Sun, January 236 p.m.XL Winter #22 - $200,000 Tune Up$109$200,000
Sun, January 237 p.m.XL Winter #23 - $20,000 Mini Tune Up$16.50$20,000
Sun, January 238 p.m.XL Winter #24 - $15,000 Late Tune Up$33$15,000
Mon, January 246 p.m.XL Winter #25 - $25,000 8-Max$88$25,000
Mon, January 247 p.m.XL Winter #26 - $15,000 Mini 8-Max$44$15,000
Mon, January 248 p.m.XL Winter #27 - $10,000 Late 8-Max$22$10,000
Tue, January 256 p.m.XL Winter #28 - $50,000 PKO$320$50,000
Tue, January 257 p.m.XL Winter #29 - $25,000 Mini PKO$55$25,000
Tue, January 258 p.m.XL Winter #30 - $20,000 Late PKO$109$20,000
Wed, January 266 p.m.XL Winter #31 - $30,000 PKO 8-Max$109$30,000
Wed, January 267 p.m.XL Winter #32 - $15,000 Mini PKO 8-Max$16.50$15,000
Wed, January 268 p.m.XL Winter #33 - $10,000 Late PKO 8-Max$33$10,000
Thu, January 276 p.m.XL Winter #34 - $40,000 PKO 6-Max$215$40,000
Thu, January 277 p.m.XL Winter #35 - $20,000 Mini PKO 6-Max$55$20,000
Thu, January 278 p.m.XL Winter #36 - $10,000 Late PKO 6-Max$22$10,000
Fri, January 286 p.m.XL Winter #37 - $30,000 DeepStack$55$30,000
Fri, January 287 p.m.XL Winter #38 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack$16.50$15,000
Fri, January 288 p.m.XL Winter #39 - $10,000 Late DeepStack$33$10,000
Sat, January 296 p.m.XL Winter #40 - $40,000 Knockout$109$40,000
Sat, January 297 p.m.XL Winter #41 - $15,000 Mini Knockout$16.50$15,000
Sat, January 298 p.m.XL Winter #42 - $15,000 Late Knockout$55$15,000
Sun, January 306 p.m.XL Winter #43 - $500,000 Main Event$250$500,000
Sun, January 307 p.m.XL Winter #44 - $50,000 Mini Main Event$33$50,000

$88 Free Plus a $400 Welcome Bonus

Now is the perfect time to join 888poker if you have not already done so. Download 888poker via PokerNews, create your free account, and 888poker will give you a free $88 worth of cash game and tournament tickets – this is a free £20 for residents of the United Kingdom – just for reaching this stage.

Your first deposit is matched 100% up to $400 in the form or a releasable bonus. You have 90 days to release as much bonus as you can. Contact 888poker support for more details.

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Senior Editor & Live Events Executive

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

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