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Finland’s “wellyxx” Triumphs in 888poker XL Winter Series Main Event, Collects $108,020

The XL Winter Series Mystery Bounty Main Event at 888poker was nothing short of a spectacle. With a $1 million guarantee, the event lured 1,145 players into the battle. But in the end, it was Finland’s “wellyxx” who emerged victorious, securing a combined prize of $108,020 after defeating Romania’s “Hxs87” heads-up. Surprisingly, the biggest winner of the tournament wasn’t even the champion—Denmark’s “Slikkelade” took home a massive $146,081 after snagging a $100,000 mystery bounty prize.

The Final Table Kicks Off with a Dominant Chip Leader

The final eight contenders took their seats on January 28 at 7:00 p.m. GMT, with Sweden’s “Kellerrr69” holding a significant chip lead. They had 3,763,872 chips, equating to 108 big blinds—more than double that of “wellyxx,” who started in second place with 55 big blinds. However, as the action unfolded, the chip stacks quickly shuffled, setting the stage for an unpredictable finale.

poker tournament

Early Bustouts and a Shocking Turn of Events

Sweden’s “Kzzzon” came in as the short stack but managed to double up early, giving them a fighting chance. Meanwhile, the initial chip leader, “Kellerrr69,” suffered a massive blow in a hand against “Slikkelade.”

  • “Slikkelade” raised with pocket sixes and flopped a set.
  • “Kellerrr69” called with jack-seven suited and saw an open-ended straight draw on the turn.
  • The river brought another six, giving “Slikkelade” quads and crushing “Kellerrr69’s” stack.

Soon after, Brazil’s “GodBleefe7” found themselves in trouble. Their pocket jacks couldn’t hold against “Hxs87’s” ace-queen when an ace landed on the flop, ending their tournament run in eighth place.

Former Chip Leader Crumbles Under Pressure

“Kellerrr69,” once sitting atop the leaderboard, continued their downward spiral. Their final hand came when they pushed all-in with ace-king, only to run into “Hxs87’s” pocket queens. A double-paired board sealed their fate, sending them to the rail in sixth place.

Another dramatic moment came when “hardc0reee” shoved with pocket sixes, only to be dominated by “Kzzzon’s” pocket queens. The board didn’t help, knocking “hardc0reee” out and giving “Kzzzon” a much-needed boost.

A Fortunate Mystery Bounty and an Unlucky Exit

Despite building a stack with well-timed moves, “Kzzzon” couldn’t sustain their momentum. They went all-in with ace-six, only to be up against “Slikkelade’s” pocket jacks. A six on the flop gave some hope, but a jack on the turn meant game over.

With just three players remaining, “Slikkelade” had already locked up the biggest single payout of the event, thanks to the massive $100,000 mystery bounty they had drawn earlier.

Heads-Up Battle Ends in a Flash

By the time heads-up play started, “wellyxx” held a significant 50.1 to 21.4 big blind advantage over “Hxs87.” And the duel was over almost as soon as it started.

  • “wellyxx” min-raised with ace-seven of spades.
  • “Hxs87” responded with a three-bet, holding pocket queens.
  • “wellyxx” pushed all-in, and “Hxs87” called off their last 11 big blinds.
  • An ace on the flop sealed the deal, sending “Hxs87” to the rail in second place with a $79,362 payout.

XL Winter Series Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Results

Rank Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize
1 wellyxx Finland $26,370 $81,650 $108,020
2 Hxs87 Romania $19,862 $59,500 $79,362
3 Slikkelade Denmark $102,431 $43,650 $146,081
4 Kzzzon Sweden $2,586 $32,100 $34,686
5 hardc0reee Canada $42,724 $23,750 $66,474
6 Kellerrr69 $21,293 $17,600 $38,893
7 Armeniashka Armenia $4,646 $13,100 $17,746
8 GodBleefe7 Brazil $14,862 $9,750 $24,612

The Series Wraps Up with Big Wins Across the Board

With the Main Event concluding, the entire 888poker XL Winter Series came to an end, producing multiple champions across various events. Here’s a quick look at some of the standout performances from the series:

Event Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize
#01 – $109 Weekend Mystery Starter 1,246 $150,000 djjazz222 $11,010
#02 – $16.50 Opening Event Mystery Bounty 1,581 $23,715 klapciukas $2,040
#03 – $33 Opening Event 474 $14,220 Beratna $2,601
#04 – $55 Opening Event PKO 702 $35,100 Paulada85 $5,449
#05 – $22 Opening Event MB Big or Small 849 $16,980 sjae98 $2,264

The 888poker XL Winter Series left its mark once again, with players taking home life-changing payouts. For “wellyxx,” this was a victory to remember, but for “Slikkelade,” it was a jackpot that made the entire event unforgettable.

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