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The 2026 PokerNews Online Championship launched at 888 on October 18, and it did not take long for 888 ambassador Aaron “abarone68” Barone to make his mark on the series.
Barone won the opening event of the 40-tournament series, the $16.50 Mystery Bounty, which attracted 1,060 entrants and built a $15,900 prize pool. He defeated Germany’s “MRTHSCHEL” heads-up after seven hours of play to secure the title and a $1,375 payday.
The win adds to a strong recent run for Barone, who earlier completed a bankroll challenge turning $2,000 into $10,000 in just six days. Only one player in the field, “JohnnyOther,” earned more than Barone, after landing a $1,500 jackpot mystery bounty before being eliminated in 27th place.
Elsewhere in the series, the $525 buy-in High Roller event smashed its guarantee, drawing 52 entrants for a $26,000 prize pool. “CPU0r” took down the title by defeating “MorayEEEEEL” heads-up, earning $7,787. The same player previously won the XL Spring Series RAKELESS Mystery Bounty Main Event in May for $41,775.
888 teammates Ian “Simpioni” Simpson and “Reggie_Degen” also made deep runs in the High Roller, finishing seventh and fifth respectively.
Meanwhile, the $109 PokerNews Mystery Opening Event has reached its final table of eight after drawing 730 entrants, with Brazil’s “Lurich28” leading the pack. The final table action resumes with coverage streamed live on the 888 Twitch channel.
